Ericaceous dwarf shrubs in drained forested peatlands: distribution, dynamics, and key factors in a restoration experiment.

ABSTRACT: Ericaceous dwarf shrubs comprise a key component of the vegetation in several types of northern peatlands. Widespread draining of the peatlands is known to favour forest species (such as Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium vitis-idaea) over mire species (such as Andromeda polifolia and Vaccinium oxycoccos), but it is unclear to what extent such assemblage shifts should form a target for ecological restoration. In this paper, we analyse the performance of eight co-occurring dwarf shrub species in a large-scale ecological restoration experiment in Scots pine-dominated wetlands that had been drained over 40 years ago in Estonia. We address two related questions: (1) how major ecosystem-change-related factors and within-assemblage interactions affect the 1-m²

SUBMITTER: Tekko T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11829077 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature