The article summarizes current data about the condition and spread of Sphagnum mosses on the territory of Male Polissya in Lviv Region based on the material from our own field research, materials of National Herbarium of Ukraine (KW), the Herbarium National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (LWS) and literature data. An annotated list of the species of the genus Sphagnum was compiled and it includes 15 species together with an indication of place and date of collection, the names of collectors, the spread in Ukraine and biotopes in which the species may occur according to The National Habitat Catalogue of Ukraine and EUNIS. Sphagnum fallax (Klinggr.) Klinggr., S. fimbriatum Wils. and S. palustre L. were determined as the most widespread species of the genus Sphagnum in the research area. Two species S. angustifolium and S. inundatum are indicated for the first time for the territory of Lviv region. Six regionally rare species were found: S. capillifolium, S. cuspidаtum, S. fаllax, S. fimbriаtum, S. obtusum and S. papillosum. The possible disappearance of a species Sphagnum centrale, S. contortum, S. flexuosum and S. obtusum on the territory of the Volytsky Botanical Reserve of national importance was established owing to the draining of wetlands. Ecological groups of sphagnum species on the research area were analyzed, where the predominance of subheliophytes (7 species, 46.7 %), hygrophytes (13 species, 86.7 %), cold tolerant species (13 or 87.7 %) and acidophiles (8 species, 53.3 %) was identified. The topicality of the study is determined by the fact that sphagnum mosses are spread much less frequently than other species from the division of bryophytes because they are confined to a narrow range of biotopes. With the drastic changes in the hydrological regime of the environment, which occurred during the second half of the twentieth century, due to the large areas of drained land, the processes of biotope dehydration became irreversible and some species of sphagnum could have disappeared from the territory of Male Polissya. Due to the sensitivity of bryophytes, in particular species of the sphagnum genus, and due to a disturbance of the hydrological regime of wetlands, the waterlogged mixed coniferous forest in the vicinity of the village Kulychkiv is a promising territory for the creation of a new environmentally protected site or the extension of the Volytsky Botanical Reserve of national importance for the purpose of wetlands preservation here.
The article summarizes current information on the ecological features of sphagnum mosses in the Gorgany massif on the basis of own field research, literature and herbarium data. Gorgany’s territory is of particular interest since it owns a great amount of debris fields (gorgan, grekhot, tsykot). What is more, the area is unique as it is almost impossible to encounter any mountain meadows there typical of other mountain ranges in the Ukrainian Carpathians. This is one of the most forested and the least inhabited area in Ukrainian Carpathians, it is a relatively inaccessible mountain range, thus the research of biota, including sphagnum mosses is highly newsworthy. In total, 23 species of sphagnum are known for the study area. Sphagnum quinquefarium, S. capillifolium, S. girgensohnii, S. russowii, S. squarrosum were found to be the most common species of the genus in the study area. Among the ecogroups of sphagnum mosses, subheliophytes predominate in relation to the light regime (39 %), regarding the hydromorph spectrum the predominance of hygrophytes (76 %) is observed. According to the trophic nature of the medium, the vast majority of sphagnums are olihomesotrophs (30 %), in terms of soil pH 39 % of mosses are acidophiles. Sphagnum is characterized by two main life forms: turf (Tf) and tuft (Tuft), and S. cuspidatum under certain conditions can form a secondary life form, represented by a water colony (Ac). Species S. centrale, S. majus, S. obtusum, S. warnstrofii are the most sensitive to the degree of landscape cultivation. They usually grow in ahemorob groups, and the species S. fallax is the hardiest and can occur in a wide range from ahemerob to euhemerob ecosystems. The topicality of the study of sphagnums is shown, as they are much less common than other species of mosses, because they are confined to a narrow range of habitats. Sphagnum populations and their ecological indicators have great potential for use as indicators of the state of natural ecosystems, as they are sensitive to both climate change and anthropogenic pressure. Due to global changes in the ecosystems of the Carpathian region, drastic changes in humidification conditions, transformation of potential vegetation, destruction of natural habitats, moderate recreational load, there are possible threats to sphagnum moss populations. Therefore, in order to preserve them, it is necessary to study the changes that occur with sphagnum in recent decades.
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