Hyperspectral remote sensing (RS) provides unique possibilities to monitor peatland vegetation traits and their temporal dynamics at a fine spatial scale. Peatlands provide a vital contribution to ecosystem services by their massive carbon storage and wide heterogeneity. However, monitoring, understanding, and disentangling the diverse vegetation traits from a heterogeneous landscape using complex RS signal is challenging, due to its wide biodiversity and distinctive plant species composition. In this work, we aim to demonstrate, for the first time, the large heterogeneity of peatland vegetation traits using well-established vegetation indices (VIs) and Sun-Induced Fluorescence (SIF) for describing the spatial heterogeneity of the signals which may correspond to spatial diversity of biochemical and structural traits. SIF originates from the initial reactions in photosystems and is emitted at wavelengths between 650–780 nm, with the first peak at around 687 nm and the second peak around 760 nm. We used the first HyPlant airborne data set recorded over a heterogeneous peatland area and its surrounding ecosystems (i.e., forest, grassland) in Poland. We deployed a comparative analysis of SIF and VIs obtained from differently managed and natural vegetation ecosystems, as well as from diverse small-scale peatland plant communities. Furthermore, spatial relationships between SIF and VIs from large-scale vegetation ecosystems to small-scale peatland plant communities were examined. Apart from signal variations, we observed a positive correlation between SIF and greenness-sensitive VIs, whereas a negative correlation between SIF and a VI sensitive to photosynthesis was observed for large-scale vegetation ecosystems. In general, higher values of SIF were associated with higher biomass of vascular plants (associated with higher Leaf Area Index (LAI)). SIF signals, especially SIF760, were strongly associated with the functional diversity of the peatland vegetation. At the peatland area, higher values of SIF760 were associated with plant communities of high perennials, whereas, lower values of SIF760 indicated peatland patches dominated by Sphagnum. In general, SIF760 reflected the productivity gradient on the fen peatland, from Sphagnum-dominated patches with the lowest SIF and fAPAR values indicating lowest productivity to the Carex-dominated patches with the highest SIF and fAPAR values indicating highest productivity.

The paper presents a brief review of published so far and recently recorded unpublished bryological data concerning the distribution in Poland of two neophytic (sensu Meusel 1943) mosses: Campylopus introflexus (Hedw.) Brid. and Orthodontium lineare Schwaegr.to estimate their current influence on native bryoflora. The data clearly indicate the constant spreading of these species towards the east, however, there is no direct evidence that they have been limiting the occurrence of native moss species. They are acidophilous species, so the acidification of the environment probably promotes their expansion. Maps of the most current distribution of Campylopus introflexus and Orthodontium lineare in Poland (in a system of ATMOS-grid squares) are provided, as well as a description of the first locality in Poland of another European bryo-neophyte species Leptophascum leptophyllum Mull. Hal

Peatlands are one of the most important ecosystems due to their biodiversity and abundant organic compounds; therefore, it is important to observe how different plant species in peatlands react to changing environmental conditions. Sphagnum spp. are the main component of peatlands and are considered as the creator of conditions favorable for carbon storage in the form of peat. Sphagnum angustifolium and Sphagnum fallax are taxonomically very close species. To examine their adaptability to climate change, we studied the morphology and pigment content of these two species from environmental manipulation sites in Poland, where the environment was continuously manipulated for temperature and precipitation. The warming of peat was induced by using infrared heaters, whereas total precipitation was reduced by a curtain that cuts the nighttime precipitation. Morphology of S. angustifolium stayed under climate manipulation relatively stable. However, the main morphological parameters of S. fallax were significantly affected by precipitation reduction. Thus, this study indicates S. angustifolium is better adapted in comparison to S. fallax for drier and warmer conditions. Climate change is appearing to be the biggest problem of this century. It is estimated that anthropogenic activities have caused global warming by approximately 1.0 °C in comparison with the pre-industrial era. The global warming rate is currently estimated to be 0.2 °C per decade; therefore, it is a high probability that the average global temperature may reach 1.5 °C higher in between 2032 and 2050 1. Rainfall patterns affect surface wetness and water availability to plants; therefore, its alteration may directly impact the primary productivity 2. In this changing environmental condition, plants may either adapt, move to suitable climatic conditions, or may get extinct 3. With the change in plant species composition, the ecosystem may also lose its identity and can turn into a different ecosystem with changing environmental conditions 4. Therefore, to understand the faith of the ecosystem in changing environmental conditions, it is crucial to study the behavior of different plant species. Due to their high carbon storage capacity, peatlands are considered to be one of the most important ecosystems 5. Peatlands cover only around 4 million km 2 what amounts to 3% of the world's terrestrial area, but contains around one-third of the terrestrial carbon 6. About 80% of the world's peatlands occur in the northern hemisphere 7 , and they constitute about 515 000 km 2 in Europe 6. Due to their high carbon storage, peatlands have attracted a lot of attention to environmental scientists 8-10. It is still uncertain that under new climatic conditions (due to warming and changed precipitation) pristine peatlands will work like carbon sink or they will become a

No abstract

No abstract