The Dynamics of &lt;i&gt;Sphagnum&lt;/i&gt; in Forest and Peatland Communities in Southeastern Labrador, Canada

Foster, David R.

doi:10.14430/arctic2178

Cited by 35 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(24 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Banded profiles have been noted by FOSTER (1984) and by GLASER and JANSSENS (1986). The work presented here complements those studies.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

“…Although peatlands in eastern North America are morphologically and floristically similar to those of northwestern Europe, until recently there have been few investigations of their stratigraphies and paleoecologies (WELLS, 1981 ;DA-VIS, 1984;FOSTER, 1984;FOSTER and KING, 1984;COUILLARD and PAYETTE, 1985;ZOLTAI and JOHN-SON, 1985). Banded profiles have been noted by FOSTER (1984) and by GLASER and JANSSENS (1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Microstratigraphy of Two Peat Sequences from Northeastern Newfounland

Davis¹,

Wickham²

2007

gpq

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACTCommonly, the ombrotrophic peats of Newfoundland have a well-defined banded appearance. Each band consists of a light-coloured lower section and a dark upper component. The bands are separated by abrupt recurrence surfaces. The regularity of the bands implies cyclicity. The physical, elemental, micro- and macro-stratigraphies of two banded profiles from the Wesleyville area were examined in an attempt to document the differences and to provide insight into cause. Ash content, fibre content, bulk density, water content and water retention were measured. The latter three showed consistent changes through each profile. There were no obvious patterns in the values for the biologically active elements that were measured (Mg, Cl, Ca, Na, Al, Mn and I), but the curves for Br, V, and U, biologically inert elements, showed systematic variations that appear to reflect variations in peat accumulation rate. The pollen, spore and macrofossil stratigraphies were generally complacent, although the representation of Sphagnum macrofossils and spores varied regularly as did pollen and spore concentrations. Each light-dark sequence appears to reflect a cycle of self-sustaining hydrologie changes involving changes in community composition, and in oxidation and accumulation rate, rather than climate. The cycles appear to be ca. 700 years in length, and are system-wide, but with variable lag times.

show abstract

“…Banded profiles have been noted by FOSTER (1984) and by GLASER and JANSSENS (1986). The work presented here complements those studies.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Microstratigraphy of Two Peat Sequences from Northeastern Newfounland

Davis¹,

Wickham²

2007

gpq

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Charcoal, however, is ubiquitous in boreal soils (for example, Trumbore and Harden 1997), and its presence alone is no proof that peatland initiation was a direct result of fire. In fact, fire can play an important role in maintaining black spruce-feather moss systems by periodically removing bryophyte mats and soil organic layers (Foster 1984;Fenton and others 2005), thus preventing the lateral spread of Sphagnum.…”

Section: Peat Initiation and Basal Peat-forming Communitiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many cases, the boundaries between these different community types are dynamic, and given suitable hydrotopographic conditions, swamps and their adjoining fens can spread outward into adjacent uplands (Heinselman 1970;Foster 1984;Warner and Rubec 1997;Bauer and others 2003). Conversely, decreased water levels result in increased tree productivity and may lead to a contraction of wetland boundaries (Hartshorn and others 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Matter Accumulation and Community Change at the Peatland–Upland Interface: Inferences from 14C and 210Pb Dated Profiles

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Peatland-margin habitats with organic matter accumulation of 40-150 cm make up a significant but poorly quantified portion of Canada's boreal forest region. Spanning the transition between non-wetland forest and fen proper, these ecosystems represent a zone of complex environmental and vegetation change, yet little is known about their ecological function or development. We here use vegetation and macrofossil analysis, traditional Pb generally producing younger ages than 14 C. Peat initiation and long-term organic matter accumulation at the Old Black Spruce (OBS) transect were probably driven mainly by the dynamics of Sphagnum, whereas at the Sandhill Fen (SF) transect, they were controlled by water level fluctuations in the neighboring fen. Bryophyte macrofossils suggest a recent drying of the vegetation surface at both sites, most likely triggered by regional drought in the late 1950s and 1960s. At OBS, the shift from Sphagnum-to feather moss-dominated communities continued in the 1990s, possibly reflecting effects of direct disturbance on local drainage patterns. Overall, our results suggest that community composition and C dynamics of peat-margin swamps respond dynamically to climatic and hydrologic fluctuations. However, uncertainties regarding the reliability of different chronologies limit our ability to link observed community changes to specific causal events.

show abstract

“…We can explain the continuous regeneration of P. sylvestris by presence of Sphagnum hummocks. In late post-fire successional stages of upland forest communities in eastern Canada Sphagnum species can be the dominant species for long periods of time (Foster 1984). However, we lack information on the dynamics of Sphagnum patches and the past growth conditions in the studied mire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stand structure and spatial pattern of regeneration of Pinus sylvestris in a natural treed mire in Latvia

Brūmelis¹,

Strazds²,

Eglava³

2009

Silva Fenn.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BruWe examined the regeneration patterns of Pinus sylvestris L. in a natural treed mire in the hemiboreal zone in Latvia. Data on tree stem age and size was collected in 207 fine-scale plots (10 m 2 ) and 4 medium-scale plots (400 m 2 ). Size structure of living and dead trees was also estimated on transects 180-m and 250-m length and 10-m width. In addition, the vegetation was described in 1-m 2 plots to determine preferred microsites for P. sylvestris establishment.Pinus sylvestris showed continuous regeneration by an inverse J-shaped age and size structure. Pulses of mortality induced by fire were also evident. Regeneration of P. sylvestris was mostly on Sphagnum magellanicam Brid. hummocks free of competition from Ledum palustre L. and graminoids, which were found in small interspersed patches throughout the mire. The spatial pattern of tree cohorts differed, probably due to changing moisture conditions altering seedbed conditions and by fire-induced mortality in specific areas. Recent rapid invasion by Betula pubescens Ehrh. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. in a post-fire period since 1971 is probably associated with drier conditions.

show abstract

The Dynamics of <i>Sphagnum</i> in Forest and Peatland Communities in Southeastern Labrador, Canada

Cited by 35 publications

References 35 publications

The Microstratigraphy of Two Peat Sequences from Northeastern Newfounland

The Microstratigraphy of Two Peat Sequences from Northeastern Newfounland

Organic Matter Accumulation and Community Change at the Peatland–Upland Interface: Inferences from 14C and 210Pb Dated Profiles

Stand structure and spatial pattern of regeneration of Pinus sylvestris in a natural treed mire in Latvia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About