Photosynthetic traits of Sphagnum and feather moss species in undrained,drained and rewetted boreal spruce swamp forests |
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| Authors: | Tomáš Hájek Eija Juurola Rodney A. Chimner Lauri Mehtätalo Eeva‐Stiina Tuittila |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, T?eboň, Czech Republic;2. Peatland Ecology Group, Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland;3. Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland;4. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan;5. School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland;6. School of Computing, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland |
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| Abstract: | In restored peatlands, recovery of carbon assimilation by peat‐forming plants is a prerequisite for the recovery of ecosystem functioning. Restoration by rewetting may affect moss photosynthesis and respiration directly and/or through species successional turnover. To quantify the importance of the direct effects and the effects mediated by species change in boreal spruce swamp forests, we used a dual approach: (i) we measured successional changes in moss communities at 36 sites (nine undrained, nine drained, 18 rewetted) and (ii) photosynthetic properties of the dominant Sphagnum and feather mosses at nine of these sites (three undrained, three drained, three rewetted). Drainage and rewetting affected moss carbon assimilation mainly through species successional turnover. The species differed along a light‐adaptation gradient, which separated shade‐adapted feather mosses from Sphagnum mosses and Sphagnum girgensohnii from other Sphagna, and a productivity and moisture gradient, which separated Sphagnum riparium and Sphagnum girgensohnii from the less productive S. angustifolium, S. magellanicum and S. russowii. Undrained and drained sites harbored conservative, low‐production species: hummock‐Sphagna and feather mosses, respectively. Ditch creation and rewetting produced niches for species with opportunistic strategies and high carbon assimilation. The direct effects also caused higher photosynthetic productivity in ditches and in rewetted sites than in undrained and drained main sites. |
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| Keywords: | chlorophyll fluorescence ecophysiology light responses peatland restoration |
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