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The balance between photosynthetic carbon accumulation and respiratory loss in plants varies depending on temperature. This leads to a situation where the increased need for carbon is not met when a certain temperature threshold is reached. Over the last two decades, temperature thresholds in carbon metabolism in autotrophic systems have been widely studied. However, it remains unclear how these thresholds manifest themselves in the natural growth of individual plant species. To address this issue, we used data from an extensive monitoring of the growth of peat moss Sphagnum riparium over 9 years in mires in Karelia (Russia). We measured the growth of shoots in sample plots and obtained 1609 estimates of growth rates during the monitoring period. Investigating the relationship between growth rate and temperature, we identified two distinct intervals in response to temperature. These two intervals are separated by the temperature threshold of 13.2 °C. The first interval, which covers 42% of the growing season, exhibits a strong exponential dependence of growth rate on temperature, with a coefficient Q10 = 4.01. This indicates that growth is most sensitive to changes in temperature within this range. In contrast, the second interval (58% of the growing season) shows a weaker dependence, with a Q10 coefficient of 1.21, suggesting that growth is less responsive to changes within this temperature range. The temperature threshold was found to be negatively related to May (r = −0.76; p = 0.018) and September (r = −0.78; p = 0.012) temperatures of the previous growing season, and together they best explain (r = −0.91; p = 0.0007) the temperature threshold. Overall, our findings suggest that the temperature threshold does exist in the growth of S. riparium and can be identified in different years. The negative correlation between temperature threshold and May and September temperatures from the previous year indicates that intervals in the growing season with temperatures near the temperature threshold have an impact on subsequent carbon balance and are particularly significant for the further growth and development of Sphagnum mosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The balance between photosynthetic carbon accumulation and respiratory loss in plants varies depending on temperature. This leads to a situation where the increased need for carbon is not met when a certain temperature threshold is reached. Over the last two decades, temperature thresholds in carbon metabolism in autotrophic systems have been widely studied. However, it remains unclear how these thresholds manifest themselves in the natural growth of individual plant species. To address this issue, we used data from an extensive monitoring of the growth of peat moss Sphagnum riparium over 9 years in mires in Karelia (Russia). We measured the growth of shoots in sample plots and obtained 1609 estimates of growth rates during the monitoring period. Investigating the relationship between growth rate and temperature, we identified two distinct intervals in response to temperature. These two intervals are separated by the temperature threshold of 13.2 °C. The first interval, which covers 42% of the growing season, exhibits a strong exponential dependence of growth rate on temperature, with a coefficient Q10 = 4.01. This indicates that growth is most sensitive to changes in temperature within this range. In contrast, the second interval (58% of the growing season) shows a weaker dependence, with a Q10 coefficient of 1.21, suggesting that growth is less responsive to changes within this temperature range. The temperature threshold was found to be negatively related to May (r = −0.76; p = 0.018) and September (r = −0.78; p = 0.012) temperatures of the previous growing season, and together they best explain (r = −0.91; p = 0.0007) the temperature threshold. Overall, our findings suggest that the temperature threshold does exist in the growth of S. riparium and can be identified in different years. The negative correlation between temperature threshold and May and September temperatures from the previous year indicates that intervals in the growing season with temperatures near the temperature threshold have an impact on subsequent carbon balance and are particularly significant for the further growth and development of Sphagnum mosses.

Background and Aims: Critical peatland functions are intricately linked to biogeochemical processes mediated by soil microbes. The belowground microbial activities are associated and interacted with aboveground vegetation types. Vegetation shifts from Sphagnum mosses to vascular plants in peatlands may alter soil microbial community, leading to changes in ecological functions. However, our knowledge in this area is still limited. Methods: We selected four sites (two core areas and two marginal areas) in the Sphagnum-dominated wetland in Zhejiang Hynobius amjiensis National Nature Reserve. At each site, peat soils under three common peatland vegetation communities (OW: only Sphagnum; HW: herbaceous plants with Sphagnum carpet; SW: shrubs with Sphagnum carpet) were collected at two depths. A high-throughput sequencing method was adopted to investigate the alteration in soil bacterial and fungal communities. Results: Vascular plant did not significantly alter soil properties and microbial α-diversity, given that mosses are still the dominant plants and have higher resistance levels to multiple environmental-changes than vascular plants. The features of bacterial co-occurrence network in HW revealed higher stability than that in OW and SW, indicating that herbaceous plants may contribute to the stable coexistence with Sphagnum. The microbial diversity, community structure and putative functions differed between core and marginal areas of the peatland. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the spatial heterogeneity of environmental factors may play a more important role in microbial activities than vegetation types at the early successional stages. These insights provide a novel perspective for development of management practices to preserve subtropical peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial wetland ecosystems challenge biodiversity–ecosystem function theory, which generally links high species diversity to stable ecosystem functions. An open question in ecosystem ecology is whether assemblages of co-occurring peat mosses contribute to the stability of peatland ecosystem processes. We conducted a two-species (Sphagnum cuspidatum, Sphagnum medium) replacement series mesocosm experiment to evaluate the resistance, resilience, and recovery rates of net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) under mild and deep water table drawdown. Our results show a positive effect of mild water table drawdown on NEE with no apparent role for peat moss mixture. Our study indicates that the carbon uptake capacity by peat moss mixtures is rather resilient to mild water table drawdown, but seriously affected by deeper drought conditions. Co-occurring peat moss species seem to enhance the resilience of the carbon uptake function (i.e. ability of NEE to return to pre-perturbation levels) of peat moss mixtures only slightly. These findings suggest that assemblages of co-occurring Sphagnum mosses do only marginally contribute to the stability of ecosystem functions in peatlands under drought conditions. Above all, our results highlight that predicted severe droughts can gravely affect the sink capacity of peatlands, with only a small extenuating role for peat moss mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of changes in the species richness, abundance, community structure, and biomass of testate amoebae were studied in a series of different types of aquatic and terrestrial habitats along an interlake transect in Tyumen oblast. Altogether, 112 species and forms of testate amoebae, including subspecies, were identified. Micrographs of all species detected are given. The species Conicocassis pontiguasiformis (Beyens et al., 1986) Nasser and Anderson, 2015, previously described as an Arctic endemic, was found in the southern part of Western Siberia for the first time. The species richness of testate amoeba assemblages is maximal in the periphyton. The highest values of species abundance and biomass were detected in the bottom detritus of the shore part of a swamp lake. Testate amoeba assemblages in various habitats along the transect are divided into aquatic and terrestrial, according to the results of cluster and principal component analyses. The species composition of testate amoeba assemblages depended on the substrate wetness, as well as the type of vegetation. The dominants in relative biomass were identified for aquatic, forest, and well-lit Sphagnum habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming and projected increase in summer droughts puts northern peatlands under pressure by subjecting them to a combination of gradual drying and extreme weather events. The combined effect of those on peatland functions is poorly known. Here, we studied the impact of long‐term water level drawdown (WLD) and contrasting weather conditions on leaf phenology and biomass production of ground level vegetation in boreal peatlands. Data were collected during two contrasting growing seasons from a WLD experiment including a rich and a poor fen and an ombrotrophic bog. Results showed that WLD had a strong effect on both leaf area development and biomass production, and these responses differed between peatland types. In the poor fen and the bog, WLD increased plant growth, while in the rich fen, WLD reduced the growth of ground level vegetation. Plant groups differed in their response, as WLD reduced the growth of graminoids, while shrubs and tree seedlings benefited from it. In addition, the vegetation adjusted to the lower WTs, was more responsive to short‐term climatic variations. The warmer summer resulted in a greater maximum and earlier peaking of leaf area index, and greater biomass production by vascular plants and Sphagnum mosses at WLD sites. In particular, graminoids benefitted from the warmer conditions. The change towards greater production in the WLD sites in general and during the warmer weather in particular, was related to the observed transition in plant functional type composition towards arboreal vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosses (Bryophyta), particularly species of the genus Sphagnum, which have been used for centuries for the treatment of skin diseases and damage, are still not explored enough in terms of their use in cosmetics. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant properties of water–ethanol extracts from four selected species of the genus Sphagnum (S. girgenshonii Russow, S. magellanicum Brid., S. palustre L., and S. squarrosum Crome) and their impact on the expression of genes encoding key enzymes for the functioning of the skin. In this study, the effects of Sphagnum extracts on the expression of genes encoding tyrosinase, collagenase, elastase, hyaluronidase and hyaluronic acid synthase in human dermal fibroblasts were determined for the first time in vitro. The extracts inhibited tyrosinase gene expression and showed antioxidant activity. The experiment showed an increase in the expression of some genes encoding collagenase (MMP1) or hyaluronidase (HYAL2, HYAL3 and HYAL4) and a decrease in the hyaluronan synthase (HAS1, HAS2 and HAS3) genes expression by the tested extracts. The obtained results suggest that using extracts from the tested Sphagnum species in anti-aging cosmetics does not seem beneficial. Further studies are needed to clarify their impact on the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous paleoenvironmental data synthesis indicates that arid central Asia (‘westerlies Asia’) and mid-latitude East Asia (‘monsoonal Asia’) show anti-phased moisture variations over the last millennium. However, there are very few records from inland Northeast Asia, which obscures the spatial extent of or the boundary between the two domains and hinders the assessment of climate change impacts and consequences across the region. Here, we present a multi-proxy record that combines peat properties, plant macrofossils, and isotopic ratios of Sphagnum moss cellulose from a unique precipitation-fed peatland in northern Northeast China to fill this critical data gap. The results show major centennial-scale moisture anomalies at this site, with drier and wetter conditions during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age, respectively, which resemble the pattern of moisture changes in ‘westerlies Asia’. During the period of rapid anthropogenic warming, the site is much drier, with isotopic evidence for threshold-like summer desiccation of peat-forming Sphagnum mosses. This study provides the long-term context and identifies the large-scale pattern of moisture variability in an inland region home to carbon-rich peatlands, forests, and permafrost soils, and highlights their potential vulnerability to future warming-enhanced drying that can be transmitted widely through atmospheric teleconnection.

This work is devoted to innovative ways to use the resource potential of wetlands in the transboundary territories of the Lower Amur region. Unlike the traditional large-scale production of consumer goods in the form of peat substrates and organic fertilizers, it is proposed to focus on high-tech aspects of processing rapidly renewable (liquid peat phase and sphagnum mosses) marsh resources. In the near future, this approach will make it possible to establish environmentally friendly production in the region not only of carbon nanotubes, which are in great demand on the market, but also of effective sorption materials, as well as therapeutic and therapeutic and prophylactic drugs for treating a wide range of diseases. At the same time, the proposed synthesis of carbon nanotubes from natural organic raw materials is more preferable from an ecological point of view than traditional cytotoxic methods of graphite cleavage. Special focus is given to the liquid phase of peat, which has amphiphilic properties. This feature of drainage marsh waters with dissolved carbon of humic substances allows them to be used in the production of a wide range of foaming and cosmetic products. Along with this, it is shown that, during the evaporation of the liquid phase of peat deposited on the surface of a number of materials, dendro-shaped fractal structures are formed, which, under the influence of a constant electric field, form carbon nanowires for microelectronics. This publication presents data from studies carried out over the past decade on the subject of grants from the government of Khabarovsk krai and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in accordance with research programs of the Institute of Water and Environmental Problems, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences. Research priorities are registered with 20 patents of the Russian Federation and tested at the main international innovation salons and exhibitions of the Republic of Korea, China, and Russia (Moscow, St. Petersburg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Boreal peatlands are very sensitive to nitrogen (N) enrichment due to the low soil N availability. Our aim was to reveal how increased N availability altered plant composition in boreal permafrost peatlands with dense vascular plants (>50%). Location: Greater Khingan Mountains, Northeast China. Methods: A nitrogen addition experiment with four N addition levels (0, 3, 6, and 12 g N m-2 year-1) was conducted in a poor fen in the continuous permafrost zone with vascular plant coverage above 60%. Plant diversity, community composition, and above-ground biomass were investigated after four, six, and eight years of N addition. Results: Nitrogen addition decreased species richness and diversity but enhanced total above-ground biomass. Plant height determined the plants' responses to N addition, and the magnitudes increased with N addition level and experimental duration. The relative coverage of high-stature (>50 cm) species increased, but the relative coverage of low-stature (<50 cm) species decreased with elevating N addition levels. When N addition proceeded, the relative coverage and above-ground biomass of tall deciduous shrubs and nitrophilous grasses increased, whereas the relative coverage and above-ground biomass of dwarf evergreen shrubs, mosses, and lichens declined. Regardless of N addition levels, cryptogams (i.e., mosses and lichens) and a dwarf evergreen shrub (Chamaedaphne calyculata) disappeared after eight-year N addition. Conclusions: Cryptogams and dwarf evergreen shrubs are highly vulnerable to increased N availability, and N enrichment-induced biodiversity loss, especially the disappearance of cryptogams, will deteriorate ecosystem structure and function in boreal permafrost peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilized site‐specific peat hydrophysical properties (inverse of air‐entry pressure, α; pore size distribution index, n; saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks; and pore tortuosity, L) as inputs into the HYDRUS 1‐D computer model for quantifying moss moisture stresses on Irish peatlands. The site‐specific peat hydrophysical properties computed using pedotransfer functions obtained from laboratory measured bulk density (BD) and % organic matter (OM). The peat samples obtained from undrained sites (Scohaboy, Pollagoona and Lough Ghe), three afforested sites (S18, S28 and S44) and rewetted sites (Scohaboy and Pollagoona). The moss moisture stresses quantified using a known ecohydrological threshold of −100 cm. The site‐specific peat hydrophysical properties, four initial WTDs (3, 8, 20 and 30 cm) and two distinct precipitation regimes (single and consecutive 4 years having severely dry [SD], extremely dry [ED], near normal [NN], very wet [VW] and extremely wet [EW] periods) were inputs into HYDRUS 1‐D model. The modelling results showed that none of the peatland sites ever reached −100 cm threshold in single year simulations at all initial WTDs. However, in the consecutive 4‐year simulations, Scohaboy, Pollagoona and Lough Ghe undrained, S28 afforested and Pollagoona rewetted sites first reached −100 cm threshold on 516, 508, 624, 1329 and 517 day, respectively. In the consecutive 4‐year simulations, undrained Scohaboy, Pollagoona, Lough Ghe, S28 afforested and Pollagoona rewetted reached −100 cm threshold in ED and SD years. We concluded that moss recolonization is likely to be successfully on peatlands having minimal to no −100 cm threshold days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the chemical composition of natural background environments of Pur-Taz interfluve (Western Siberia), the mineral components of soils, peats, lichens, and sphagnum mosses have been analyzed. The samples were tested using X-ray fluorescence technology. The average contents of hazardous metals in the soils of the Pur-Taz interfluve are either lower (for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Sr) or equal to (for Hg, Co) the average values of these elements in the Earth's crust. This finding corresponds to the commonly held view that the contents of elements in the soils located in the north of Western Siberia are lower than the world averages. Additionally, in our samples low concentrations of copper and zinc have been observed. Since these microelements are important for soil physiology, this finding indicates unfavorable biochemical conditions in the research area. On the other hand, high concentrations are observed for inactive elements such as Mo, Sn and Zr. The significant differences have been identified in the composition of mineral and organic soil horizons. For instance, the average concentrations of P, Zn and S in organic horizons are 7.1, 8.1 and 18 times greater than in the illuvial mineral horizons, respectively. The intense accumulation of Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg has been recorded, all of them are chalcophiles in the ombrotrophic peat. This means that the chemical composition of soil is largely determined by biological accumulation of chalcophile elements. The content of lithophilic Al, Si, Ti and Zr, coming with dust precipitation from the atmosphere increases in the peat of dwarf shrub-moss-lichen tundras and larch woodlands. The revealed values of the elemental composition of soils can be recommended as background in the course of the environmental monitoring.

Questions: Climate warming has been demonstrated to shift peatland plant community composition from Sphagnum mosses to vascular plants in Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands. However, fewer studies have determined how increasing temperature affects vegetation patterns in Carex‐dominated peatlands. As plants are important determinants of carbon storage potential in peatlands, we aim to determine how climate warming alters plant community composition in peatlands of two different vegetation types. Location: Boreal peatlands in north–central Ontario, Canada. Methods: In a Sphagnum‐ and a Carex‐dominated peatland over two growing seasons, we instigated passive warming using clear open‐topped chambers, providing a modest increase (1–2°C) in temperature. In replicated plots we examined shifts in plant community composition using the point intercept method, and total above‐ground biomass using Leaf Area Index (LAI) against non‐warmed control plots. Results: While there was no difference in species diversity between control and warmed plots in either fen site, warming significantly increased above‐ground biomass in the Carex‐dominated fen and decreased moss abundance in the Sphagnum‐dominated fen. Both fens also displayed significantly different plant community composition between warming and control plots, and increased heterogeneity under warming. Conclusion: Peatlands are important global carbon stores and the plant community contributes to their carbon storage; Sphagnum mosses, in particular, are linked to high peatland carbon storage potential. Previous studies in Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands have shown concomitant declines in Sphagnum biomass and increases in vascular plant biomass, and in the short term, we show only a decline in Sphagnum. At both sites the increase in plant community heterogeneity suggests that climate warming effects on plant community composition in boreal peatlands may be more unpredictable than the literature suggests. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that plant community shifts occur even under modest warming scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In boreal peatlands, the aboveground (plant) and belowground (microbial) communities are acutely linked because the whole soil profile is partially decomposed plant matter (peat), and dictates the nutrients available to the belowground system. We characterized the aboveground and belowground communities in two boreal peatlands: a Sphagnum-dominated fen and a Carex-dominated fen. We link the plant and microbial communities by observing plant, litter and peat carbon and nitrogen values. The Sphagnum-dominated fen had greater plant diversity but provided low quality litter inputs (high carbon:nitrogen) that formed peat and that corresponded with greater fungi:bacteria and Gram-positive:Gram-negative bacteria microbial community compared to the Carex-dominated fen. The higher quality plant inputs in the Carex-dominated fen supported a 5 × greater microbial biomass that was also 2 × more active (as measure by CO2 production). In this approach we highlight that peatlands and their component plant and microbial communities play-out along a common resource-spectrum that dictates 'fast' vs 'slow' carbon and nutrient cycling (i.e., a plant–soil interaction spectrum) that can, in turn, affect carbon storage potential. As peatland plant community composition is predicted to shift and decomposition rates are expected to increase under climate change, our work highlights the importance of understanding plant–soil microbial interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isolation of highly efficient methanotrophic communities is crucial for the optimization of methane bioconversion into products with a high market value such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). The research here presented aimed at enriching a methanotrophic consortium from two different inocula (Sphagnum peat moss (Sp) and Sphagnum and activated sludge (M)) able to accumulate PHA while efficiently oxidizing CH 4. Moreover, the effect of the temperature and phosphorus limitation on the biodegradation rate of CH 4 and the PHA accumulation potential was investigated. Higher CH 4 degradation rates were obtained under P availability at increasing temperature (25, 30 and 37 °C). The biomass enriched from the mixed inoculum always exhibited a superior biodegradation performance regardless of the temperature (a maximum value of 84.3 ± 8.4 mg CH 4 h−1 g biomass−1 was recorded at 37 °C). The results of the PHB production showed that phosphorus limitation is required to promote PHB accumulation, the highest PHB content being observed with the Sphagnum inoculum at 25 °C (13.6 ± 5.6%). The differential specialization of the microbial communities depending on the enrichment temperature supported the key role of this parameter on the results obtained. In all cases after the completion of the enrichment process and of the P limitation tests, Methylocystis , a type II methanotroph known for its ability to accumulate PHA, was the genus that became dominant (reaching percentages from 16 to 46% depending on the enrichment temperature). Thus, the results here obtained demonstrated for the first time the relevance of the temperature used for the enrichment of the methanotrophic bacteria to boost PHA production yields under P limiting condition, highlighting the importance of optimizing culture conditions to improve the cost-efficiency of bioprocesses based on using methane as the primary feedstock for the PHA industrial market. Unlabelled Image • Similar specific CH 4 degradation rates were recorded regardless of the temperature. • The key role of the enrichment temperature on PHA productivity was confirmed. • Enrichment at 25 °C resulted in a superior PHA accumulation compared to 30 and 37 °C. • The genus Methylocystis was dominant under phosphorus limiting conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mud-bottom hollows with bare peat surface are common features of raised bogs in the boreal zone. Due to retarded peat accumulation, these hollows promote changes in plant cover, microtopography and carbon accumulation. We undertook a 16-year study of eight permanent plots in mud-bottom hollows to assess their durability, regularities and causes of development. Annual changes in the areas of plant assemblage types in the plots averaged around 20 %, and changes during the entire study period approached 90 %. Bare peat surfaces existed for 3–12 years on average before being overgrown by lateral expansion of the bordering Sphagnum carpet (average rate of advance 4.1 ± 1.3 cm yr-1) or by clumps of Rhynchospora alba. The annual changes in representation of plant assemblages fluctuated through time and were related to weather factors. The overgrowth of bare peat by Sphagnum carpet was favoured by wetter conditions, whereas overgrowth by the R. alba dominated plant assemblage was temporally less regular and independent of weather.

Sphagnum mosses mediate long-term carbon accumulation in peatlands. Given their functional role as keystone species, it is important to consider their responses to ecological gradients and environmental changes through the production of phenolics. We compared the extent to which Sphagnum phenolic production was dependent on species, microhabitats and season, and how surrounding dwarf shrubs responded to Sphagnum phenolics. We evaluated the phenolic profiles of aqueous extracts of Sphagnum fallax and Sphagnum magellanicum over a 6-month period in two microhabitats (wet lawns versus dry hummocks) in a French peatland. Phenolic profiles of water-soluble extracts were measured by UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Andromeda polifolia mycorrhizal colonization was quantified by assessing the intensity of global root cortex colonization. Phenolic profiles of both Sphagnum mosses were species-, season- and microhabitat- dependant. Sphagnum-derived acids were the phenolics mostly recovered; relative quantities were 2.5-fold higher in S. fallax than in S. magellanicum. Microtopography and vascular plant cover strongly influenced phenolic profiles, especially for minor metabolites present in low abundance. Higher mycorrhizal colonization of A. polifolia was found in lawns as compared to hummocks. Mycorrhizal abundance, in contrast to environmental parameters, was correlated with production of minor phenolics in S. fallax. Our results highlight the close interaction between mycorrhizae such as those colonizing A. polifolia and the release of Sphagnum phenolic metabolites and suggest that Sphagnum-derived acids and minor phenolics play different roles in this interaction. This work provides new insight into the ecological role of Sphagnum phenolics by proposing a strong association with mycorrhizal colonization of shrubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Until now, a complete checklist of Sphagnum-dwelling testate amoebae in Bulgaria has never been published. Records for species diversity and distribution in the country were scattered in many faunistic and ecological publications. The aim of the present study is to summarise all data for the species distribution at the level of country by reviewing the existing literature and by additional data obtained in our research over the past two years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitats with Sphagnum mosses are extremely rare in Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. Such habitats there are on the territory of the National Nature Park “Slobo­zhansky” (Kharkiv region, Ukraine) with more than 300 peatbogs, swampy forests and bog-lakes. Sphagnum mosses are known as substrates for a lot of specialized agarics and boleti species. Sphagnum mosses form unique environmental conditions and consequently a complex of specific agarics and boleti is appear there as well. 26 species of agarics growing among Sphagnum mosses were detected during investigations in the Park. Only part of them (Galerina cerina, G. paludosa, G. sphagnicola, Hypholoma elongatum, H. udum and Tephrocybe palustris) could be considered as closely associated with Sphagmun mosses by substrate links. Some of the detected among mosses species might be related to highly damped habitats, but they were not related with the mosses. The Majority of the species obviously are not associated with Sphagnum mosses anyway, but are tolerant to conditions made by the mosses (for example aid reaction). Seventeen species of agarics were found in Kharkiv Forest-Steppe only in Sphagnum mosses and swampy forests of the National Nature Park “Slobozhansky”. The territory of National Nature Park is one of key territory for support of biodiversity of agarics on the East of Ukraine.

Major elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe) were analyzed in 11 Sphagnum species from ombrotrophic bogs in southwestern Poland. The material included species from wet to dry microsites. The highest levels of elements were recorded for S. lindbergii, whereas S. balticum and S. cuspidatum were poorest in elements. The microhabitat gradient from hummock to hollow species is clearly reflected by decreasing concentrations of Ca and Mg, and increasing concentration of Na. Phosphorus, K and N were much more enriched into moss tissues than the remaining elements. These three nutrients were also accumulated in the upper green parts of mosses, while the concentrations of Na and Fe were higher in the bottom brown parts. There were no differences in Ca and Mg between the green and brown segments.

Sphagnum mosses are a characteristic component of plant communities in the mountain mires of the Altai-Sayan region. The genusSphagnumL. ranks first in the species diversity and includes 32 species, accounting for 57.1% of the species diversity of sphagnum mosses of Russia and 62.8% of the species diversity of sphagnum mosses of the Asian part of Russia. Twenty-five species of sphagnum moss are revealed in the mires of the Western Sayan and Altai, listed in this paper; 28 species occur on the Kuznetsky Alatau mires. Rare species areSphagnum aongstroemii,S. auriculatum,S. contortum,S. platyphyllum,S. pulchrum,S. subfulvum,S. tenellum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population density and taxonomic structure of micromycetes were monitored for six months in a model experiment with natural and mechanically fragmented (fine and coarse) samples of sphagnum. Sphagnum fragmentation favored an increase in the number of micromycetes only during the first week of the experiment. On the average, the number of micromycetes in fine-fragmented samples was two times greater than that in the coarse-fragmented samples. The diversity of micromycetes increased in the fragmented samples of sphagnum owing to the activation of some species, which remained in the inactive state as spores in the peat before fragmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative estimates of the rate of transformation of moss residues of two species ( Sphagnum angustifolium and Sphagnum fuscum) in the peat soils (Histosols) were obtained for two oligotrophic bogs with different hydrological conditions in the southern taiga of Western Siberia. The coefficients of decomposition rate ( k) significantly differed for the studied species; the decomposition of Sphagnum fuscum proceeded much slower. The most intense decomposition was observed in the first year of transformation ( k = 0.06 and 0.16-0.66 for Sph. fuscum and Sph. angustifolium, respectively); then, the rate of moss decomposition decreased. Despite the great amount of fungal mass in the moss residues (exceeding the bacterial biomass by 3-10 times), the rate of the initial decomposition was very low. The hydrological conditions affected the intensity of this process-in the peat of the Kirsanovskoe bog with the low level of bog water, losses of the mass of sphagnum moss were 1.1-1.6 times greater as compared to those in the Bakcharskoe bog. For Sph. angustifolium, the level of bog water was more important than for Sphagnum fuscum, whereas for Sphagnum fuscum, the composition of organic matter played a decisive role in the rate of decomposition of moss residues. The activity of the microflora also depended on the level of bog water, which was manifested in a greater abundance of bacteria in the peat of the Kirsanovskoe bog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant community modification may play an important role in peatlands’ carbon balance. We investigated how Molinia caerulea altered CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes and DOC concentration as well as their sensitivity to water table level, air and soil temperature in Sphagnum -dominated peat mesocosms. The presence of Molinia caerulea significantly increased CO 2 and CH 4 emissions compared to Sphagnum and decreased the DOC concentration. The rise in temperature exponentially increased DOC as well as CO 2 and CH 4 emissions. Molinia caerulea decreased the temperature sensitivity of CO 2 emissions, suggesting the presence of a more labile substrate (root exudates), while it increased the temperature sensitivity of CH 4 emissions, suggesting a possible change in methanogenic communities. Our study highlights a strong impact of vegetation change on C dynamics in peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant carbon (C) allocation is a key process determining C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. In carbon-rich peatland ecosystems, impacts of climate change can exert a strong influence on C allocation strategies of the dominant plant species, with potentially large implications for the peatland C budget. However, little is known about plant C allocation into various secondary biosynthetic metabolites and whether different plant species vary in C allocation strategies in response to climate change. Here, we report species-specific leaf chemistry and secondary metabolism in trees (Picea mariana and Larix laricina), shrubs (Rhododendron groenlandicum and Chamaedaphne calyculata), and Sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum angustifolium and Sphagnum magellanicum) in response to whole-ecosystem warming (+0, +2.25, +4.5, +6.75 and +9 °C) and elevated CO 2 manipulation (ambient or +500 ppm) in an ombrotrophic peatland. We show that warming and elevated CO 2 substantially altered leaf chemistry and cuticle composition, including increases in leaf nitrogen, shifts in lipid composition and dependence on new photosynthates, although results varied by species. Shrub species lowered the saturation of their membrane fatty acids and increased their leaf nitrogen and C concentrations, while tree species increased their wax concentrations under higher warming treatments. Using isotopic labeling to trace the fate of newly-assimilated C, we observed an unexpectedly low fraction of new C in tree and shrub species (∼50% and ∼70% respectively). This suggests the combined use of newly-assimilated and older C reserves stored in plant organs for plant functional processes and CO 2 originating from peat degradation and even more so in response to warmer temperatures and elevated CO 2 concentrations. Under higher temperatures, Sphagnum mosses increased their leaf nitrogen but decreased their leaf C concentrations and the fraction of experiment-derived C (by 20%); suggesting an increasing C allocation to osmotic compounds that aid in maintaining high water retention capacity, albeit at the cost of other metabolites. Our results indicate species-specific shifts in plant chemistry and cuticular lipid composition, which could strongly moderate and shape boreal peatland ecosystem response to climate change in the future. • Rising temperatures and atmospheric CO 2 levels induce species-specific physiological responses. • Shrubs lowered the saturation of their membrane lipids, while trees increased their wax concentrations with warming. • No consistent response of structural compounds of membrane and wax layers in Sphagnum mosses to warmer temperatures. • Plant species simultaneously used newly-assimilated and older C reserves in response to changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatland ecosystems are globally important carbon and terrestrial surface water stores that have formed over millennia. These ecosystems have likely optimized their ecohydrological function over the long-term development of their soil hydraulic properties. The optimization of peat hydraulic properties is examined to determine which of the following conditions peatland ecosystems target during this development: (i) maximize carbon accumulation, (ii) maximize water storage, or (iii) balance carbon profit across hydrological disturbances. To identify this control, the short-term hydrological response of a 0.5-m-deep peat profile was simulated during a 50-day rain-free period. A total of 5000 Monte-Carlo model realizations were conducted, with peat hydraulic properties differing between each realization (values derived from known probability distributions). Saturated hydraulic conductivity ( Ks) and empirical van Genuchten water retention parameter α were shown to provide a first order control on simulated water tensions. For hypothetical combinations of Ks and α, the probability that water tension exceeds the ecologically important threshold of 100 mb within 24 h showed a bimodal distribution. A peak at high probabilities was associated with profiles of high Ks and low α. Such a profile is optimized for water storage. A peak at low probabilities is associated with low Ks, high α, and is optimized for carbon accumulation. Actual hydraulic properties from five northern peatlands fall between this binominal distribution, balancing the competing demands of carbon accumulation and water storage. We argue that peat hydraulic properties are thus optimized to maximize water use efficiency and that this optimization occurs over a centennial to millennial timescale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bog ecosystems fulfil important functions in Earth's carbon and water turnover. While plant communities and their keystone species Sphagnum have been well studied, less is known about the microbial communities associated with them. To study our hypothesis that bog plants share an essential core of their microbiome despite their different phylogenetic origins, we analysed four plant community plots with 24 bryophytes, vascular plants and lichen species in two Alpine bogs in Austria by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing followed by bioinformatic analyses. The overall bog microbiome was classified into 32 microbial phyla, while Proteobacteria (30.8%), Verrucomicrobia (20.3%) and Planctomycetes (15.1%) belonged to the most abundant groups. Interestingly, the archaeal phylum Euryarcheota represented 7.2% of total microbial abundance. However, a high portion of micro-organisms remained unassigned at phylum and class level, respectively. The core microbiome of the bog vegetation contained 177 operational taxonomic units ( OTUs) (150 526 seq.) and contributed to 49.5% of the total microbial abundance. Only a minor portion of associated core micro-organisms was host specific for examined plant groups (5.9-11.6%). Using our new approach to analyse plant-microbial communities in an integral framework of ecosystem, vegetation and microbiome, we demonstrated that bog vegetation harboured a core microbiome that is shared between plants and lichens over the whole ecosystem and formed a transkingdom metacommunity. All micro- and macro-organisms are connected to keystone Sphagnum mosses via set of microbial species, for example Burkholderia bryophila which was found associated with a wide spectrum of host plants and is known for a beneficial plant-microbe interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in vegetation composition due to nitrogen deposition may influence the role of peatlands in the carbon cycle. The impact of nitrogen (N) on vegetation composition of the Mer Bleue Bog (Ontario) and the underlying mechanisms were studied using a coupled carbon (C) and nitrogen wetland model (PEATBOG). The model was applied to data from a long-term nutrient fertilization experiment and the results were compared with the observed C and N pools in plants, peat, and soil water after 8 years of fertilization with 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 gN m y and additional phosphorus and potassium. The evaluated model was employed to simulate the vegetation dynamics in the peatland fertilized with different loads and concentrations of N. The model suggested a shift in plant functional types from moss-shrub dominated to graminoid dominated with increasing N load. Suppression of mosses by N fertilization was mitigated by daily deposition of N at a low concentration. Mosses became extinct in the simulations only when the concentration and load of N deposition were high, corroborating empirical results from the fertilization experiment. Tracking the deposited N in the system, the model indicated that it was primarily sequestered in the peat. Dissolved N concentrations in peat and export from the bog increased with N load and decreased with N concentration, leading to higher N uptake by vascular plants. The results further suggested that the observed detrimental effect of N on mosses was most likely due to toxicity caused by N uptake exceeding N assimilation. Exposure of mosses to high N concentrations in precipitation and evaporating water on moss tissues is thus a factor that needs attention when considering critical loads of N deposition on peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we have analyzed the diversity of the endophytic bacterial community associated with Sphagnum mosses from Nort-West Region and Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous District of Russia during the years 2009-2012. We isolated a more then 400 strains which were identified by means of phenotypic tests and by 16S rRNA sequences. The ribosomal data showed that the isolates belonged to genera Pseudomonas (20-57%), Colimonas (7-10%), Flavobacterium (6-8%), Burkholderia (5-6%), Serratia (3%). The data reported in this work are consistent with the results of research performed by the Berg group with samples of mosses of the Austrian Alps. It was found that Sphagnum mosses are a promising source for the isolation of beneficial microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a model experiment, the abundance of microorganisms was monitored for half a year in native and mechanically comminuted samples of live and dead sphagnum using the method of luminescent microscopy. The effect of the mechanical comminution was more pronounced for live sphagnum than for its waste. Mechanical comminution of live sphagnum stimulated a 2- to 4-fold increase in the total microbial biomass and a twofold increase in the emission of CO owing to the active development of fungi and bacteria. The abundance of microorganisms and the intensity of the CO flow increased with the degree of sphagnum comminution. As a result of the mechanical treatment of live sphagnum, its destruction occurred, which is indicated by the significant decrease in the C : N ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness and feasibility of producing nanoscale carbon materials from renewable bioresources were shown as an example marsh mass. The mechanisms of synthesis of amorphous organic carbon from sphagnum moss species modified by a liquid peat phase of humic nature are discussed. A fundamentally new way of producing carbon nanotubes by mechanical activation of amorphous organic carbon is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sphagnum mosses serve as a unique habitat for microorganisms, which play an important role both for the host plants and the peatland ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to isolate endophytic bacteria from the tissues of Sphagnum mosses and to screen them for strains promising for further application in agricultural microbiology. About 50 samples of Sphagnum fallax (H. Klinggr.) H. Klinggr. and Sphagnum magellanicum Brid. were collected in the Austrian Alps and the Lenindgrad Region of Russia in 2009-2010. Endophytic bacteria were detected inside the moss plants using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Altogether, 283 isolates were obtained by cultivation on the nutrient media. Examination of the isolates for the antagonistic activity revealed that more than 50% of them could suppress the growth of phytopathogenic and toxigenic fungi. More than 30% of isolates showed some antagonistic activity against microbial phytopathogens. The isolated strains could colonize crops and promote their growth. Molecular-genetic identification coupled with physiological/biochemical characterization showed that the dominant endophytic groups belonged to the genera Burkholderia, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Serratia and Collimonas. The isolated endophytes were shown to be promising objects for the development of effective growth-promoting and protective microbiological preparations to be used in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fen bryophytes are an important component of natural fens and should be included in fen restoration projects. The goal of this study was to examine the regeneration capabilities of nine bryophytes common to moderate-rich and poor fens in North America. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to examine the limitations and optima for the regeneration of fen bryophytes under different light and water regimes. A field experiment tested these same bryophytes in the presence of three potential nurse-plants. In the greenhouse experiment, the presence of shade increased regeneration success for eight out of nine species. A high water level was ideal for the regeneration of the majority of species tested. In the field experiment, Sphagnum species had the highest regeneration, and all species had higher regeneration under a dense canopy of herbaceous plants. Fen bryophytes show good potential for use in restoration projects because the tested bryophytes regenerated well from fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measured phytomass stock and production in Western Siberian mire ecosystems (palsa, ridge, oligotrophic and mesotrophic hollows, fen). To determine the contribution of different phytomass fractions into total production, we developed a method to estimate below-ground production (BNP). Standing crop of living above-ground phytomass on treeless plots varied from 300 to 660 g m−2, reaching maximum on palsa, where 81% of phytomass consisted of Sphagnum mosses and lichens. In the hollows and the fen, Sphagnum percentage varied from 70 to 95%. Standing crop of living below-ground phytomass varied from 325 to 1,210 g m−2. It consisted of woody stems, stem bases, rhizomes and roots, with the latter contributing from 30 to 60%. Total production of mire ecosystems in northern taiga of Western Siberia ranged from 350 to 960 g m−2 year−1 and depended on microtopography of the ecosystem (the presence of permafrost and water table depth). Production of treeless plant communities located on the elevated sites depended on the presence of permafrost: in comparison with the ridge, palsa production was lower. Production on the low sites increased with increase pH and reached maximum (960 g m−2 year−1) in poor fens. Bryophytes were the major producers above ground. Their production varied from 100 to 272 g m−2 year−1 and reached maximum on ridges. BNP contributed 37–66%, increasing due to increased contribution of sedges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]