Study

Vegetation succession in a floating mire in relation to management and hydrology

  • Published source details Van Diggelen R., Molenaar W.J. & Kooijman A.M. (1996) Vegetation succession in a floating mire in relation to management and hydrology. Journal of Vegetation Science, 7, 809-820.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Change season/timing of cutting/mowing

Action Link
Peatland Conservation
  1. Change season/timing of cutting/mowing

    A study in 1956–1989 in a historically mined peatland in the Netherlands (van Diggelen et al. 1996) reported that summer- and winter-mown areas developed different types of plant communities. No statistical tests were carried out. Initially, areas destined for each mowing regime contained similar vegetation types: 42–52% of the surface was covered by reedbeds, 28–30% by fen vegetation (mostly alkaline ‘rich’ fens), 20–25% by meadows and 0% by bogs. After approximately 30 years of mowing, summer-mown areas had developed into acidic poor fens (62%) and bogs (21%), with some reedbeds (14%). In contrast, winter-mown areas had mainly developed into reedbeds (68%) and poor fens (32%). In 1989, vegetation was mapped in 5 ha of summer-mown peatland and 30 ha of winter-mown peatland. This was compared to maps created in 1956. Vegetation was developing on pools created by historical peat extraction. By 1989 the peatland had been mown for approximately 30 years, but it was not clear whether the peatland was abandoned or mown before this.

Output references
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