Photosynthetic traits of Sphagnum and feather moss species in undrained, drained and rewetted boreal spruce swamp forests

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.

Responses of phenology and biomass production of boreal fens to climate warming under different water‐table level regimes

“…The moss layer of the inherently slightly drier southern fen suffered more from WLD than mosses in the wetter northern fen. This may indicate that following WLD, the moss community in the southern fen was already approaching a tipping point, eventually leading to successional species turnover as an adaptation to the drier conditions (Kangas et al., ; Laine et al., ), while this was not the case in the northern fen.…”

Behind the stability of boreal bog carbon sink: Compositional and functional variation of vegetation across temporal and spatial scales

“…Differences in net photosynthesis light response parameters among species, PFTs and months were quantified similarly to Kangas et al (2014) by applying a hyperbolic light saturation curve (Larcher 2003):…”

Photosynthesis, growth, and decay traits in Sphagnum – a multispecies comparison

“…In conclusion, how light availability affects many functional traits is largely unclear (e.g., Kangas et al. ; Laing et al. ).…”

“…Because of CO 2 limitation, they face overexcitation and reduce their photosynthesis in favor of less photodamage (H ajek 2014). In conclusion, how light availability affects many functional traits is largely unclear (e.g., Kangas et al 2014;Laing et al 2014).…”