Sphagnaceae (peat moss family) of New York State

Abstract

For all illustrations in this publication the following letter designations apply:A. Habit sketch B. Branch leaf from spreading branch C. Transverse section of branch leaf from spreading branch D. Convex surface, upper middle region, of branch leaf from spreading branch DM. Same as D but middle region DL. Same as D but lower middle region E. Concave surface, upper middle region, of branch leaf from spreading branch EM. Same as E but middle region EL. Same as E but lower middle region F. Apex of spreading branch leaf G. Border of spreading branch leaf H. Cortical cells of spreading branches E Stem leaf J. Stem leaf hyaline cells, upper middle region, convex surface, anisophyllous form K. Stem leaf hyaline cells, upper middle region, convex surface, hemiisophyllous form L. Stem leaf hyaline cells, upper middle region, concave surface, anisophyllous form M. Stem leaf hyaline cells, upper middle region, concave surface, hemiisophyllous form N. Stem transverse section O. Stem cortex, surface view P. Hanging branch leaf, upper middle region, convex surface viTABLE1.MIRETYPES: WATER CHEMISTRY-HYDROLOGIC CRITERIA I.Bog-Water supply strictly atmospheric.A. Raised hog-Convex in transverse section.B. Blanket bog-Irregular in transverse section, following land contours.C. Flat bog-Flat in transverse section. II.Fen-Water supply influenced by mineral soil ground water.A. Poor fen-Water supply low in dissolved nutrients and strongly to moderately acid. B. Medium fen-Water supply, dissolved nutrients, and acidity intermediate between poor and rich fen.C. Rich fen-Water supply relatively high in dissolved nutrients and weakly acid to weakly basic.Flat bogs occur in drier climates than the previous bog types, and are usually located as central portions of larger mire complexes, of which the marginal vegetation is fen influenced by mineral soil water. As their name implies, flat bogs have a surface that appears flat in cross section.Since there are no obligate bog plants-all characteristic bog species also occur in poor fens (Maimer, 1962 ) flat bogs must be recognized vegetationally by a lack of obligate fen species. A monotonous hummock-hollow topography typifies flat bogs and, due to the limited number of plants able to tolerate the highly acidic and very weakly mineralized substrate, species diversity is low. In New York, true flat bogs are apparently quite rare. The only one well known to this author occurs as part of an extensive mire complex near Bloomingdale, N.Y. on the northern fringe of the Adirondacks. A large central portion of the mire is a very hummocky, true flat bog with a limited number of sphagna-S. nemoreum, S. rubellum, S. fuscum, S. fallax, S. angustifolium and rarely S. cuspidatum.Any mire in which the subsurface water has any contact with mineral soil is herein considered a fen. Fens are thus always minerotrophic as opposed to the ombrotrophic bogs. The term "bog" or "valley bog" as employed by most British and North American ecologists (see esp. Tansley, 1939 ; Dansereau and Segadas-Vianna, 1952 ; Jeglu...

<p><strong>Niche Breadth and Overlap of <em>Sphagnum </em>Species in Costa Rica</strong></p>

“…in North America which has a broad distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Sphagnum angustifolium is also very common in open, poor to medium fen peatlands (Andrus 1980), but it is also widespread in poor to medium-wooded coniferous fens and cedar swamps.…”

“…The nearest populations outside of Costa Rica are in the southwestern United States, but Karlin believed that is probably occurs at other high elevation habitats in Central America. The site at which it is found on Cerro de la Muerte is typical of the intermediate fens and minerotrophic habitats in which it occurs in North America (Andrus 1980, Crum 1984.…”

Theories on adaptations to high light intensity in the aquatic mossFontinalis

“…In the latter study, production of red pigment could be induced by cool nights (12 h, O.s°C) and warm days (12 h, 18°C). Production of red pigments in many species of Sphagna is a characteristic and taxonomically important character, but with those species pigment production is a response to ecological conditions (Andrus, 1980). Other bryophytes almost always have red coloration (e.g.…”

Peatland distibution along a north-south transect in the Mackenzie River Basin in relation to climatic and environmental gradients

“…It is known that climate affects the development of peatland forms (Sjtrs 1948;Eurola 1962;Moore and Bellamy 1974;Damman 1977Damman , 1979, and taxonomic species descriptions often include a geographical limit based upon climate (Vitt and Andrus 1977;Andrus 1980;Janssens 1983). Recently, it has been demonstrated that climate affects the distribution and abundance of bryophytes along an east-west climatic gradient in western Canada (Gignac and Vitt 1990;Gignac et al 1991) and along a temperature gradient for vascular plant species in eastern ombrotrophic bogs (Glaser and Foster 1984;Glaser 1992).…”