The Phytosociology and Ecology of Scragh Bog, Co. Westmeath

O’Connell, Michael

doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.1981.tb01698.x

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“… Location of Scragh Bog in Ireland. The site is a mesotrophic fen with a small catchment with mostly agricultural land use (O'Connell 1980, 1981). …”

Section: Methods and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Scragh Bog is fed by springs near the south‐east end, by precipitation, groundwater flow and run off from the fields. The basin discharges its surplus water via a drain in the north‐western corner (O'Connell 1981). The calcium‐rich surface water originates from the springs and from diffuse groundwater inflow with a pH between 6 and 7.…”

Section: Methods and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Differential effects of ammonium and nitrate deposition on fen phanerogams and bryophytes

Verhoeven

Beltman

Dorland

et al. 2010

Applied Vegetation Science

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Question: High atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has been shown to affect productivity and species composition of terrestrial ecosystems. This study focused on the differential effects of the two inorganic N forms in atmospheric deposition (i.e. ammonium and nitrate). Methods and location: Nutrient addition experiments were carried out during 4 years in a mesotrophic fen in a low‐deposition area in Ireland. In a factorial design, plots were fertilized with ammonium and/or nitrate, in two doses comparable with 35 and 70 kg N ha−1 y−1 and compared with an unfertilized control. Results: Vascular plant biomass as well as bryophyte biomass were not affected by N dose but showed significantly different responses to the N form. In the ammonium‐fertilized plots, vascular plant biomass was higher and moss biomass was lower than the control, while nitrate additions had no effect. Vascular plant species density was high (16 species per 0.49 m2) and was not affected by any of the treatments; bryophyte species density was also high (seven species per 0.04 m2) but showed a significant decrease upon ammonium fertilization. Conclusion: The vulnerability of the mesotrophic vegetation to enhanced atmospheric N deposition depends strongly on the N form. If N would be mainly deposited as NOx, no detrimental effects on the vegetation will occur. If, however, the deposition is mainly in the form of NHy, the bryophyte vegetation will be seriously damaged, while the vascular plant vegetation will show an increased biomass production with possible shifts in dominance from Carex and herb species to grasses and shrubs.

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“… Location of Scragh Bog in Ireland. The site is a mesotrophic fen with a small catchment with mostly agricultural land use (O'Connell 1980, 1981). …”

Section: Methods and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methods and Locationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differential effects of ammonium and nitrate deposition on fen phanerogams and bryophytes

Verhoeven

Beltman

Dorland

et al. 2010

Applied Vegetation Science

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“…Similarly, it has also been shown that raised surface water levels may lead to inundations in floating fens (O'Connell, 1981;Koerselman, 1989;van Wirdum, 1991), especially on rich fens with Scorpidium species (Cusell et al, 2013b). Such rich fens are usually located at or below, instead of clearly above the water table.…”

Section: Water Table Dynamics In Floating Fens Hardly Depend On Surfamentioning

confidence: 95%

Impacts of short-term droughts and inundations in species-rich fens during summer and winter: Large-scale field manipulation experiments

Cusell

Mettrop

Loon

et al. 2015

Ecological Engineering

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A B S T R A C TFor the conservation and restoration of biodiverse rich fens, base-rich and nutrient-poor conditions are vital. In wetlands with artificially stable surface water levels, the re-introduction of temporary water level fluctuations has been postulated to restore the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of fens during inundation and to reduce surface water P-input during episodes with drought. This is the first study testing this hypothesis in large-scale field manipulation experiments in rich fens with threatened rich fen mosses, rich fens with Calliergonella, and poor fens with Sphagnum. Five different experiments were conducted: 2 weeks of raised levels (+10 cm) in a floating and a non-floating fen during winter, 2 weeks of high levels in a non-floating fen during summer, and 2 weeks of lowered levels (À15 cm) in a floating and a non-floating fen during summer. For floating fens, both lowered and raised surface water levels in adjacent ditches did not show any effect on water tables, soil ANC or nutrient levels in fens. For nonfloating fens, raised surface water levels led to inundation in all vegetation types, without affecting nutrient concentrations or vegetation. Although redox potentials decreased immediately in upper soils, ANC was generally not enhanced in winter due to limited infiltration into the waterlogged soils. In summer, in contrast, ANC increased because accelerated evapotranspiration led to enhanced infiltration of inundation water and higher temperatures resulted in microbial alkalinity generation. Short-term lowering of surface water levels in summer led to lower water tables in non-floating fens, but only when precipitation rates were low. Vegetation, ANC and nutrient concentrations were, however, not affected. The effectiveness of short-term surface water level fluctuation to restore ANC strongly depends on peat buoyancy, water saturation of soils, season and weather conditions. This explains why short-term inundation in winter is often inadequate, while short-term inundation in summer does increase ANC. Short-term droughts do not affect the ANC or nutrient availability. Our results are not only important for the hydrological management of fens, but also have implications for future management since shortterm extreme weather events will occur more frequently due to climate change.

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“…Cattle graze throughout the site. In county Westmeath in the central part of Ireland, northwest of Mullingar, a floating rich-fen has developed in a valley between eskers (O'Connell 1981). In the central parts of this fen a large area with S. scorpioides is found.…”

Section: Study Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in habitat factors and species composition of Scorpidium scorpioides communities in NW-Europe

Kooijman

Westhoff

1995

Vegetatio

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To assess the natural range in habitat parameters of the once common rich-fen bryophyte Scorpidium scorpioides, water chemistry and vegetation were studied in different regions characteristic of its NW-European distribution area: the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Fennoscandia. Scorpidium scorpioides was found in an environment with circumneutral pH. The variation in solute content and composition was large and nutrient (N and P) concentrations ranged from zero to values indicative of more eutrophic conditions. Six different vegetation types with S. scorpioides were distinguished, resembling Caricion davallianae, Caricion curto-nigrae and HydrocotyloBaldeUion communities. Type of substrate and solute levels were strongly correlated with the first ordination axis (DCA) and nutrient status and geographic position with the second axis. Habitat and vegetation characteristics in Dutch rich-fens with S. scorpioides indicated that mineral status was higher than in Fennoscandia and Ireland; solute-poor habitats with S. scorpioides have disappeared from the Netherlands. Trophic status was higher in the Netherlands than in Fennoscandia, but in some cases lower than in Ireland. Acidification and eutrophication may have played a role in the decrease of the species in the Netherlands. However, the wide ecological ranges suggest that the decrease of S. scorpioides is not a physiological effect of unsuitable environmental conditions per se.

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The Phytosociology and Ecology of Scragh Bog, Co. Westmeath

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Differential effects of ammonium and nitrate deposition on fen phanerogams and bryophytes

Differential effects of ammonium and nitrate deposition on fen phanerogams and bryophytes

Impacts of short-term droughts and inundations in species-rich fens during summer and winter: Large-scale field manipulation experiments

Variation in habitat factors and species composition of Scorpidium scorpioides communities in NW-Europe

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