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Post-drainage changes in vegetation composition and carbon balance in Lakkasuo mire, Central Finland

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Abstract

The post-drainage changes in vegetation composition and carbon balance were studied on four site types (from minero- to ombrotrophic conditions) in Lakkasuo mire, central Finland, by directly comparing undrained and drained parts (30 years ago) of the mire. Drainage had drastically changed the species composition of the sites, especially at the minerotrophic sites, where almost all Sphagna had been replaced by forest mosses. On the ombrotrophic sites much of the mire vegetation still remained 30 years after drainage. Drainage had decreased the C stores in ground vegetation on the minerotrophic sites but increased them on the ombrotrophic sites. The changes were, however, very small compared to the changes in the tree stand, where the C stores had increased at all sites (increasing with nutrient level). The change in peat C balance over the 30-year post-drainage period was negative on the most nutrient-rich site, and positive on the others, increasing with lower nutrient levels. The decrease in the peat C balance on the most nutrient-rich site was compensated by the greater increase in the tree stand C stores and the changes in the total C balance (peat+tree stand+ground vegetation) remained positive on all sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Ecology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 24, FIN-00014, Finland

    Kari Minkkinen, Harri Vasander, Sinikka Jauhiainen & Jukka Laine

  2. Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Research Centre, P.O. Box 18, FIN-01301, Finland

    Marjut Karsisto

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  1. Kari Minkkinen
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  3. Sinikka Jauhiainen
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  4. Marjut Karsisto
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  5. Jukka Laine
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Minkkinen, K., Vasander, H., Jauhiainen, S. et al. Post-drainage changes in vegetation composition and carbon balance in Lakkasuo mire, Central Finland. Plant Soil 207, 107–120 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004466330076

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