Nutrient-poor transition mires and quaking bogs are rare and fragile biotopes. To check whether they are in good condition, you can look at a number of features. In the drawing below, you can discover some of these features in the habitat type alkaline fens (7230).
To assess whether quaking bogs and transition mires are in good condition, we look at the following characteristics:
- The presence of sufficient characteristic species indicating a well developed and typical habitat
- A well-developed moss layer often with peat mosses or brown mosses. Which mosses and peat mosses are positive indicators depends on the specific habitat type. Note that for example haircap mosses are negative indicaters for quaking bogs and transition mires.
- As little (< 10 %) afforestation as possible. When more tree and/or shrub species are present, this indicates an evolution towards moderately nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor alluvial forest (91E0).
- A low presence of indicators of eutrophication and dessication such as the larger sedge species (greater pond-sedge, lesser pond-sedge, greater tussock-sedge etc), meadowsweet, hemp agrimony, reed et al.
- A low presence of eutrophication indicators such as sweetgrass, Yellow iris, hedge bindweed, broadleaf cattail etc.
- An absence of invasive exotics such as Japanese knotweed and other invasive exotic knotweeds, giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam and others.
- Low-productivity and thus fairly nutrient-poor bogs are usually not dominated by one or a few species. In richer bog systems, this is however often the case. In nutrient-rich bogs, we have naturally dominant species such as reed, broadleaf cattail or the larger sedge species.
When nutrient poor marshes become more nutrient-rich, it’s no surprise species of the richer marsh biotopes increase. Also, due to inadequate management, exclusion of less competitive species by larger dominating herbs can occur. Bogs are also very sensitive to desiccation. When bogs dry out, at the same time they become more nutrient-rich. Desiccation and eutrophication are not easy to tell apart. Species that indicate the eutrophication, overgrowth and desiccation of nutrient-poor marshes are, for example, the species of moist rush such as meadowsweet, hemp agrimony and hedge bindweed
This page and interactive drawing received financial support from the EU-life programme(opent nieuw venster) more specifically from the LIFE Green Valley project.(opent nieuw venster)