Author(s)

M. Noormets, T. Köster, T. Tõnutare, K. Kauer, R. Kõlli, T. Paal & M. Oder

Abstract

Peat soils in five different bog areas were studied during 2004. The study areas were chosen according to their exploitation type; natural, cultivated and milled peatlands. The peat soil nutrient content, plant associations and their nutrient content were examined. The peat soils were analysed for the CHWE, total N, P, K, Ca, Mg, C, for ash content and for plant-available P, K, Ca, and Mg. For the distribution of nutrients in the peat soils, samples were taken from 0-5, 5-10 and 10-15 cm depths. The dominating plant species and the type of plant associations were determined in areas where it was presented. The plant samples were analysed for N, P, K, Ca and Mg. The study results showed that in natural peat areas the variability in the ash content was high; the same was found for the Ca and Mg (%) content. With increasing depth, the nutrient content decreased, but this depth relationship was not significant for every parameter examined. The plant cover in cultivated peat areas had the highest nutrient contents. Key words: Fibri Dystric Histosol, natural peat bog, milled peatland, cultivated peat soils, plant association, total nutrients, available nutrients, pH, C, N, C:N ratio, CHWE, ash, P, K, Ca, Mg. 1 Introduction Nowadays we consider the peatlands as a valuable ecological biotope that should be protected and rationally used because it is essentially a nonrenewable resource. Currently the peatlands are used for growing wild berry species like: Rubus chamaemorus, Oxycoccus palustris and Vaccinium species [1, 2, 3]; they

Keywords

Fibri Dystric Histosol, natural peat bog, milled peatland, cultivated peat soils, plant association, total nutrients, available nutrients, pH, C, N, C:N ratio, CHWE, ash, P, K, Ca, Mg.