Seasonal patterns of testate amoeba diversity,community structure and species–environment relationships in four Sphagnum-dominated peatlands along a 1300 m altitudinal gradient in Switzerland

Altitudinal gradients are useful to study the potential effects of climate change on ecosystems. Historically, studies on elevation gradients have primarily focused on macro-organisms and ecosystem processes, while microorganisms have been mostly ignored despite their ubiquity and functional importance. We studied the temporal (about every two months from June 2008 until May 2009) variation of testate amoeba communities in four Sphagnum-dominated peatlands along a 1300 m elevation gradient in the Swiss Mountains (580–1880 m) in relation to water table depth and hydrochemistry with special focus on dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a useful proxy for changes in C-cycling in peatlands.The lowest site had significantly (P < 0.01) lowest testate amoeba density, species richness. The highest site had highest testate amoeba density (38 ind mg⁻¹ dry mass of Sphagnum). Seasonal fluctuations in testate amoeba species richness and diversity were not consistent among sites but density tended to peak in spring at all sites, autumn in the three highest sites and mid-winter in the upper two sites. In a redundancy analysis (RDA) community structure was more strongly correlated to altitude (33.8% of variance explained in living community) than to soil hydrological and hydro-chemical variables (together explaining 16.2% of variance). In a partial RDA with altitude used as covariable, the four sites were separated by DOP, DOC, DON, pH and average depth to water table.The abundance of high trophic level testate amoeba species (shell-aperture over their body size >0.20; i.e. primarily predators of protists and micro-metazoa) as well as the community size structure increased from lowest to highest elevation (respectively by 3.7× and 6×) and followed the seasonal patterns of total density, while DOC, DON, and DOC/DON decreased with elevation.These results agree with previously reported alteration of peatland microbial food chains in response to experimental warming, suggesting that climate-induced changes in microbial community structure (here a shortening of microbial food chains) represent a mechanism controlling the carbon balance of peatlands.     

Changes in microbial community structure and function following Sphagnum peatland restoration

This study examines the recovery of the microbial compartment following active restoration of a North American ombrotrophic peatland extracted for horticultural peat-based substrates and restored by the Sphagnum moss transfer method. We used phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) to portrait the microbial community structure and Community Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) to describe the functional diversity of the microbial communities. Our results indicate that the PLFA profiles were different between the beginning and the end of the growing season, but that it was impossible to distinguish five different vegetation classes found along the disturbance-recovery gradient on the basis of the microbial community structure. The pH, the cover of mosses, Ledum groenlandicum and Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum were the best environmental predictors for the PLFA composition. The newly formed peat found in aerobic conditions beneath restored Sphagnum carpets had the highest decomposition capacity, whereas the lowest rates were found in the surface samples of non-restored conditions or in the deepest horizons of the natural samples. A large proportion of the variation in the physiological profiles was explained with variables related to the vegetation cover, the physicochemical environment and the microbial structure of the community, which is very promising for future monitoring studies. Overall, this study demonstrates that the recovery of particular plant groups, namely mosses and shrubs in restored peatlands might be the driver of changes occurring in the structure of the microbial communities in restored peatlands.     

Distribution of and insights from soil protozoa of the Olympic coniferous rain forest

Decomposition occurs in the surface litter and soil to support temperate rainforests, but little is known about the protozoa that stimulate bacterial activity and turnover. I examined surface litter and top soils, fallen logs, and epiphytes within 2 m from the soil surface in Olympic National Park, USA, of the Pacific Northwest Temperate Coniferous Rain Forest. Ciliates in surface litter numbered 180-580 g⁻¹ dry weight, but were reduced by 20-60% in the underlying soils. Testate amoebae numbered 18,000-77,000 g⁻¹ dry weight in both litter and soil although they were often more abundant in underlying soils. Rotting logs, essential for tree regeneration, supported similar numbers of ciliates, but twice the numbers of testate amoebae. In three epiphytic soils, ciliates numbered 350-550, and testate amoebae 35,000-195,000 g⁻¹ dry weight of soil. In these soils, 26 species of gymnamoebae, 64 species of ciliates, and 113 species of testate amoebae were found. About 65% of the individuals in ciliate and 45% in testate amoebae populations were small, r-selected taxa. Rain forest soil protozoa have distinct testate amoebae populations, and are characterized by enormous biodiversity, the dominance of acrostome species, the proliferation of Euglypha and Nebela species, and the appearance of aquatic taxa. Ecological succession of ciliates and testate amoebae follows an additive (non-replacement) pattern according to a neutral model. The large numbers of persistent r-selected species respond to ecosystem disturbances by mobilizing quickly to resume the bacterivory necessary to help restore the recovering above-ground plant community.     

北方泥炭地甲烷排放研究: 综述

Northern peatlands store a large amount of carbon and play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. Owing to the presence of waterlogged and anaerobic conditions, peatlands are typically a source of methane (CH₄), a very potent greenhouse gas. This paper reviews the key mechanisms of peatland CH₄ production, consumption and transport and the major environmental and biotic controls on peatland CH₄ emissions. The advantages and disadvantages of micrometeorological and chamber methods in measuring CH₄ fluxes from northern peatlands are also discussed. The magnitude of CH₄ flux varies considerably among peatland types (bogs and fens) and microtopographic locations (hummocks and hollows). Some anthropogenic activities including forestry, peat harvesting and industrial emission of sulphur dioxide can cause a reduction in CH₄ release from northern peatlands. Further research should be conducted to investigate the in fluence of plant growth forms on CH₄ flux from northern peatlands, determine the water table threshold at which plant production in peatlands enhances CH₄ release, and quantify peatland CH₄ exchange at plant community level with a higher temporal resolution using automatic chambers.     

Mass loss and nutrient release during litter decay in peatland: The role of microbial adaptability to litter chemistry

In peatlands the reduced decomposition rate of plant litter is the fundamental mechanism making these peat-accumulating ecosystems effective carbon sinks. A better knowledge of litter decomposition and nutrient cycling is thus crucial to improve our predictions of the effects of anthropogenic perturbation on the capacity of peatlands to continue to behave as carbon sinks. We investigated patterns of plant litter decomposition and nutrient release along a minerotrophic-ombrotrophic gradient in a bog on the south-eastern Alps of Italy. We determined mass loss as well as P, N, K, and C release of seven vascular plant species and four moss species after 1 year in both native and transplanted habitats. Hence, differences in litter decay were supposed to reflect the degree of adaptability of microbial communities to litter quality. Polyphenols/nutrient and C/nutrient quotients appeared as the main parameters accounting for decomposition rates of Sphagnum litter. In particular, litter of minerotrophic Sphagnum species decomposed always faster than litter of ombrotrophic Sphagnum species, both in native and transplanted habitats. Decomposition rates of vascular plant litter in native habitats were always higher than the corresponding mass loss rates of Sphagnum litter. Minerotrophic forbs showed the fastest decomposition both in native and transplanted habitats in accordance with low C/P and C/N litter quotients. On the other hand, C/P quotient seems to play a primary role also in controlling decomposition of graminoids. Decomposition of deciduous and evergreen shrubs was negatively related to their high lignin content. Nitrogen release from Sphagnum litter was primarily controlled by C/N quotient, so that minerotrophic Sphagnum litter released more N than ombrotrophic Sphagnum litter. Overall, we observed slower N release from litter of ombrotrophic vascular plant species compared to minerotrophic vascular plant species. No single chemical parameter could predict the variability associated with different functional groups. The release of K was very high compared to all the other nutrients and rather similar between ombrotrophic and minerotrophic litter types. In Sphagnum litter, a higher C/P quotient was associated with a slower P mineralisation, whereas a faster P release from vascular plant litter seems primarily associated with lower C/P and polyphenols/P quotients.     

Microbial activity and functional composition among northern peatland ecosystems

The extent to which complex interrelationships between plants and microorganisms influence organic matter dynamics is critical to our understanding of global C cycles in changing environments. We examined the hypothesis that patterns of soil microbial activity and functional composition differ among vegetation types in northern peatland ecosystems. Microbial characteristics were compared among peatlands differing in plant growth form (tree, shrub/moss, sedge) in two regions (New York State and West Virginia). Microbial activity (basal respiration) was greater in surface (0-15 cm) than subsurface (15-30 cm) peat and from sites dominated by shrubs and Sphagnum moss (3.9±0.65 μg C g⁻¹ h⁻¹) compared to forested (1.8±0.20 μg C g⁻¹ h⁻¹) or sedge-dominated sites (1.9±0.38 μg C g⁻¹ h⁻¹). Microbial activity was not related to decomposability of peat organic matter among vegetation types, and activity was unexpectedly higher in sites with lower peat pH and higher water table level. Substrate-induced respiration (SIR) did not show a clear pattern among vegetation types, but was greater in surface than subsurface peat. Microbial responsiveness to added glucose was very low. The ratio of basal respiration to SIR varied between 0.39 and 0.72 and, like activity, was highest in shrub/Sphagnum sites. Microbial substrate utilization patterns (assayed with BIOLOG^® GN plates) also differed between shrub/Sphagnum sites and forest or sedge sites, suggesting that C fluxes were mediated by different assemblages of microorganisms in shrub/Sphagnum peatlands. Principal component (PC) scores indicated more utilization of N-containing compounds and carboxylic acids, and less utilization of carbohydrates by microbial communities in shrub/Sphagnum sites. PC scores were much more variable both within and among vegetation types for sites in West Virginia than in New York State, and a greater diversity of C sources were utilized in WV (57±3) than NYS (47±2) peat. Our results suggest a link between microbial respiratory activity and microbial functional composition as they vary among these peatland vegetation types.     

Distribution of protozoa in scots pine mycorrhizospheres

The distribution of heterotrophic flagellates, naked amoebae, testate amoebae and ciliates was investigated in habitats created by Scots pine-Paxillus involutus and -Suillus bovinus ectomycorrhizospheres. The protozoa living on plant and fungal surfaces preferred the non-mycorrhizal pine roots over mycorrhizal roots or external mycelium. The testate amoebae were more abundant on external mycelium than on mycorrhizae regardless of the mycorrhizal fungal species. Numbers of protozoa were higher in the different habitats provided by S. bovinus mycorrhizospheres when compared with P. involutus mycorrhizospheres. Interestingly, the quality of the bacterial flora as food for the protozoa was affected by the mycorrhizal fungi even in the soils adjacent to non-mycorrhizal root tips of pine. These results demonstrate that mycorrhizal fungi create habitats differently suitable for protozoa living in boreal forest soil.     

Can Sphagnum leachate chemistry explain differences in anaerobic decomposition in peatlands?

Peatlands are important ecosystems in the global carbon cycle, serving as both the largest terrestrial soil carbon pool and a significant source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH₄). In Sphagnum moss-dominated wetlands, anaerobic decomposition, and in particular the production of CH₄, is highly variable and controlling factors are poorly understood. The main objective of this study was to determine if leachates of Sphagnum can explain differences in anaerobic decomposition and CH₄ production from three Sphagnum-dominated peatlands.Soils from each peatland were incubated anaerobically for 40 days with Sphagnum-derived organic matter (S-DOM) extracted using distilled water at 25 or 60 °C in a fully-crossed experimental design. S-DOM extracted at 25 °C had a minimal effect on decomposition, but S-DOM extracted at 60 °C increased CO₂ production in all soils. The magnitude of the increased CO₂ production in response to S-DOM depended on the source site of the S-DOM. The response of CH₄ production to additions of S-DOM extracted at 60 °C was more complex. Soils from one peatland produced no CH₄ during the incubation, regardless of S-DOM source. The same S-DOM additions led to an increase in CH₄ production in a second soil, but a decrease in CH₄ production in the third soil. Stable isotopic evidence suggests that these patterns were driven by the selective inhibition or stimulation of acetoclastic methanogenesis. Taken together, these data suggest S-DOM alone does not explain differences in anaerobic decomposition in peatlands, but may play a role in regulating CO₂ and CH₄ production.     

Long-term effects of deer browsing and trampling on the vegetation of peatlands

Overabundance of wild ungulates, especially exotic species, is a major threat to several ecosystems worldwide. While the response of forest vegetation to high density of herbivores has been well studied, far less is known about peatland vegetation. In this paper, we assessed the long term impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on plant communities of ombrotrophic (bog) and minerotrophic (fen) peatlands in eastern North America. Vegetation of five peatlands that have experienced high deer densities for at least 75 years was compared with that of five peatlands situated at proximity but on deer-free islands. We investigated deer impacts on plant species composition and cover, shrub height and cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) fruit/flower production and morphology. In bogs, white-tailed deer had no long-term impact on plant species assemblages, but reduced lichen cover and increased sedges and grasses cover as well as the surface area of bare peat. On the other hand, the floristic composition of fens differed significantly between sites where deer were present or absent. Plant diversity was greater in undisturbed fens than in disturbed fens, especially for shrubs, sedges and liverworts. No detrimental effects of browsing on shrub height were observed. Conversely, deer browsing seemed to have deleterious impacts on cloudberry fruit/flower production as well as on the number of leaves per individual. Overall, our results suggest that white-tailed deer had some important impacts on the vegetation of peatlands that could be harmful for the long-term conservation of peatland plant diversity.     

UV-B辐射增强对大麦生理生态的影响

在大田条件下,研究了UV-B辐射增强对大麦的生长发育、光合作用、蒸腾作用及其产量构成的影响。结果表明,UV-B辐射增强明显抑制大麦生长,使株高变矮、绿叶数减少、叶面积和干物质量下降,但抑制程度随生育期而异。在UV-B辐射增强条件下,大麦叶片叶绿素含量、净光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率都有不同程度的降低,水分利用率也随之降低。UV-B辐射增强对大麦形态学和生理学上的不利影响,导致了大麦产量下降24.96%。     

Dung application increases CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> production potential and alters the composition and abundance of methanogen community in restored peatland soils from Europe

Peatland restoration via rewetting aims to recover biological communities and biogeochemical processes typical to pristine peatlands. While rewetting promotes recovery of C accumulation favorable for climate mitigation, it also promotes methane (CH₄) emissions. The potential for exceptionally high emissions after rewetting has been measured for Central European peatland sites previously grazed by cattle. We addressed the hypothesis that these exceptionally high CH₄ emissions result from the previous land use. We analyzed the effects of cattle dung application to peat soils in a short- (2 weeks), a medium- (1 year) and a long-term (grazing) approach. We measured the CH₄ production potentials, determined the numbers of methanogens by mcrA qPCR, and analyzed the methanogen community by mcrA T-RFLP-cloning-sequencing. Dung application significantly increased the CH₄ production potential in the short- and the medium-term approach and non-significantly at the cattle-grazed site. The number of methanogens correlated with the CH₄ production in the short- and the long-term approach. At all three time horizons, we found a shift in methanogen community due to dung application and a transfer of rumen methanogen sequences (Methanobrevibacter spp.) to the peatland soil that seemed related to increased CH₄ production potential. Our findings indicate that cattle grazing of drained peatlands changes their methanogenic microbial community, may introduce rumen-associated methanogens and leads to increased CH₄ production. Consequently, rewetting of previously cattle-grazed peatlands has the potential to lead to increased CH₄ emissions. Careful consideration of land use history is crucial for successful climate mitigation with peatland rewetting.     

Biodiversity development of terrestrial testate amoebae: is there any succession at all?

Heterotrophic protists (e.g. testate amoebae) play an important part in primary succession because these unicellular organisms occur immediately at newly exposed land surfaces in high abundances and biomasses, facilitating the establishment of plants and animals. We investigated testate amoebae from soils of different age and successional stage, which revealed remarkably high abundances and biomasses even at very dry sites. Emphasis was set on two inland dune microchronosequences of different plant successional stages (bare sand, Corynephorus canescens and Polytrichum piliferum as early stages; Festuca ovina and Pinus sylvestris as late stages). The number of testate amoebae species increased clearly with the successional stage of the vegetation cover, but no consistent replacement or extinction of taxa was observed. The newcomers obviously did not reduce the density of the residents, although the community pattern (abundances, biomasses, dominances) was significantly altered. Organism-free substrate of different quality exposed to the air or adjacent soil was colonised quickly and in high abundance by testate amoebae, but no temporal replacement of species occurred. Cluster analysis of species inventory and abundances of numerous types of soil of different age highlight a classification of amoebal communities towards regional influences rather than local successional stages of vegetation. These data corroborate the fact that belowground communities operate differently from plant communitites in that they are characterised by additive invasion and not by interspecific competition. This is typical for a neutral community model.     

Litter type, but not plant cover, regulates initial litter decomposition and fungal community structure in a recolonising cutover peatland

Cutover peatlands are often rapidly colonised by pioneer plant species, which have the potential to affect key ecosystem processes such as carbon (C) turnover. The aim of this study was to investigate how plant cover and litter type affect fungal community structure and litter decomposition in a cutover peatland. Intact cores containing Eriophorum vaginatum, Eriophorum angustifolium, Calluna vulgaris and bare soil were removed and a mesh bag with litter from only one of each of these species or fragments of the moss Sphagnum auriculatum was added to each core in a factorial design. The presence or absence of live plants, regardless of the species, had no effect on mass loss, C, nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) concentrations of the litter following 12 months of incubation. However, there was a very strong effect of litter type on mass loss and concentrations of C, N and P between most combinations of litter. Similarly, plant species did not affect fungal community structure but litter type had a strong effect, with significant differences between most pairs of litter types. The data suggest that labile C inputs via rhizodeposition from a range of plant functional types that have colonised cutover bogs for 10-15 years have little direct effect on nutrient turnover from plant litter and in shaping litter fungal community structure. In contrast, the chemistry of the litter they produce has much stronger and varied effects on decomposition and fungal community composition. Thus it appears that there is distinct niche differentiation between the fungal communities involved in turnover of litter versus rhizodeposits in the early phases of plant succession on regenerating cutover peatlands.     

Ecosystem UV-B experiments in terrestrial communities: a review of recent findings and methodologies

Ecosystem-level UV-B experiments have revealed a variety of responses in terrestrial communities. These include decreases in the growth of some plant species (usually small changes but occasionally >25%), both decreases and increases in herbivory, occasional altered decomposition patterns, changes in populations of fungi and invertebrates, and morphological changes in the growth patterns of mosses. These field experiments have been pursued both with solar UV-B exclusion using selective filters and with supplementation of UV-B using lamps. For UV-B-exclusion studies it is critical that the UV-B-excluding and UV-B-transmitting filters pass the same amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) and also infrared. Canopy photosynthesis models indicate that even small differences in PAR transmittance can, under many circumstances, have significant effects on plant carbon gain. It is also important that filters in UV-B-exclusion studies allow precipitation to pass uniformly to the plots unless there is some form of irrigation underneath the filters. For UV-B-supplementation studies with lamps, many factors are involved in the realism of the ozone depletion simulation. We believe the major lamp-system error is excessive supplementation of UV-B by timer-controlled lamps when weather conditions (primarily clouds) decrease ambient solar UV-B irradiance. The choice of biological spectral weighting functions (BSWF) used in adjusting lamp flux is also critical in determining the level of ozone depletion simulated. In addition, shading by the lamp arrays influences plant growth and becomes particularly important when BSWF with substantial weighting in the UV-A are employed.     

Trace Metal Fluxes in a Sphagnum Peatland – Humic Lake System as a Consequence of Drainage

The study was conducted in a small (7.4 ha) peatland system with a humic lake concentrically surrounded by Sphagnum mat (Caricetum limosae) and Sphagnum bog (Ledo-Sphagnetum) in the Mazurian Lakeland in North-Eastern Poland. The peatland was situated in a forested catchment with a total area of 16.25 ha, and was influenced by surface drainage, artificially designed for forestry purposes. The content of zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and hydrogen (H) ions was analysed in waters from precipitation, humic lake, mat, bog and surface outflow. The yearly budget of these ions, expressed as difference between atmospheric inflow and surface outflow, for the whole catchment was presented. The drainage of the peatland system over three years was accompanied by an increase in pH of lake, mat and bog waters. The whole catchment retention of H⁺ and trace metals studied decreased yearly in absolute values under these conditions. The peatland system began to leach Pb into surface waters and lost its ability to intercept Cd. These effects could be caused by intensity of outflow of water and sulphates and lowering of water storage. However, the potential to retain Zn and Cu ions was preserved.     

Impact of enhanced ultraviolet-B irradiance on cotton growth, development, yield, and qualities under field conditions

The stratospheric ozone depletion and enhanced solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiance may have adverse impacts on the productivity of agricultural crops. The effect of UV-B enhancements on agricultural crops includes reduction in yield, alteration in species competition, decrease in photosynthetic activity, susceptibility to disease, and changes in structure and pigmentation. Many studies have examined the influence of supplemental UV-B irradiance on different crops, but the effect of UV-B irradiance on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) crops has received little attention. Cotton is one of the most versatile of all the crops. It is a major fiber crop of the world and a major source of trade and economy in many countries. In this study, we provide quantitative examination of the effects of elevated UV-B irradiance on cotton plant (Sukang 103). The tested cotton crop was grown under natural and four regimes of supplemental UV-B irradiance in the field. With UV-B irradiance increased 9.5% throughout the growing season, the negative impacts on cotton growth included reductions in height of 14%, in leaf area of 29%, and in total biomass of 34%. Fiber quality was reduced and economic yield dropped 72%; an economic coefficient was reduced 58%. A brief discussion is included on how the impacts on cotton contrast with impacts that have been observed in other studies on other plants, including trees.     

Phenoloxidase and peroxidase activities in Sphagnum-dominated peatland in a warming climate

Peatlands still suffer from the scarcity of available data about the characterization and the response to climate forcing of the main oxidative enzymes that occur over the seasons. In the present study, phenoloxidase and peroxidase activities were examined in Sphagnum lawns along a narrow fen-bog gradient under experimental elevated temperatures. We showed that peroxidase activities from Sphagnum mosses were 1000-fold higher than those of phenoloxidases irrespective of seasons and sampling areas. Peroxidase activities increased (+30%) with the rise of air temperatures (an average of 1 °C), while warming did not alter phenoloxidase activities. These results suggest that the monitoring of peroxidase activities in peatlands may represent a suitable and forward indicator of the impact of climate warming on carbon cycle in peatlands.     

INFLUENCE OF PEATLANDS ON THE ACIDITY OF LAKES IN NORTHEASTERN ALBERTA,CANADA

About a third of the lakes surveyed in the Birch Mountains Upland of northeastern Alberta, Canada, have pH below 7.0; 25% have alkalinities below 10 mg/L identifying them as acid-sensitive following criteria established by the National Research Council of Canada (1981). Lakes in this region vary greatly as to surface area and depth. Watersheds also vary in area and in amount of peatland cover. Peatlands in the form of peat plateaus and collapse scars, continental bogs, treed and open fens, and shallow organic deposits cover over 50% of some watersheds. Surface water chemistries of these peatlands form three distinct classes: bogs, poor fens and shallow organic deposits. The acidity of certain lakes in this northern area is best explained by effects from high cover ofSphagnum-dominated peatlands in surrounding watersheds. Due to greater flow-through, poor fens appear to be more important than bogs in affecting the acidity of associated lakes.     

Decomposition of organic matter in peat soil in a minerotrophic mire

Decomposition of organic materials, oxygen consumption, and carbon dioxide emission were investigated in Masukata mire, a small minerotrophic mire in central Japan. We selected three dominant community types in the mire, a Sphagnum palustre community, a Phragmites australis community, and an Alnus japonica community, for the decomposition study sites. Decomposition rates were measured in the field by examining mass loss of peat and cellulose for 6 months. The oxygen consumption rate was measured in the field using a closed chamber equipped with an oxygen electrode. The carbon dioxide emission rate of the peat was measured by an infrared gas analyser in the laboratory under controlled conditions. Results of these measurements were tested by correlation analysis. The rate of mass loss of peat positively correlated with the CO₂ emission rate. The cellulose decomposition rate showed significant differences among community types, and it had significant positive correlation with the oxygen consumption rate. Although oxygen consumption measurement is not generally used to estimate peatland soil respiration, the oxygen consumption method can be used for predicting long-term decomposition rate according to different vegetation types within a short time.     

The vertical distribution of the Cs-137 derived from Chernobyl fall-out in the uppermostSphagnum layer of two peatlands in the southern Alps (Italy)

The patterns of concentration of the Cs-137 derived from the Chernobyl accident were analysed in a series of vertical profiles ofSphagnum collected at two peatlands in the southern Alps. The peak concentrations of the Chernobyl radiocesium were found in segments ofSphagnum located at different distances from the growing apex, probably corresponding to the plant tissues produced in the 1986 vegetation season. This indicated that the growth rates ofSphagnum are subject to considerable variations not only between species, but also between years and even between individuals of the same species when growing in different microhabitats at the same site. However, the concentrations of the Chernobyl-derived radiocesium are high also in theSphagnum segments produced after 1986. This was due to a continuous translocation of Cs-137 towards the capitulum, probably determined by the chemical similarity between cesium and potassium. Although the two sites investigated received nearly the same amounts of rainfall in the two-week period following the arrival of the Chernobyl plume, the average concentrations of radiocesium in allSphagnum species were significantly higher at one of them, presumably because the fall-out deposition was conditioned by a number of meteorological factors besides precipitation.