Recent hummock establishment in the margin of a subarctic fen, Finnish Lapland

Abstract

Northern fens, that host unique biota and form a remarkable carbon stock, are sensitive to changes in the moisture balance and, therefore, may be strongly affected by climatic fluctuations. However, long-term monitoring and palaeoecological studies of fens are relatively rare and, as a result, their responses to past and current climatic fluctuations are poorly known. In this study, we examined the recent vegetation change as well as changes in testate amoeba communities in the mire margin of a subarctic fen in Finnish Lapland with four peat profiles. Testate amoebae were used as indicators of past fluctuations in water table depth. The vegetation showed a drastic shift from sedge-dominated fen to Sphagnum-dominated communities during the late 20th and the early 21st centuries. This shift was accompanied by a turnover in the testate amoeba community. Testate amoeba-based water table reconstructions indicated recent drying. This may be due to the lowering of the water table either from accelerated Sphagnum increment or enhanced evaporation. The observed hummock establishment concurs with the documented hemisphere-wide expansion trend of hummock communities in fens. This change may strengthen the carbon sink and storage capacity of these peatlands, which could be viewed as a welcome negative feedback process to the ongoing climate warming. However, the change also poses a threat to biodiversity since fens are not only species-rich habitats but are also endangered ecosystems.