Species-Controlled Sphagnum Decay on a South Swedish Raised Bog

The decay of Sphagnum cuspidatum and S. fuscum was measured in an ombrotrophic (rain-fed) raised bog. These species most commonly occupy the two major bog microhabitats, hollows and hummocks, respectively. Plants of these two species, excluding their capitulum, were enclosed in nylon mesh decomposition bags and reciprocally transplanted into hummocks and hollows at several levels with the respect to the water table for 10 and 22 months. The reciprocal transplants enabled us to identify whether decay was species or microhabitat regulated (...)