– Topographic Features of the rewetted Plateaus at Wolfsbrucher Moor –
Abstract:
To introduce into our realm of research – a part of former peatland excavated and then restituted to rewet since 1995 – we take off with a map put together from topographic features – esp. hight-levels – combined with a plan of ditches dug during the eighties for peat cuttings sake. When looked at in combination with an arial view from 2012 (see next post) – showing the same area – evidence is provided how wetland-plants distribute as pioneering settlers according to topography and hydrology of the location.
From the wettest parts – painted darkblue and settled mostly by S. cuspidatum & Juncus effusus – to the highest levels drained by the ditches as shown on the map – yellow to light brown: S. papillosum & Pipegras – we find pioneering vegetation split up into a series of pairs made up from one dominating species of Sphagnum plus one vascular plant covering the lawn horizon mostly from the gras-type. These patterns of sequence can be followed up at level of the area as a whole ascending from 1.5 m to about 3.0 m a.s.l. as well as among subparts constituted by the ditches from peat-cutting and shaping plateaus or „Terrassen“ by means of dams and weirs established for the sake of restitution. As rewetting filled the basin vegetation has raised near to its edge such plateaus have become more or less flat rising hardly more than 20 to 30 cm between parts covered with water and high-level-habitats, where S. papillosum & Molinia may build up their hummocks.
Where sequential patterns repeatedly occur at different scales, mathematicians followed by philosophers of nature apply the concept of „fractals“ and our Moorkieker is eager to find out, whether recovering of bog-plant-societies might effectively be looked at as „filling up“ lacking levels of fractalisation.
Diese Collage verbindet Auszüge aus einem Entwässerungsplan zum Torfabbau etwa ab 1980 mit den Höhenlinien einer topografischen Karte neueren Datums, deren Stufung (0,5 m) wir auf Höhenabstände von 10 cm interpoliert haben. Die von uns zugeordneten Farben korrespondieren gegen Ende des Wasseranstaus um 2010 in groben Zügen mit unterrscheidbaren Gruppierungen moortypischer Pionierpflanzen, vorzugsweise Torfmoosen, Sauergräsern und Gehölzen. In aufsteigender Reihenfolge dominieren:
- In der Senke und den Unterläufen der Gräben (Farbton blau): Spiesstorfmoos (Sph. cuspidatum) u. Flatterbinse
- Am Senkenhang und in Tieflagen der Mulde (Farbton grün): Torfmoose des basenarmen Niedermoores und Birkenbruchwald
- Auf Gräben und Beeten im Muldenzentrum (weiss): Schwingrasen und Beetbewuchs aus Sph. fallax und Scheidigem Wollgras
- Auf den Beeten des Muldenhanges (gelb bis lichter ocker): Bultmoose (Sph. papillosum) und Pfeifengras
- Auf dem nördlichen Muldenrand und auf der „Scheidung“ (rotbraun): Birken und Kiefern von höherem Wuchs; Kiefernhybriden dominieren auch den Bewuchs des oberen Senkenhanges östlich der geologischen Wasserscheide (Beet 9)