Wetland Word List
Wetland
Wetlands form when water levels are close to the surface. Since large areas of wetlands are submerged during long periods of the year, plants and animals must be adapted to both wet and oxygen-poor conditions.
Peat
Peat is made of plants and other organic matter that have accumulated in wet, anoxic (oxygen-free) conditions. Sphagnum moss promotes the buildup of peat, because it releases chemicals that prevent decomposition. Due to this prevention of decomposition, not all bound carbon is released from the organic matter, so peat can easily burn.
Mire
A mire is a wetland area dominated by peat-building plants.
Peatland
Peatland is a mire dominated by peat to a depth of at least 30cm.
Bog (ombrotrophic)
An ombrotrophic bog is a mire that receives all its water and nutrients through precipitation. It is dominated by Sphagnum moss which acidifies the water to a pH level of about 3.5 to 4. Only a small number of plants can survive this acidic and nutrient-poor environment. Heather, cranberry, and crowberry are some examples.
Fen
A fen is a mire whose water come from mineral-rich surface and groundwater in the surrounding area. Fens are often rich in sedges.
Rich Fen
A rich fen is a mineral-rich but nutrient-poor. Rich fens normally have a high pH of around 6-8, and the water has high levels of calcium. These fens often support many specialized species of snails, mosses, and vascular plants. Rich fens are uncommon in Sweden, and only compose a small percentage of Sweden’s wetlands.
Extremely Rich Fen
An extremely rich fen has a very high level of calcium and a pH of 6.8 or higher. These areas support many more vascular plants, including orchids. Extremely rich fens are only found in regions with clearcut mountains or sedimentation.
Flooded Forest
A flooded forest is a forest on mineral soil or peat wetlands. On peat, a flooded forest with less than 30% crown cover is defined as a fen.
‘Brown’ Mosses (Brunmossor)
A group of mosses which characterize rich fens, most of which are brown or reddish coloured and have a creeping, branched growth pattern. This group includes ‘scorpion’ moss (Scorpidium), ‘spoon’ moss (Calliergon), Campylium, ‘hook’ moss (Palustriella), Drepanocladus, woolly feather-moss (Tomentypnum nitens), and tufted fen-moss (Paludella squarrosa).
Sphagnum and Peat Mosses
There are around 40 species of Sphagnum in Sweden. Mosses in the Sphagnum family are the dominat peat-builders in nutrient-poor wetlands. In rich fens, only a handful of species are found.