Peatland species preferences: An overview of our current knowledge base

Abstract

The autecology of several peatland plant species has been studied on a wide variety of gradients that include elevation relative to the water table, surface water chemistry, mire margin to mire expanse, shade, and climate. The accuracy with which species’ realized niches are defined and the ability to predict community structure as conditions change along gradients vary considerably between studies. Many studies have quantified species niche dimensions along individual gradients, and although they have the ability to predict species abundance and distribution, they do not account for synergistic effects between gradients. Other methods analyze two gradients simultaneously producing rectangles and ellipsoids, but these methods have limited predictive ability. A variety of ordination techniques are often used to analyze species preferences along several gradients simultaneously. However, with the exception of Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis, these methods have limited predictive ability because gradients are defined as ordination axes and it is difficult to analyze each gradient individually. Species response surfaces calculated along several gradients simultaneously offer a more accurate definition of species’ realized niche dimensions. Response surfaces can be used to predict baseline community structure along several gradients, but they do not integrate such biotic factors as competition and succession, as well as such disturbances as fire, pollution, and peat harvesting.