peatlands 1 taitto.indd - International Peat Society

During the fi rst session, E. Bajkiewicz-
Grabowska lectured on terminology
such as “swamp”, “marsh”, “wetland”
and “peatland” from the point of
view of a hydrologist. K. Szczepanek
brought to attention issues related to
the Biale Lugi peat bog, which need to
be further investigated: interruptions in
peat sedimentation, burning and plant
succession. M. Nita and K. Wójcicki,
from the Institute of Geography,
Silesian University, presented a paleohydrological
reconstruction of the
Holocene in the Racibórz Basin based
on pollen analysis and C-14 dating
of old river-bed profi les of the Ruda,
Klonica and Osloboga Valleys and distinguished
the phases of ground water
lowering during the Atlantic period
and the rise in the Subboreal period.
K. Tomaszewska dealt with the results
of stratigraphic studies of Izera Valley
mires, the subject of her post-doctoral
(habilitation) dissertation. Most of the
subfossil phytocenoses are identical
with the current communities in this
area. The initiation of swamping is an
effect of invasion of swampy spruce
associations.
The second session was opened
with a very interesting lecture by K.
Tobolski on the Upper Harz mountain
mires, based on the works of Jensen
and Beug and on his own observations.
The geological structure of peatlands
and pollen analyses were strongly emphasized.
J. Klementowski described in
detail the role of cryogenic processes
in the morphogenesis of subalpine
mires in the Karkonosze Mountains,
and disputed their classifi cation as
palsa mires by Czech researchers.
During the fi rst afternoon session,
A. Cedro presented the results of
dendroclimatic studies of pine-wooded
raised bog and pinewood morasses of
Biale Lugi. The width curve of pinetree
radial growth of the 1851 to 2001
period showed that precipitation and
temperature conditions during winter
and at the beginning of spring shaped
annual growth. L. Wolejko characterized
carbonate habitats of northern
Poland and Slovakia such as: carbonate
mires, montane alkaline mire-springs
and petrifi cating springs.
N. Wozniak, a PhD student of the
Silesian University, investigated 40
profi les of raised
bogs and 6 profi les
of transitional
bogs from uplands
and mountains in
Poland, using dates
based on pollen
analysis and C-14
dating. He identifi
ed 5 basic types
of succession for
raised bogs and 2
types for transitional
bogs. He
described the process
of initiation of
raised and transitional
deposits,
which started in
the Atlantic period.
B. Lorens characterized peat-forming
vegetation communities in the Roztocze
National Park.
During the fi nal afternoon session,
M. Nita and M. Ludwikowska-Kedzia
described the vegetation of the Mazovian
interglacial at a depth of 12.8-9.4
m in the outskirts of the Biale Lugi
peat bog. This is the fi rst locality of
this interglacial from the Sietokrzyski
Mountains. T. Molenda introduced the
participants to the interesting issue of
the swamping of excavated holes and
fi sh ponds in the Silesian Upland. The
presentations of the authors who did
not attend the seminar (N. Kalinovych,
T. Jurkovskaja, Z. Osadowski, L.
Kucharski) were replaced by K. Lipka’s
lecture on the accumulation of peat
and gyttja in the Niedzica River Valley
in the Miechów Upland, and by K.
Krupinski’s presentation on an assessment
of the accumulation rate of
Holocene biogenic deposits. Until now,
the compaction processes and the water
content of deposits have not been
taken into consideration during such
assessment. Therefore the calculated,
mean rate of accumulation, based on
deposit thickness and radiocarbon
analysis, is burdened with error, which
is signifi cant in some cases.
Poster session
During a one-hour poster session, the
authors presented their results and
materials. D. Drzymulska summarized
Biale Lugi bog with Dr A. Lachacz, Dr J. Luszczynski and Dr M.
Kloss (left to right).
a paleobotanical study of the Bialystok
Plateau, mainly mires of the Knyszynska
Primeval Forest (Machnacz, Stare
Biele) and Taboly, Kladkowe Bagno
and Borki (studies included in her PhD
dissertation). M. Kloss and S. Zurek
recorded similarities and differences
between fossil vegetation succession in
extensive upland bogs, like Biale Lugi,
and montane mire (Zieleniec in the
Bystrzycki Mountains). M. Obremska
and K. Tobolski showed new pollen diagrams
of peatlands located in the Tuchola
Forests, dominated by kettle-hole
mires, and lakeside and riverside peat
bogs. J. Pokorny and Z. Golab talked
about the wetlands of Ziemia Klodzka.
D. Urban, I. Milosz, R. Blaszczyk and
M. Slawinski described the peatlands
of Pagóry Chelmskie in the Chodelka
River Valley and in the Lublin Upland.
Conclusion
The seminar went very well under
the supervision of the secretary Jerzy
Wypiórkiewicz, PhD and Iwona Wolinska,
MSc. The participants expressed
the opinion that such regional meetings
should be continued in the future. �
Slawomir Zurek
Institute of Geography
Swietokrzyska Academy
Swietokrzyska 15
PL-25-406 Kielce, Poland
e-mail: jacekteofi l@tlen.pl
31