- 1Climate Change Ecology Research Unit, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
- 2Isotope Research Unit, Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland
The frequency of extreme events worldwide is steadily increasing. Therefore, it is crucial to recognise the accompanying response of different ecosystems. Monoculture forests with simplified ecosystem linkages are particularly vulnerable to catastrophic events. Fires or infestations threaten forests and other associated ecosystems, including peatlands, which are extremely important in regulating the global carbon cycle and thus mitigating the effects of a warming climate. Peatlands, due to their acidic and anaerobic conditions, are a good source of valuable information about past ecological disasters. Here, we examine how a peatland located in one of Poland's largest forest monoculture complexes responded to some of the largest environmental disasters in Central Europe in the 20th century – the 1922–1924 insect infestation and the 1992 fire. We analyse a peat core from Miały peatland surrounded by a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantation – the Noteć Forest (NE Poland). Our reconstruction is based on high-resolution multiproxy palaeoecological analyses, including pollen, plant macrofossils, charcoal and testate amoebae supported by neodymium isotopes as a disturbance proxy.
We show several critical transitions in the peatland associated with the extreme events manifested by a change in the hydrological and trophic conditions in the peatland. We highlight the interpretative value of fungi, often disregarded in paleo-records, as bioindicators of rapid environmental changes. We also emphasize the importance of the historical background to understanding subsequent environmental changes. The study results are essential for forest ecology and forest management in the temperate climate of Central and Eastern Europe. Furthermore, we want to underline the significance and importance of wetlands ecosystem services for forest ecosystems and sustainable forestry.
The study is financed by the National Science Centre, Poland, grant no. 2020/39/D/ST10/00641.
How to cite: Bąk, M., Lamentowicz, M., Kołaczek, P., Wochal, D., Jakubowicz, M., and Marcisz, K.: 20th-century ecological disasters led to peatland critical transitions in central European pine monoculture forest, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-985, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-985, 2025.
