Non-calcareous quaking mire
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLD2.3a |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Vulnerable |
EU | Vulnerable |
Relation to |
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Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
Very wet mires with poor fen vegetation. Quaking mires include mires formed by terrestrialization of water bodies which involves formation of floating rafts of peat, typically proceeding from marginal areas towards basin centre, where primary open water pools can remain. Also included in this type are mires without neighbouring water bodies layer but similarly high water saturation leading to quaking conditions occurring in high water throughput percolation mires. The mire basin is always fed by minerotrophic ground water from the catchment area. There is no regular surface patterning connected to water flow. Water quality varies from acidic to moderately acidic. Vegetation is minerotrophic poor fen vegetation including intermediate fen communities (pH below 7). The lack of raised peat domes separate quaking mires from D1.1 Raised bogs, the lack of string patterning and slope from D3.2 Aapa mires and the lack of true rich fen indicator species (Scorpidium spp. et al.) from D4.1c Calcareous quaking mires.
Non-calcareous quaking mires are characterized by poor fen to medium rich vegetation including Calla palustris, Carex limosa, Carex rostrata, Carex aquatilis, Eriophorum angustifolium, Equisetum fluviatile, Menyanthes trifoliata, Potentilla palustris, Rhynchospora alba, Scheuchzeria palustris and Utricularia intermedia among vascular plants. Sphagnum cuspidatum, Sphagnum platyphyllum, Sphagnum subsecundum, Sphagnum majus and Warnstofia spp. are characteristic among bryophytes. Hepatics are sometimes abundant, most typically Cladopodiella fluitans. Floating peat rafts may also form surfaces elevated from water level with for example Sphagnum fallax and Eriophorum vaginatum or Molinia caerulea. When the floating peat raft becomes thick enough nearly ombrotrophic hummock like surfaces with e.g. Sphagnum magellanicum, Andromeda polifolia and Vaccinium oxycoccos can occurr. Even in such cases deep-rooted minerotrophic vascular plants like Menyanthes trifoliata can be found. Excluded are stands of vegetation fringing water bodies (see C3.2) unless the vegetation raft is sufficiently extensive to count as a habitat in its own right.
Indicators of good quality:
water table always at surface; it can always be readily observed
packing density of peat is low, walk-on leads to characteristic yielding (quaking)
drainage ditches may affect quaking mires by lowering water level either permanently or increasing fluctuation and, thus, the likeliness of temporal drought or flooding with polluted water
deteriorating quality is indicated by loss of wet mire area associated species e.g. among birds, increase of trees and bushes, and of hummock vegetation
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | C/D1 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | C/D1 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Pollution
- Pollution to surface waters (limnic, terrestrial, marine & brackish)
- Nutrient enrichment (N, P, organic matter)
- Pollution to groundwater (point sources and diffuse sources)
- Diffuse groundwater pollution due to agricultural and forestry activities
- Natural System modifications
- Human induced changes in hydraulic conditions
- Landfill, land reclamation and drying out, general
- Polderisation
- Modification of hydrographic functioning, general
- Modifying structures of inland water courses
- Modification of standing water bodies
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats
- Restoring/Improving water quality
- Restoring/Improving the hydrological regime
- Managing water abstraction
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Legal protection of habitats and species
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Present | 24 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Belgium | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Bulgaria | Present | 0.5 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Czech Republic | Present | 10 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Denmark | Present | 20 | Unknown | Unknown |
Estonia | Present | 50 | Stable | Unknown |
Finland mainland | Present | 830 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Aland Islands | Uncertain | 830 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
France mainland | Present | 12 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Corsica | Uncertain | 12 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Germany | Present | 2 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Hungary | Present | 0.1 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Ireland | Present | 94 | Unknown | Unknown |
Italy mainland | Present | 30 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Sardinia | Present | 30 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Sicily | Present | 30 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Latvia | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Lithuania | Present | 7 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Netherlands | Present | 11 | Stable | Increasing |
Poland | Present | 60 | Stable | Decreasing |
Romania | Present | 1 | Decreasing | Stable |
Slovakia | Present | 0.5 | Stable | Decreasing |
Spain mainland | Present | 65 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Sweden | Present | 4500 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Portugal mainland | Present | 0.2 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Present | 0.3 | Stable | Stable |
Switzerland | Present | 12 | Stable | Stable |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 9973750 | 13693 | about 5500 | AOO and EOO incl. potential distribution |
EU28+ | 13711 | > 5500 | AOO and EOO incl. potential distribution |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).