Red List habitat classification > RLD - Mires and bogs > RLD3.2 Aapa mire

Aapa mire

Quick facts

Red List habitat type code RLD3.2
Threat status
Europe Least Concern
EU Least Concern
Relation to
Source European Red List habitat factsheet
European Red List of habitats reports
European Red List of habitats (Excel table)

Summary

This habitat consists of minerotrophic main mire surfaces of the central parts of Aapa mire complexes in boreal Fennoscandia. Aapa mires include both topogenous and soligenous types with varying degrees of slope. The peat layer is usually relatively thin (< 2 m) and mainly composed of Carex peat and to lesser extent by remains of Sphagnum and other mosses. The peat is highly water saturated and water table is located very close to peat surface or above it leaving little space for aerobic rhizosphere. Peat and pore water are usually moderately to slightly acidic (with a pHof  4.5 to 5.5). Typically there is a regular pattern of alteration of variably wide wet flarks (wet hollows) or pools and narrow hummock strings that relate to topography, hydrology, peat formation and ice dynamics. Hummock string patterning is oriented perpendicular to slope and water flow. The strings act as dams to store water in the flarks. The string-flark pattern is dense on steep slopes, while nearly non-patterned aapa mires occur in flat terrains. Trees (Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens) are absent or sparsely found on hummock strings and are more abundant only near mire margins. Sphagnum and Amblysegiaceae mosses dominate the ground layer of vegetation, while hepatics growing on muddy peat and open water surfaces are common in the flarks. Aapa mires include subtypes ranging widely from nearly ombrotrophic poor fen vegetation to rich fen vegetation. However, aapa mires with true rich fen vegetation are assessed as part of D4.1c Calcareous quaking mires.

Wet flarks of aapa mires are characterized by abundance of sedges such as Carex limosa, Carex rostrata, Carex chordorrhiza, Eriophorum angustifolium and herbs such as Equisetum fluviatile, Menyanthes trifoliata and Potentilla palustris. Among typical carnivorous plants, Drosera longifolia and Utricularia intermedia are common in aapa mire flarks. Characteristic mosses include Warnstorfia fluitans, Warnstorfia exannulata and Warnstorfia procera, while quaking carpets of Sphagnum majus, Sphagnum papillosum and Sphagnum pulchrum are also common especially in southern range of aapa mires. The hummock strings are typically dominated by Sphagnum and sedges.

Characteristic species
For full habitat description, please download the habitat factsheet.

Threat status

Synthesis of Red List assessment

The habitat type is assessed as Least Concern (LC) in view of its fairly wide distribution and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for a threatened category. However, there is uncertainty on the available information and once more quantitative data is available the assessment may change. Aapa mires are particularly sensitive to hydrological disturbances and it is possible that an ongoing decline in quality due to climate change and catchment disturbances is not recognized.
EU
Red List Category Red List Criteria
Least Concern -
Europe
Red List Category Red List Criteria
Least Concern -

Confidence in the assessment

medium
Red List of habitat categories and criteria descriptions

Pressures and threats

  • Agriculture
    • Agriculture activities not referred to above
  • Sylviculture, forestry
    • Forestry activities not referred to above
  • Mining, extraction of materials and energy production
    • Mining and quarrying
    • Peat extraction
    • Mechanical removal of peat
  • Natural System modifications
    • Human induced changes in hydraulic conditions
    • Modification of hydrographic functioning, general
    • Reservoirs
    • Water abstractions from groundwater
    • Groundwater abstractions for  public water supply
    • Other human induced changes in hydraulic conditions
  • Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
    • Biocenotic evolution, succession
    • Species composition change (succession)
    • Acidification (natural)
  • Climate change
    • Changes in abiotic conditions
    • Droughts and less precipitations
    • pH-changes

Habitat restoration potential

Severe damage to aapa mires due to peat extraction can be irreversible. When the hydrology of Severely damaged aapa mires has been strongly altered, in terms of strongly altered hydrology the habitat can be restoredated and it has have the capacity to redevelop characteristic features within few decades. Active intervention by implementing hydrological restoration measures of hydrological restoration (such as blocking of ditches and, damming) is needed. Ditches can also be filled with moss biomass and detritus naturally, but in such cases the recovery of characteristic features is slow, because this habitat type is dependent on very high water level and threshold of runoff.

Trends in extent

Average current trend in quantity
Stable Stable
EU28 EU28+

Trends in quality

Average current trend in quality
Decreasing Decreasing
EU28 EU28+

Conservation and management needs

Aapa mires are well represented in protectedconservation areas in northern Finland and Sweden. Restoration of drained aapa mires has been conducted in many Finnish conservation areas. Destructive use mainly for peat extraction leading to destruction of the habitat is being increasingly restricted to directed to disturbed sites only. However, many valuable sites are still not protected and would require conservation investments, for conservation especially in their southern distribution range of aapa mires. Restoration of the hydrological conditionsnections of aapa mire habitats to their groundwater supplying catchment areas would be neededare required in many cases to prevent further decline of the quality of the habitat.

List of conservation and management needs

  • Measures related to forests and wooded habitats
    • Restoring/Improving forest habitats
  • 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
    • Establish protected areas/sites
    • Manage landscape features

Distribution

For each habitat a distribution map was produced from a wide variety of sources indicating known and potential occurrences of the habitat in 10x10 km grids within Europe. Occurrences in grid cells were given in two classes: actual distribution from relatively reliable sources (surveys, expert knowledge), and potential distribution based on models or less reliable indicators. Please download the fact sheet to see the map.

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)
Finland mainland Present 1800 Decreasing Decreasing
Sweden Present 4600 Decreasing Decreasing
United Kingdom Uncertain Unknown Unknown Unknown
EU28 + Present or presence uncertain Current area of habitat (Km2) Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) Recent trend in quality (last 50 years)
Norway Mainland Present 5000 Decreasing Decreasing

Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area

Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) Area of Occupancy (AOO) Current estimated Total Area Comment
EU28 858400 4211
EU28+ 4331
AOO = the area occupied by a habitat measured in number of 10x10 km grid cells.
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).

Characteristic species

Not available

Vegetation types

Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)

Not available

Other classifications

Not available
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