Influence of the Surrounding Water Environment on Mire Vegetation

Harukuni TACHIBANA; Keita NARUMI; Saeko KUCHIMACHI; Michihiko SAITO; Ken-ichi TATSUMI; Hideaki NAGARE

doi:10.2965/jwet.2009.103

Original Paper

Influence of the Surrounding Water Environment on Mire Vegetation

Harukuni TACHIBANA, Keita NARUMI, Saeko KUCHIMACHI, Michihiko SAITO, Ken-ichi TATSUMI, Hideaki NAGARE

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Keywords: mire, groundwater, phosphorus,, agricultural land, water quality

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 103-108

DOI https://doi.org/10.2965/jwet.2009.103

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Abstract

Mires are loosing their natural state as a result of human activities. Recently natural Sphagnum mires in Hokkaido, Japan, have been disappearing as a result of the proliferation of alders. Here we show that such proliferation is caused by the inflow of phosphorous compounds as non-point pollutants. Those phosphorous compounds flow in from agricultural fields around mires. The constituents of groundwater or surface water make alders proliferate rapidly. Phosphorous, a typical non-point-polluting nutrient, contributes to the growth of alders, which assimilate atmospheric nitrogen.

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