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Boreal peatlands store abundant carbon (C) belowground because of saturated conditions and cold temperatures, which inhibit the enzymatic release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from organic matter. However, metals may also bind DOC, as well as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), and their impact may vary among peatlands with differing hydrology. To assess variation of metal-C-nutrient interactions within and among peatlands and with depth, we sampled cores from seven peatlands in the Marcell Experimental Forest, Minnesota, including bogs, poor fens, and a rich fen. We extracted peat with sodium sulfate to release elements bound with exchangeable metals such as calcium (Ca) or aluminum (Al), and with sodium dithionite to release elements bound with the redox-active metals iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). We compared extracted elements to long-term peat porewater measurements. Mean DOC extracted by sulfate or dithionite in the bogs and poor fens was 5 or 8 times greater, respectively, than porewater DOC, and in the rich fen it was 8 or 38 times greater. Similarly, N and P extracted by sulfate and dithionite were 10–24 times higher than porewater in the bogs and poor fens and 7–55 times higher in the rich fen. The ratio and absolute values of redox-sensitive and ion-exchangeable elements varied by element among peatland types and with peat depth and values were not always greater in fens than bogs. We conclude that both redox-active (Fe) and non-redox-active (Ca and Al) metals bind important pools of peatland C and nutrients regardless of peatland hydrologic type and despite the very low total mineral content of these boreal peats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Blattodea and Dermaptera in the temperate forest zone include a limited number of species, some of which are widely distributed and common. However, digital data on their biology remains insufficient. (2) Methods: The surveyed area extends from Kaluga Oblast to Tatarstan and from Vladimir Oblast to Voronezh Oblast. Insects were sampled from 736 plots using various methods, including pitfall traps, beer traps, window traps, pan traps, and sweep nets. (3) Results: The dataset contains 2149 occurrences comprising 18,362 specimens belonging to 5 species of Blattodea and 4 species of Dermaptera. For most occurrences, we recorded the developmental stage (nymph or adult) and the sex (male or female for adults) of the specimens. (4) Conclusions: Three non-synanthropic species are widely distributed and common: Ectobius lapponicus, E. sylvestris, and Forficula auricularia. Ectobius sylvestris is characterized as a true forest species, while E. lapponicus inhabits both forest and grassland habitats. In contrast, F. auricularia is associated with gardens, urban habitats, and some meadows. Ectobius sylvestris exhibits a more pronounced sexual dimorphism concerning the effectiveness of different sampling methods compared to E. lapponicus. Seasonal dynamics of cockroaches and earwigs are described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous revegetation of extracted peatlands is a very slow and sporadic process and, therefore, Sphagnum fragments cut from donor sites are often used for restoration. In two bogs in central and north-east Estonia, we studied the recovery and growth of Sphagnum fuscum, Sphagnum rubellum and Sphagnum medium after cutting of donor sites, in comparison with natural bog sites. On average, the water table was 13.8–17.4 cm higher in spring than in autumn, in both natural and donor sites, and mostly higher in the latter by 1.2–8.1 cm. Shoot length increment, density and weight of capitula of Sphagnum mosses were lower in the donor sites than in natural bog sites. The cover of Sphagnum mosses reached 5–50 % over a period of 3–11 years after cutting, indicating much slower recovery than has been reported previously. Of the Sphagnum species studied, S. fuscum showed better recovery in the donor sites. As the weather was similar in the natural and donor sites and the water table was mostly higher in the donor sites, the growth of Sphagnum mosses is most probably impeded by the combination of interrupted capillary water rise and a more pronounced drought effect in the donor sites. To promote revegetation of donor sites, plant fragments should be cut from the uppermost

Direct sewage discharge may enhance soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, worsening the greenhouse effect. However, the effects of sewage discharge into bogs on N2O flux, drivers and influencing mechanisms remain unclear. Additionally, investigating the impact of reclaimed water on N2O flux is important for bog replenishment and water shortage alleviation. This study simulated sewage from different sources into a bog and analyzed N2O fluxes, soil (organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, pH and electrical conductivity), plant (species richness and biomass) and microorganisms (ammonia-oxidizing archaea, napA , nirS , nirK and nosZ genes). Results showed that the reclaimed water did not significantly change N2O flux, while 50% tap water mixed with 50% domestic sewage and domestic sewage significantly increased the N2O flux. Among soil factors, available nitrogen and pH were key in influencing N2O flux. Among plant parameters, species richness was the primary factor affecting N2O flux. Nitrogen transformation functional genes contributed the most to the increase in the N2O fluxes, with an increase in domestic sewage input leading to a higher abundance of these genes and subsequent N2O emissions. Therefore, domestic sewage should be considered, as it significantly increases N2O emissions by affecting the soil, plants and microorganisms, thereby increasing the global warming potential. This study's findings suggest that using treated reclaimed water for bog replenishment could be an environmentally friendly approach to wetland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subtropical moss peatlands have important ecological functions, and their protection and restoration are urgent. The lack of understanding of the biogeochemical changes in subtropical moss peatlands after human disturbance, particularly regarding their underground ecological changes, limits the efforts towards their protection and restoration. In this study, typical subtropical moss peatlands and the Cryptomeria swamp forest (CSF) formed by long-term (more than 20 years) drainage and afforestation in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau of China were selected as the research sites. Moreover, 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to study the differences in soil bacterial community diversity and composition among a natural Sphagnum fen (SF), Polytrichum bog (PB), and CSF to explore the effects of drainage and afforestation on different types of moss peatlands and its mechanism combined with soil physicochemical properties. Results showed that (1) drainage and afforestation significantly reduced the α diversity of soil bacterial communities in SF while significantly increasing the α diversity of soil bacterial communities in PB. Soil bacterial communities of SF had the highest α diversity and had many unique species or groups at different taxonomic levels. (2) The impact of drainage and afforestation on the soil bacterial community composition in SF was significantly higher than that in PB. Drainage and afforestation caused significant changes in the composition and relative abundance of dominant groups of soil bacteria in SF at different taxonomic levels, such as significantly reducing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, significantly increasing the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, and significantly reducing the ratio of Proteobacteria to Acidobacteria, but did not have a significant impact on the corresponding indicators of PB. The changes in the ratio of Proteobacteria to Acidobacteria may reflect changes in the trophic conditions of peatlands. (3) Soil moisture content, available phosphorus content, and pH were key driving factors for changes in soil bacterial community composition and diversity, which should be paid attention to in the restoration of moss peatlands. This study provides insights into the protection and restoration of subtropical moss peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

W artykule autor analizuje problem godności człowieka w myśli Dietricha von Hildebranda – niemieckiego filozofa i teologa. Przede wszystkim zwraca uwagę na religijność Hildebranda, która miała istotny wpływ na jego interpretację wielu zagadnień filozoficznych. Dlatego fenomen ludzkiej godności filozof przedstawia także w kontekście religijnym, pisząc o niej podczas analizy sytuacji metafizycznej, w której człowiek może doświadczyć wymiaru głębi fundamentalnego sensu swojego życia. Hildebrand akcentuje zwłaszcza znaczenie duchowego wymiaru bożej natury, który człowiek odkrywa również w swojej ludzkiej duchowości jako obraz Boga – imago Dei. Znaczenie ludzkiej godności wynika z faktu, że człowiek posiada w swojej istocie warstwę duchową i jest osobą. Tak rozumianą godność nazywa Hildebrand wartością ontologiczną, która, mówiąc ściśle, nie jest wartością moralną, ale dobrem mającym znaczenie etyczne. Myśliciel pisze także o filozoficznym znaczeniu ludzkiej godności. Można powiedzieć, że jest ona konkretyzacją religijnego rozumienia godności. Filozoficzny wymiar godności człowieka realizuje się przede wszystkim w jego zdolności do odkrywania i posiadania wartości moralnych. Ten potencjał, powie Hildebrand, urzeczywistnia się w aktach ludzkiej wolności, która ma znaczenie moralne, gdyż odkrywa przed człowiekiem metafizyczny, transcendentny aspekt jego istoty.

Artykuł jest próbą odpowiedzi na pytanie o świat stworzony, który wskazując na Boga, staje się także znakiem samotności szukającego Go człowieka. W rozważaniach oparto się na analizie X księgi Wyznań św. Augustyna. Artykuł został podzielony na cztery części. W pierwszej została ukazana teoria znaku, który odsyła do rzeczy, którą oznacza, ale zakłada wiedzę o niej. Bez znajomości rzeczy znak jest niezrozumiały. Druga część opisuje początek drogi poszukiwania Boga, którym jest pytanie o miłość do Niego. Człowiek szuka Boga jako przedmiotu swojej miłości i zwraca się do stworzeń. Otrzymuje od niech dwie odpowiedzi: „nie jesteśmy twoim Bogiem” oraz „On nas stworzył”. Część trzecia przedstawia świat jako znak, który przemawia przez piękno świata i wskazuje na Stwórcę, a człowiek podziwiający piękno stworzeń staje się miłośnikiem Boga. Część czwarta wykazuje, że świat jest znakiem, który nie pozwala spotkać Boga i zaspokoić pragnienia miłości. Świat stworzony staje się znakiem samotności człowieka, która budzi się w spotkaniu miłości poszukującej Boga z odmowną odpowiedzią świata.

Wetlands occupy up to 35% of the boreal biome in Russia, according to various estimates. Boreal bogs are global carbon sinks, accounting for more than 65% of the soil carbon stored in the wetland ecosystems of the world. The decomposition of plant residues is one of the most important components of the carbon cycle in wetland systems, while the violation of their fragile balance due to climate change increases the rate of mineralisation of organic matter and releases large amounts of carbon to the atmosphere. The biochemical processes occurring in a peat deposit determine the intensity of the destruction of organic matter and gas exchange. However, the microbial communities of the boreal ombrotrophic bogs, regulating those processes, are poorly studied. Hence, a study of the prokaryote communities of the peat deposits of the southern White Sea coastal ombrotrophic bogs (mostly spread in north-western Russia) was carried out. The taxonomic composition of archaea and bacteria sampled from the deposit's depth of 0–310 cm was studied using high-throughput sequencing of V4 sites of 16S rRNA gene by Illumina technology. As a result, 105 species belonging to 19 phylums were identified. The dominant specific phyla were Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota and Verrucomicrobiota, the non-specific phylum being Desulfobacterota. Various groups of methanogenic, methylotrophic and nitrogen-fixing microorganisms were identified. Shannon's biodiversity ranged from 3.5 to 4.6 and ChaO1 - from 232 to 351, decreasing within the depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The thermal-fluid-structure coupling method is proposed in this study. • Thermal deformation of the structure is considered in the proposed model. • The effect of low temperature on the compressor efficiency is analyzed. • The effect of the rotor deformation on the compressor performance is studied. • The effect of operating conditions on the compressor efficiency is investigated. The boil-off gas (BOG) twin-screw compressors are widely used in the transportation of liquefied natural gas. A thermal-fluid-structure (TFS) simulation model of the screw compressor is established based on the conjugated heat transfer and weak fluid-structure coupling method. The thermal deformation of the structure at a steady state is considered in the CFD simulation to improve the calculation accuracy. The accuracy of the calculation results was verified by the experiment on a high-speed oil-free twin-screw air compressor. The thermal performance and the compressor efficiencies at different operating conditions were obtained by simulations. It was found that the volumetric efficiency increased from 67 to 78 % while the isentropic efficiency increased from 64 to 75 % with increasing the suction temperature. The volumetric efficiency reduced from 76 to 71 % with increasing the discharge pressure while the isentropic efficiency reached the maximum value of 70 % when the discharge pressure was equal to the end-of-compression pressure. Besides, when the rotational speed was lower than 6000 rpm, increasing the rotational speed had a significantly positive effect on the compressor efficiencies. The volumetric efficiency increased slowly when the speed raised from 6000 to 10,000 rpm. The isentropic efficiency reached a maximum of 73 % at the speed of 8000 rpm, which decreased to 72 % at 10,000 rpm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous revegetation of extracted peatlands is a very slow and sporadic process and, therefore, Sphagnum fragments cut from donor sites are often used for restoration. In two bogs in central and north-east Estonia, we studied the recovery and growth of Sphagnum fuscum, Sphagnum rubellum and Sphagnum medium after cutting of donor sites, in comparison with natural bog sites. On average, the water table was 13.8–17.4 cm higher in spring than in autumn, in both natural and donor sites, and mostly higher in the latter by 1.2–8.1 cm. Shoot length increment, density and weight of capitula of Sphagnum mosses were lower in the donor sites than in natural bog sites. The cover of Sphagnum mosses reached 5–50 % over a period of 3–11 years after cutting, indicating much slower recovery than has been reported previously. Of the Sphagnum species studied, S. fuscum showed better recovery in the donor sites. As the weather was similar in the natural and donor sites and the water table was mostly higher in the donor sites, the growth of Sphagnum mosses is most probably impeded by the combination of interrupted capillary water rise and a more pronounced drought effect in the donor sites. To promote revegetation of donor sites, plant fragments should be cut from the uppermost <10 cm only, and not from the entire area but instead leaving uncut patches or stripes to enable faster spreading of plants. Because of the slow recovery of donor sites, cutting of Sphagnum fragments from natural bogs should be avoided, and sites bordering expanding peat extraction areas should be chosen in preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been written about the bloody Northern Irish Troubles in books of history and fiction. This historical civil war is still remembered as a traumatic era in Irish history, which is still fresh in the memories of those who have been abused, displaced and suffered the loss of loved ones. Irish writers endeavoured to denounce the Troubles and the absurdity of the violence and chaos as it deepened the chasm in the religious and social fabric in Northern Ireland. This study deals with Seamus Heaney's 'Bog Poems,' and the way he addresses the predicament of sectarian violence in his native Northern Ireland through the preserved bog bodies of victims murdered barbarously in ancient tribal rituals in Iron Age times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on a geochemical study of rock samples and fluids, it is proven that carbon-bearing deposits of the Lower and Middle Jurassic complex of Western Siberia on the southern outskirts of the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug can generate liquid hydrocarbons. It has been established that the oil-generation potential of carbon-bearing deposits depends on the paleogeographic conditions of burial of the organic matter and the enrichment of rocks with macerals of the liptinite group. The complex of studies included pyrolysis of coals, coal-rich shale of Lower and Middle Jurassic rocks, study of maceral composition and measurement of reflectivity indicators, hydrocarbon and isotopic composition of extracts from rocks, as well as study of the composition of oils from the studied area, selected both within the Jurassic and Cretaceous complexes. The studied area is located in the Frolov megadepression and the South Nadym megamonoclise. The result of the research was the identification of significant geochemical characteristics of an additional source of hydrocarbons – coals, coal-rich shale of the Lower and Middle Jurassic, which had not previously been proven on the studied area, the contribution of which to the formation of oil and gas potential was confirmed by the correlation of hydrocarbon and isotopic characteristics of fluids and extracts from source rocks. Сluster and the principal component analysis were used for genetic correlation of extracts and oils. The conclusions obtained from geochemical studies suggest the possible prospects of Lower and Middle Jurassic deposits from the point of view of detecting hydrocarbon accumulations.

Norway launched a national action plan on wetland restoration in 2016. So far, 90% of the restoration effort has been on peatland restoration, with about 140 mires restored so far. There are three main restoration goals stated in the action plan: 1) limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, 2) climate adaptation and 3) improved ecological condition. Quantifying the outcome of the restoration actions is necessary to evaluate whether the goals of the action plan are met. A vegetation monitoring protocol was suggested before restoration started and has been implemented at five restoration sites. As the peatland restoration effort in Norway is increasing, it is timely to evaluate if the data currently collected can measure peatland restoration outcome. We evaluate the monitoring protocol based on statistical analyses of the data collected at two sites, describe how indicator species can be identified using generalized composition data used as the basis for classifying habitats in Norway (EcoSyst framework), and suggest the way forward for peatland restoration monitoring in Norway. Data collected according to the monitoring protocol can document changes in species composition at restoration sites, but has limitations when the ecological complexity at the sites increases and reference sites are unavailable. We argue that adjusting the monitoring protocol will: 1) facilitate alignment with existing peatland research; 2) connect better with monitoring programs where data is collected applying EcoSyst framework principles; and 3) enable upscaling to cover the wide variation emerging in peatland restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in technogenic impact and the need to conserve biodiversity have set us the task of assessing the baseline biodiversity in mining areas. The aim of this research is to investigate the state of the mesofauna of invertebrates in the litter and topsoil of typical biotopes of the Middle and Southern Taiga. This research is the first of its kind in Perm Krai. The vegetation characteristics of the survey sites are based on field geobotanical descriptions. The soil sampling method was used to collect invertebrates, and soil properties were studied using conventional methods. Taxonomic diversity and the population structure of soil invertebrates were evaluated, and vegetation was described. Morphological and physical-chemical analysis of soils was performed. Correlation analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between quantitative indicators of soil mesofauna and the chemical properties of the surveyed soils. This comprehensive study was conducted across 10 survey sites for the first time. All of the surveyed biotopes exhibited the typical flora and fauna of litter and soil invertebrates found in the Ural boreal zone. At the same time, a noticeable synanthropization of vegetation was observed in all of the studied forest and meadow phytocenoses. The composition, structure, and abundance of invertebrate mesofauna in the studied biotopes were influenced by the type of phytocenosis, the composition and thickness of the litter, and the moisture levels in the soil and litter. The correlation analysis revealed a connection between soil acidity level and the quantitative indicators of Lumbricidae and Oniscidea. The natural communities studied were affected by anthropogenic factors such as land reclamation along with changes in soil composition and structure caused by mechanical disturbances during road construction, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: The latitudinal biodiversity gradient; i.e., the increase in biodiversity towards the equator, is one of the most prominent biodiversity patterns. Nevertheless, many questions remain to be answered about the influence of multiple environmental factors on the latitudinal biodiversity gradient, especially for mosses, and the functional diversity of mosses and vascular plants. This study aims at evaluating the influence of latitude, climate, environmental variables, and habitat types (bog vs fen) on taxonomic and functional diversity (α‐diversity and β‐diversity) and the composition of vascular plant and moss species. Location: 49° N to 55° N in Northwestern Quebec, Canada. Taxon: Mosses, vascular plants. Methods: We used a database containing 376 phytosociological plots (400 m2) sampled in boreal peatlands located along a 600‐km latitudinal gradient. We evaluated changes in α‐diversity and β‐diversity in response to latitude, longitude, climate, and local abiotic variables for both taxonomic groups using linear mixed effect models. We evaluated the effects of these variables on taxonomic and functional composition using variance partitioning by redundancy analysis. Results: Moss diversity increased with latitude, although the effects were masked by environmental variables, whereas vascular plant diversity decreased with latitude in fens and did not vary with latitude in bogs. We observed a decrease in taxonomic and functional uniqueness with latitude. Moss and vascular plant taxonomic and functional composition were primarily structured by contrasting local conditions in bogs and fens, whereas climatic variations along the latitudinal gradient played a secondary role. Conclusions: Our results highlight the contrasting biodiversity patterns in both peatland types and the importance of local habitat conditions in structuring vascular plant and moss diversity. These patterns varied depending on the diversity indicator used, as α‐ and β‐diversity and functional and taxonomic diversity were often decoupled. Future studies should therefore include more than one diversity indicator and consider the differences between ecosystems and taxon groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misao o ateizmu velikog njemačkog filozofa religije Bernharda Weltea pokazala se vrlo značajnom i vrijednom za suvremenu filozofsku misao te postaje aktualna i u današnje vrijeme. U ovo vrijeme sve je moguće dokazati, bilo da se radi o različitim vjerovanjima, povjerenju u znanost i znanstvene provjere, tehniku i tehnologiju koja zasigurno uzima maha pred svakim drugim vjerovanjem. Bog je tu postao smetnja. No naš autor će pokazati kako ateizam u današnje vrijeme otvara i neke nove vidike. Tome u prilog će ići njegova misao o dijalogu s našim ateističkim suvremenicima, otvorenosti i odgovornosti spram tog dijaloga. Cilj ovoga rada je pokazati kako Welte gleda na pojavu ateizma – kao na nešto što nije strano ili nešto što treba zanemariti, nego sasvim naprotiv, treba govoriti o ateizmu kao onome u kojemu se može naći i ponešto pozitivno – jer i ateizam uvijek pristaje uz neko vjerovanje. Stoga ateizam treba promotriti kao onu pojavu u kojoj se može naći i nešto pozitivno, što u konačnici može odvesti do beskonačne Tajne i temelja svega – Boga. Vidjet ćemo i kako na ateizam gleda II. vatikanski koncil u pastoralnoj konstituciji Gaudium et spes te enciklika pape Pavla VI. Ecclesiam suam, koje se na poseban način osvrću na ateizam kao pojavu novog doba i, kako to naš autor veli, povijesnu moć ovog doba.

U radu se istražuje povijest nastanka, autorstva i prisutnosti u školskim udžbenicima pjesme »Dom«, jedne od najpopularnijih uglazbljenih dječjih pjesama u posljednjih osamdesetak godina u Hrvatskoj te susjednim državama nastalim raspadom Jugoslavije (SFRJ). Nastoji se prikazati dijakronijska povijest pjesme od njezina nastanka pa do današnjih dana. Komparativno, tekstološki, kritički i semantički, temeljem provedenog arhivskog istraživanja i primjene svojevrsne literarne detekcije, analizira se sadržaj više postojećih inačica teksta pjesme te propituje odnos između domoljubnoga i religijskoga konteksta nasuprot cenzuri i ideološkom diktatu vremena.

W niniejszym tekście podejmujemy problematykę uprawdziwiaczy w filozofii Petera Thomasa Geacha. Praca stanowi rekonstrukcję wspomnianej koncepcji, jak również jej krytyczną analizę. Analizuje się związek między reprezentacjami mentalnymi poznawanych przedmiotów a ich odzwierciedleniem językowym oraz rzeczywistością. Prezentujemy omówienie relacji sprawczości Boga w ujęciu św. Tomasza z Akwinu oraz porównanie jej cech charakterystycznych z podejściem prezentowanym przez Geacha. Następnie dokonujemy formalnego jej zapisu. Fundamentalną tezą przedstawianej teorii jest utożsamienie Boga z Prawdą, dzięki czemu możliwe staje się określenie relacji uprawdziwiania za pomocą wyrażenia „woluntarystyczny kauzalizm”. Stąd też — korzystając z terminologii zaproponowanej przez Tomasza z Akwinu — Bóg zostaje zaklasyfikowany w obręb bytów nazywanych entia actu intelligibilia. Brak jednak w obrębie koncepcji autorstwa Geacha szczegółowych analiz dotyczących problematyki osoby. Kolejnym problematycznym elementem tej koncepcji jest doprecyzowanie kategorii ontologicznej, uznawanej za podstawę relacji uprawdziwiania. Wykazujemy trudności z dostosowaniem teorii Geacha do współczesnych stanowisk, które ujmują stan rzeczy jako ontologiczną podstawę rozważanej semantyki. Epistemologia używana przez brytyjskiego filozofa opiera się na relacji podmiot-przedmiot, a nie na stanach rzeczy, podobnie jak odniesienie przyczynowe Boga względem rzeczywistości.

Artikkelin aiheena on suolla marjastamiseen liittyvä kulttuuriperintö ja siinä tapahtuneet muutokset. Upottavilla ja märillä soilla marjastaminen poikkeaa metsämarjojen poimimisesta. Marjojen löytäminen ja suolla selviäminen vaativat erityistä tietoa ja taitoa, joiden välittäminen sukupolvelta toiselle perheiden sisällä on vähentynyt kaupungistumisen myötä. Tutkimuksessa kysytäänkin: millainen on soilla marjastamiseen liittyvä kulttuuriperintö nykypäivänä ja millaista hyvinvointia se tuottaa? Suolta perinteisesti haettujen aineellisten hyödykkeiden, kuten marjojen, sienten ja riistan tavoittelun rinnalle on noussut yhä vahvemmin luonnon aineeton hyödyntäminen. Tämä näkyy myös marjastuskulttuurissa, jossa soilta poimitut lakat ja karpalot eivät enää välttämättä ole pääasiallinen syy suolle marjastamaan menemiselle. Suolta haetaan virkistystä ja luontoelämyksiä, jotka syntyvät ennen kaikkea marjastajan ja suon välisessä vuorovaikutuksessa. Marjastus tarjoaa henkilökohtaisen väylän moniaistiseen yhteyteen ei-inhimillisen suon kanssa, missä syntyy tunne yhteenkuuluvuudesta muuhun luontoon. Marjasaalis lisää hyvänolon tunnetta. Näitä hyvinvointiin kytkeytyviä ulottuvuuksia halutaan välittää marjastukseen kuuluvana arvokkaana kulttuuriperintönä myös tulevaisuuteen. Tutkimuksen aineistona hyödynnetään vuosina 2018–2022 marjastuskokemuksistaan kertoneiden suomalaisten suolla kulkijoiden kirjoituksia ja suullisia haastatteluja. Aineistoa analysoidaan temaattisen sisällönanalyysin keinoin kulttuuriperinnön ja hyvinvoinnin käsitteiden näkökulmista.

Peatlands are efficient carbon sinks due to waterlogged soils causing oxygen depletion and slowing organic matter decomposition, leading to peat accumulation. However, peatlands are also a natural source of methane (CH4), a powerful greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. Methane production (by methanogens) and oxidation (by methanotrophs) are controlled by water table depth, soil temperature and hydrochemistry. Measuring CH4 emissions is resource demanding. Several measurements method are used, which introduces potential bias for comparisons among studies. Thus, a simple and reliable indicator tool would be desirable for both researchers and managers. Currently, such a tool does not exist. Testate amoebae (TA), an abundant and diverse group of shelled protists occurring in peatlands, are well-established proxies of present water table depth (WTD). As their shells are well preserved in peat, they are commonly used to infer past hydrological changes using predictive mathematical models called transfer functions. As CH4 emissions are also tightly linked to WTD, and although TA are not directly involved in CH4 production or consumption, we hypothesised that CH4 emissions would be significantly correlated to TA community composition and could therefore be inferred from TA communities living in peatland mosses. We tested this hypothesis using compilations of CH4 plot emissions measurements from European and North American bogs and fens, and TA data from moss samples collected from the same plots. Testate amoeba communities were significantly correlated to CH4 fluxes. As our models were based on several independent studies for both flux measurements and TA communities, methodological differences among studies (e.g., CH4 emission measurements, TA taxonomy) may potentially cause bias in the model. Nevertheless, the results are promising, and this proof-of-concept study suggests that past and present peatland CH4 emissions could be inferred from TA shells preserved in peat over centuries and in mosses growing at the surfaces of peatlands.

Farmland birds are among the most threatened species in Europe, largely as a result of the intensification of agriculture leading to widespread biodiversity losses. Ground-breeding shorebirds in grassland and arable habitats are particularly exposed to human threats and predation in highly modified landscapes; however, parts of their populations still breed in natural habitats and could provide a reservoir for threatened populations. This study aimed to improve our knowledge of the spatio-temporal use of breeding habitats by Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata arquata in a core area of the population in remote north-eastern Europe. A total of 83 adult birds across Europe were tagged with GPS devices between 2014 and 2022 to analyse their home-range sizes, habitat use and hatching success. Birds were distributed at breeding sites from 52°N to 66°N between Finland and the Ural Mountains. Forty-one percent of individuals nested in bogs, 33% in grassland, and 20% in abandoned farmland. Birds nested predominantly in bogs at northern latitudes and in grassland at southern latitudes, while abandoned farmland was mainly used at intermediate latitudes. The mean home range was largest for birds breeding predominantly in grassland while birds in bogs had the highest hatching success rate. Russia and Finland host the core population of the subspecies N. a. arquata during breeding period, which is essential for preserving the species on a European scale. Their survival may depend on well-preserved bogs and the maintenance of grassland areas, given that large areas of abandoned farmland are destined to become either forest or to be reclaimed for cereal crops or fodder grass in the short and medium terms. Given the large breeding populations in both countries, Russia and Finland have major responsibilities to maintain these essential populations on a biogeographical scale.

Studying competitive effects of microbial and light-induced degradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is crucially important for understanding the factors controlling aquatic carbon (C) transformation in boreal waters. However, studies addressing both DOM and trace element (TE) behavior are limited, which does not allow assessment of coupled C – TE (including macro- and micronutrients and toxicants) biogeochemical cycles in these environmentally important settings. Here we conducted a seasonally-resolved assessment on the degree of DOM and related major and TE transformation under biotic activity and sunlight using conventional incubations of humic surface waters from the European subarctic. We studied bio- and photodegradation over 2–3 weeks in an ombrotrophic peatbog continuum (subsurface water from piezometer – small peatland pool – outlet stream) during July, and in three horizons (0.5, 5 and 10 m) of deep (30 m), a stratified forest lake from the same region during June, August and September. Along the bog water continuum in July, biodegradation rate was the highest in subsurface waters collected via piezometer and the lowest in the acidic peatland pool (0.17 to 0.03 mg C L-1 d-1, respectively). Photodegradation was similar for piezometrically collected subsurface waters and the stream (about 0.3 mg C L-1 d-1), but was not detectable in the peatland pool. The waters of forest lake exhibited a strong seasonal effect of biodegradation, which was the highest in October and the lowest in June (0.04 and 0.02 mg C L-1 d-1, respectively). The photodegradation of DOM from the forest lake was observed only in June and August (0.19 and 0.07 mg C L-1 d-1, respectively). Biodegradation was capable of removing between 1 and 7 % of initial DOC, being the highest in the forest lake in October and in peatland pool in summer. The photolysis was capable of degrading a much higher proportion of the initial DOC (10–25 %), especially in the forest lake during June and the bog stream during July. The change of optical parameters confirmed the highest photodegradation occurs in June (Arctic summer) and demonstrates a decrease of chromophoric (aromatic) compounds during incubation, whereas biodegradation acted preferentially on aliphatic, low molecular weight compounds. Only a few trace metals were sizably affected by both photo- and biodegradation of DOM (Fe, Al, Ti, Nb and light REE), whereas V, Mn, Co, Cu and Ba were affected solely by biodegradation. Typical values of TE removal over a 2-week period of incubation ranged from 1 to 10 %. These effects were mostly pronounced in the less acidic forest lake compared to the bog waters. A likely mechanism of TE removal was their coprecipitation with coagulating Fe(III) hydroxides. When averaged across sites and seasons, DOM biodegradation and photodegradation processes could remove 5.3 and 10.8 mg C L-1 y-1, respectively. Compared to typical CO2 emissions from inland waters of the region, biodegradation of DOM can provide the totality of C-CO2 evasion from lake water surfaces whereas bio- and photodegradation are not sufficient to explain the observed fluxes in bog water continuum. Overall, these results demonstrated strong spatial and seasonal variability in DOM and TE complexes bio- and photodegradation, which was poorly accessed until now, and call for the need of a systematic assessment of both processes across seasons with high spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Conserving soil carbon is one of many actions to take in limiting global warming. However, carbon dense peatlands are still being drained or excavated. Infrastructure development is one of the major current threats to boral peatlands in Fennoscandia, but few tools are available for calculations of carbon stocks in peatland areas, necessary for decision makers planning development projects. Thus, we compiled a reference database of key peat characteristics from main boreal peatland types sampled in Norway and tested "best practice" peat depth sampling methods and peat volume interpolations. We implemented our findings in CarbonViewer, a tool and easy-to-use app that reliably calculates carbon stocks of delimited peatlands. Tool and method presented, estimates carbon stocks to assess potential soil carbon loss in planned infrastructure development on peatlands and will give decision makers the necessary knowledge base to limit emissions from soil carbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of water and solutes were investigated in two northern bog ponds using sensor networks and discrete water samples. Embedded sensors monitored water level (S), precipitation (P), evaporation (E), water temperature (T) and specific conductivity (SC) in the peatlands and encircled ponds at 30 min time intervals from 2009 to 2015. Pond water chemistry was monitored seasonally from 2000 to 2020. Daily hydrographs and water budgets indicated that both bogs are ombrotrophic systems, perched above the local water table. Although the predominant flowpath for liquid water was precipitation → pond → peatland → underlying glacial deposits, evaporation accounted for 70% to 90% of water losses. High dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the ponds resulted from transient reversals of flowpath and from molecular diffusion across the peatland/pond interface (a tea bag effect). DOM of peatland origin dominated pond water chemistry, regulating the concentration of important metals, major nutrients and the acid–base status of both bog ponds. Elevated concentrations of Fe, Hg and MeHg in the ponds reflected ligand binding by DOM. The formation of DOM‐Fe‐PO4 complexes likely accounted for >3‐fold higher P concentration relative to nearby clearwater lakes. Linear regression of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) against the anion deficit indicated that DOM contributed up to 6.6 mEq of strong acid per gramme carbon in pond waters. Winter maxima in the seasonal cycles of DOC, Ca, Mg, N, P, Hg and MeHg in both bog ponds were attributable, in large part, to salting out during ice formation. We conclude that multiple methods are needed to understand the dynamics of water and solutes in bog ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ombrotrophic peatlands are ideal archives for reconstructing charcoal fluxes resulting from vegetation burning. This is because they are sensitive to local environmental changes and the deposition of allochthonous material is exclusively atmospheric. This article presents a charcoal analysis in which two generally accepted research methods were compared, namely (i) quantification of the frequency of occurrence (number), and (ii) quantification of the size (area) of charred particles. The peat cores were extracted from the ombrotrophic bog of Tăul Mare in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains (northern Romania). The two methods for quantifying the occurrence of charcoal yielded similar results showing increasing variability of fire activity during the last ~ 3000 years. Charcoal peaks were best defined in the charcoal area dataset and indicated an increase in charcoal particle size during periods of high charcoal abundance, which points to local fires. Analysis of charcoal morphology showed that, during time intervals with high charcoal abundance, there was a gradual increase in the proportion of burnt wood. This suggests that episodes of high and/or low intensity burning, on both long and short timescales, may play an important role in determining the charcoal signature of these events. The high level of detection of high intensity fires suggests that charcoal records may be most useful in systems with high intensity fires.

Subtropical moss peatlands are valuable delicate ecosystems that play crucial roles in biodiversity preservation, carbon sequestration, and water retention. However, driven by economic interests, a large area of subtropical moss peatlands in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau of China has been used for drainage and afforestation of a Cryptomeria japonica forest, leading to changes in the ecological functions of the peatlands. The Biolog EcoPlate™ method was used to study the differences in the carbon utilization functions of the soil microbial communities between a typical natural Sphagnum fen (SF), a natural Polytrichum bog (PB) and a Cryptomeria swamp forest that were formed by long-term drainage and afforestation (more than 20 years) in the region. Combined with measurements of the soil physicochemical properties, the effects of drainage and afforestation on different types of moss peatlands and the underlying mechanisms were explored. The results showed that long-term drainage and afforestation significantly increased the soil microbial carbon utilization activity and functional diversity in the SF, but no significant effects were observed in the PB. Drainage and afforestation did not significantly alter the proportion structures of the soil microbial carbon source utilization in the SF or PB but did significantly affect soil microbial preferences for specific carbon source utilization in the SF. Carbohydrates, amino acids, carboxylic acids and polymers were the main carbon sources utilized by the microbial communities in the three vegetation types. The soil volumetric water content (SVW) and available phosphorus (AP) content were significant factors affecting the functional characteristics of soil microbial carbon utilization. There was a significant negative correlation between the SVW and the activity of soil microbial carbon source utilization and functional diversity, and there was a significant positive correlation between the AP and polymer utilization activity. Moreover, the SVW significantly and indirectly affected overall carbon source utilization by influencing the utilization of carbohydrates. In the restoration of subtropical moss peatlands affected by drainage and afforestation, in addition to emphasizing vegetation restoration, the SF restoration should be focused on the restoration of water conditions, while the PB restoration should be focused on the restoration of nutrients (such as AP).

Experimental warming of an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota has caused a rapid decline in the productivity and areal cover of Sphagnum mosses, affecting whole‐ecosystem carbon balance and biogeochemistry. Direct effects of elevated temperature and the attendant drying are most likely the primary cause of the effects on Sphagnum, but there may also be responses to the increased shading from shrubs, which increased with increasing temperature. To evaluate the independent effects of reduction in light availability and deposition of shrub litter on Sphagnum productivity, small plots with shrubs removed were laid out adjacent to the warming experiment on hummocks and hollows in three blocks and with five levels of shading. Four plots were covered with neutral density shade cloth to simulate shading from shrubs of 30%–90% reduction in light; one plot was left open. Growth of Sphagnum angustifolium/fallax and S. divinum declined linearly with increasing shade in hollows, but there was no response to shade on hummocks, where higher irradiance in the open plots may have been inhibitory. Shading caused etiolation of Sphagnum—they were thin and spindly under the deepest shade. A dense mat of shrub litter, corresponding to the amount of shrub litter produced in response to warming, did not inhibit Sphagnum growth or cause increases in potentially toxic base cations. CO2 exchange and chlorophyll‐a fluorescence of S. angustifolium/fallax from the 30% and 90% shade cloth plots were measured in the laboratory. Light response curves indicate that maximal light saturated photosynthesis was 42% greater for S. angustifolium/fallax grown under 30% shade cloth relative to plants grown under 90% shade cloth. The response of Sphagnum growth in response to increasing shade is consistent with the hypothesis that increased shade resulting from shrub expansion in response to experimental warming contributed to reduced Sphagnum growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U radu se promišlja novovjekovni odnos čovjeka prema Bogu, prirodi i znanosti uz pomoć nekih značajnijih mislilaca toga vremena. Stvaranje novovjekovne slike svijeta započinje samopostavljanjem čovjeka u samosvjestan subjekt koji postaje reprezentant svih bića u smislu njihove predmetnosti – čovjek kao mjera svih stvari – i ujedno središnje i najvažnije biće Univerzuma. Čovjek to postiže stvaranjem novih vrijednosti, koje ne stoje nasuprot starih vrijednosti, već nove vrijednosti utemeljuje na novom bitku, bilo da je riječ o tvrdnji – »znanje je moć« (Bacon); akciji samosvjesnog subjekta – »mislim dakle jesam« (Descartes); »volji za moć u vječnom vraćanju istoga« (Nietzsche); apsolutnom duhu »svjetske povijesti« (Hegel); oslobođenom radu kao »znanstvenom radu« (Marx) i, naposljetku, o znanstveno-tehničkom umu. U tom samopostavljanju novovjekovni subjekt lišava prirodu svakog dostojanstva i teleologije čineći je isključivo predmetom eksploatacije, a postavljanjem ovozemaljskog života kao sredstva za ostvarenje najviših vrijednosti »volje za moć« negira postojanje biblijskog Boga i sam želi postati »Bog« na zemlji uz pomoć znanosti koja dopire do prvih uzroka prirodnih pojava i mogućnosti stvaranja umjetnih bića bez Božje mudrosti. Današnje znanstveno-kibernetičko doba pokazuje da novovjekovni subjektivizam završava u »volji za moć« znanstveno-tehničkog uma koji društvo, prirodu i prirodu u čovjeku objektivizira čineći ih sredstvima svoga samosvršnog samorazvoja.

Autori u radu polaze od razumijevanja ljudskog dostojanstva kako ga predstavlja Drugi vatikanski koncil u dvama dokumentima: Pastoralnoj konstituciji Gaudium et spes o Crkvi u suvremenom svijetu i Deklaraciji Dignitatis humanae o slobodi vjerovanja. Suvremeno doba pokazuje duboku krizu razumijevanja ljudske osobe, iz koje se javljaju i brojne povrede ljudskog dostojanstva. Izazovi i poteškoće uzrokovani antropocentrizmom suvremene kulture izgubili su dimenziju transcendentnosti ljudske osobe. Koncilski nauk o ljudskom dostojanstvu pokazuje da je nužno i potrebno čovjeka-osobu razumijevati u odnosu na Boga na čiju je sliku stvoren i na sliku Isusa Krista – savršenog čovjeka koji je utjelovljenjem čovjeka uzdignuo na veoma visoko dostojanstvo, čime je ljudsko dostojanstvo ozdravljeno od zatvorenosti i grijeha. Suvremena kriza ljudskog dostojanstva u svjetlu kulturalnih dinamika pokazuje radikalnu dramu odbacivanja Boga, s jedne strane, i gaženja ljudskog dostojanstva, s druge strane. Bog kao izvor i počelo svega života apsolutni je izvor i jamac ljudskog dostojanstva. U svjetlu teološkog i antropološkog razumijevanja ljudskog dostojanstva potrebno je poći od cjelovitog razumijevanja ljudske osobe upravo onako kako nam pokazuje koncilski nauk o čovjeku. Čovjek je središte i vrhunac Božjeg djela stvaranja i kao takav nositelj oznake slike Božje (usp. Post 1, 26-27), te je pozvan na istinski život koji mu dolazi iz vrela kršćanske Objave.

U uvodu članka se ističe da trajni mir u svijetu nije moguće graditi na promjenjivom ljudskom temelju već jedino na nepromjenjivom temelju Isusa Krista. Biblijski poticaj za mir pronalazimo u pavlovskom konceptu Kristove pomiriteljske službe/žrtve kao čina novog stvaranja. Naglasak članka je na Poslanici Efežanima i odlomku Ef 2,14-16, koji je izrazito aktualan jer osim o vertikalnom pomirenju ljudi s Bogom, govori i o horizontalnom pomirenju dviju neprijateljskih skupina Židova i pogana od kojih nastaje novi stvor – Crkve, kao dio novog pomirenog čovječanstva u kojem prestaju vrijediti stare etničke i rasne podjele koje sve do današnjih dana dovode do sukoba i ratova. U prvom dijelu članka naglašavamo posebnost i podrijetlo grčkih pojmova καινὴ κτίσις, novo stvorenje, koji se koristi u autentičnim Pavlovim poslanicama, i καινός ἄνθρωπος, novi čovjek ili novo čovječanstvo, koji pronalazimo u Poslanici Efežanima i u deuteropavlovskim poslanicama. Moguće je govoriti o trima različitim primjenama motiva novog stvorenja koje nisu međusobno isključive: na pojedinca (obraćenici), na zajednicu vjernika te na svijet u cjelini. Osim toga, navode se dvije bitne karakteristike novog stvorenja: pomirenje i odbacivanje svjetskih (ljudskih) standarda u svrhu vjerodostojnog življenja novog života u Kristu. U drugom dijelu rada daju se određene naznake o konceptu mira i izmirenja u pavlovskim spisima, s naglaskom na dvama grčkim pojmovima za pomirenje: (ἀπο)καταλλάσσω, izmirenje, i ποιέω εἰρήνη, uspostavljanje mira. Zatim se govori o povezanosti motiva novog stvorenja i pomirenja. Posebno se ističe odlomak Ef 2,14-16 jer je, za razliku od ostalih pavlovskih tekstova u kojima je Bog subjekt i cilj pomirenja, riječ o jedinom odlomku u Novom zavjetu u kojem Krist nije samo posrednik nego izravan subjekt pomirenja i novog stvaranja. U završnom trećem dijelu donosimo dodatne napomene o motivu novog stvorenja (stvaranja) po put razvoja pavlovske teologije pomirenja i popratnog rječnika, od pojedinačne i zajedničarske primjene u autentičnim poslanicama do šire primjene na sve stvorenje u deuteropavlovskim poslanicama. Zaključno, govor o pomirenju kao činu novog stvaranja podsjeća nas da je u Crkvi, koja jest novi Kristov stvor, već ostvarena prva faza sveopćeg Božjeg plana spasenja za cijelo čovječanstvo i sve stvorenje. U svjetlu raznih ratova koji se sada vode u svijetu, to znači da su kršćani, članovi Crkve, prvi pozvani posvjedočiti da je Bog jedini izvor mira koji se može ostvariti samo u Kristu.

Autor u radu nastoji osvijetli izazove crkvene otpornosti u vremenu krize iz moralno-etičkog aspekta u postkoncilskoj perspektivi. Današnji suvremeni čovjek nalazi se u procijepu mnogih kriza koje utječu na njegov moralno-duhovni život kao i svjedočenje vjere u osobu Isusa Krista. Dubinska kriza koja je zahvatila čovjeka pridonijela je prije svega moralnoj i duhovnoj dezorijentiranosti. Napuštajući temeljnu istinu o sebi, čovjek je skončao u obmani grijeha – živjeti kao da Boga nema. Kao član otajstvenog Tijela Kristova kršćanski život nužno se razumije u svjetlu kršćanske objave. Po sakramentalnoj dimenziji vjere čovjek vjernik sjedinjuje se i sudjeluje u vjeri Crkve u kojoj razvija otpornost. Stoga se i razvijanje crkvene otpornosti u vremenu krize treba shvaćati upravo u tom temeljnom izričaju moralno-teološke spoznaje koja ističe da je čovjek ranjen grijehom da mu grijeh sprječava postići puninu. Bog je Kristovim utjelovljenjem ponudio ranjenom čovjeku puninu života sukladno njegovu dostojanstvu. Obnova čovjeka i stvaranje crkvene otpornosti ističe temeljnu strukturu po kojoj čovjek živi tako da je prije svega nošen milošću i darom vjere. U tom smislu razvijanje otpornosti znači razvijanje milosnog života koji je obnovljen u osobi Isusa Krista jer je ljudsko dostojanstvo koje je grijehom narušeno upravo u Kristu na čudesan način obnovljeno. Iz moralno fundamentalne spoznaje slijedi razvijanje otpornosti kao jedinstva moralno-duhovnog života u svjetlu vjere koji je nošen prije svega krepostima i vrlinama ali i sakramentima koji ponazočuju prisutnost Krista. Kršćanska vjera koja se razumijeva kao ozdravljenje od grijeha, vraćanje slobode i dostojanstva označava onu temeljnu otpornost shvaćenu kao mogućnost prihvaćanja dara istine o čovjeku, a to znači otkrivanja moralnih vrijednosti u svjetlu autentične moralne antropologije i svih određujućih protežnica vjere koje iz toga proizlaze. Čovjekova otvorenost i izgradnja otpornosti unutar Crkve u svjetlu teologalnih i moralnih kreposti čini ga sudionikom milosti i dara vjere u kojem Bog samog sebe daruje čovjeku. Rad u pet točaka donosi izazove razvijanja otpornosti, pokazujući fundamentalno da se otajstvo čovjeka, tj. njegova dostojanstva ne može razumjeti bez Boga, kao i da je crkvena otpornost shvaćena kao obnova čovjeka u svjetlu temeljnog izričaja kršćanske vjere da je Bog stvorio čovjeka kao slobodno, razumno biće obdareno apsolutnim i nepovredivim dostojanstvom. Otpornost unutar Crkve zahtijeva jedinstvo moralnog i duhovnog života i rast i razvoj autentične teološke antropologije.

Abstract Background Drainage activities have caused widespread wetland loss, groundwater drawdown and impairment of ecosystem services. There are now several national programs for wetland restoration, primarily focused on reintroducing ecosystem services such as habitats and nutrient retention. In Sweden, recent dry summers have also reinforced interest in hydrological functions such as the potential for enhanced groundwater storage, both in and around the wetland. However, there are several knowledge gaps regarding groundwater storage effects of restoration, including if they extend beyond the wetland and how they vary with local conditions. Therefore, we have systematically reviewed groundwater storage effects from the interventions of restoring, constructing or draining boreo-temperate wetlands. Drainage was included primarily to evaluate to what degree restoration can reverse drainage effects. Methods We searched 8 databases for scientific journal publications in English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German and Polish. Gray literature was searched in English and Swedish. Articles were included based on their relevance for Swedish conditions, i.e., in previously glaciated areas with boreal or temperate climate. Extracted outcome data were groundwater level changes, along with other variables including type of wetland and intervention and, when reported, distance between sampling point and intervention. Meta-analyses were conducted separately for studies that reported groundwater levels at different distances and studies that reported overall effects. Included studies were subject to critical appraisal to evaluate their susceptibility to bias, primarily selection bias, performance bias, and detection bias. Critical appraisal results were used in sensitivity analysis. Review findings Out of 11,288 screened records, 224 articles fulfilled the criteria, and from these, 146 studies were included in meta-analysis. Most studies (89%) investigated peatlands, primarily from Finland, the UK and Canada. Restoration and drainage studies were equally common. Only nine studies reported measurements beyond the wetland area. Our synthesis is therefore primarily focused on effects within wetlands. In peatland restoration, the observed groundwater level rise decreased exponentially with distance from the restored ditch and was reduced to 50% after 9 [95% confidence interval: 5, 26] m. Drainage reached somewhat farther, with 50% of the groundwater drawdown remaining at 21 [11, 64] m. On average, restoration increased groundwater levels by 22 [16, 28] cm near the intervention, whereas drainage caused a drawdown of 19 [10, 27] cm. Assuming that sampling was unbiased, effects were similar for bogs, fens and mires. Restricting the meta-analysis to the 58% of studies that were of high validity did not alter conclusions. Conclusions Effects of peatland restoration and drainage were of similar magnitudes but opposite directions. This indicates that, on average, rewetting of drained peatlands can be expected to restore groundwater levels near the ditch. However, restoration may not reach all the area affected by drainage, and there was a strong dependence on local context. For managers of wetland projects, it is thus important to follow up and monitor restoration effects and reinforce the intervention if necessary. Our results also point to a need for better impact evaluation if increased storage beyond the restored wetland area is desired.

The purpose of this article, whose point of reference are selected works of the Czech philosopher and theologian Tomáš Halík, is to critically analyse his concept of God. He distances himself from the idea of the Absolute as a construct of human reason and turns to the concept of God as an ontic foundation of the world. He rejects the concept of the Absolute alienated and separated from the world and embraces the vision of God hidden in the depths of reality and allowing us to experience his proximity in various ways. In the first part of the article, the philosophers' concept of God, identified with the First Mover of the world and the Supreme Being, is critiqued. In the second part, the vision of God as the foundation and depth of being and the related issues of pantheism, panentheism and the personality of God are outlined. In the third part, attention is given to the fundamental ways of experiencing His presence and proximity, which include the experience of nature and historical events, the experience of the human interior ("deeper self") and the encounter with another person, especially a wounded and suffering one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide an overview of the distribution, habitat preference, phenology, and conservation of Aeshna caerulea (Ström, 1793) and Aeshna subarctica elisabethae Djakonov, 1922 in Italy. Both species are found exclusively in the Central Eastern Alps. By 2021, A. caerulea has been reported for 31 sites, whereas A. s. elisabethae for 15. The new southernmost global range limit for A. caerulea was found in the Adamello massif and the new southernmost Western Palearctic limit for A. s. elisabethae in the Tesino plateau (Trentino-Alto Adige). Aeshna caerulea reproduces at high-altitude ponds or small lakes, inundated fens or fen meadows, and occasionally in the depressions within raised bogs. Aeshna s. elisabethae is found at lower altitudes, only at raised bogs and, to a lesser extent, in acidic transitional mires rich in Sphagnum mosses. Forty-six per cent of the reproduction sites of A. caerulea and 93% of those of A. s. elisabethae are included within a national/local protected area or the Natura 2000 network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Peatlands in the Australian Alps are important ecologically and recognised in national environmental legislation. Increasing fire frequency over the past 40 years has put the community at greater risk of degradation. Aims: Using published studies of fire effects in peatlands and new data, we investigate general responses of peatlands to fire so that risk can be evaluated and appropriate management adopted. Methods: We present four case studies that employ repeated measures of floristic composition or chronosequences to assess fire-related changes. Key results: Cover of frequently-occurring species declined after fire but most had returned to pre-fire cover after 10 years. Recovery of the obligate seeder shrub Dracophyllum continentis (B.L.Burtt) S.Venter and the dominant moss Sphagnum cristatum Hampe was much slower, but variable for the latter, apparently depending on fire intensity and post-fire moisture availability; both species favoured less frequently burnt peatlands with high soil moisture. Some herbs (including non-native species) benefitted from fire, briefly becoming abundant soon afterwards. Overall species richness and diversity were unaffected by fire. Conclusions: Peatlands in the Australian Alps tend to be resilient to single fires with effects on species composition being short-lived. However, species cover (especially Sphagnum cristatum) requires perhaps 20 years between fires for full recovery. Fire can cause localised community extinction and this is likely to be exacerbated by other pressures such as trampling and drought. Implications: Fire will be difficult to manage in peatlands but resilience might be built by removing other pressures such as trampling by feral animals. Peatlands of the Australian Alps are important ecologically and recognised in conservation legislation but they are increasingly threatened by fire. Our review of long-term studies in peatlands shows that species composition recovers within a few years of fire but species cover, including the dominant moss layer, does not. A fire frequency less than 20 years may cause permanent change in this plant community but resilience might be enhanced by removing other threats, in particular trampling by feral animals. Photo credit: Keith McDougall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threatened ecosystem conservation requires an understanding of the effectiveness of management and the challenges hindering successful protection and recovery. Bringing together researchers, land managers and policymakers to identify key threats, management needs, and knowledge gaps provides a unified account of the evidence and tools needed to improve threatened ecosystem management. We undertook a research prioritization process for Australian alpine and subalpine peatlands with experts across policy, research, and management. Through individual interviews, structured group discussions, and voting, we generated 25 priority research questions that, if addressed, would enhance our capacity to conserve peatlands. Knowledge gaps spanned four topics: understanding peatland dynamics, impacts of threats, methods to manage these, and the effectiveness of management. Consistent monitoring standards, an open‐access knowledge platform and commitment to long‐term joint research and management were identified as vital. This collaboration enabled development of a shared agenda of research priorities to target knowledge gaps for informing policy and management of threatened alpine peatlands. Our findings substantiate the importance of stronger ongoing collaboration among researchers, land managers and policymakers across jurisdictions to support conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Ustanowienie w zrodzonym z Boga Ojca Synu-Logosie idealnych wzorów jest pierwotnym aktem stwórczym Boga, ujętego przez Jana Szkota Eriugenę jako Niestworzona Natura Stwarzająca, która powołuje do istnienia Stworzoną Naturę Stwarzającą. Bóg dokonał całości stworzenia jednym aktem. Stworzenie zaistniało jako proste i doskonałe według woli Boga. Eriugena uważa, że stworzenie w Logosie przyczyn prymordialnych zostało w Księdze Rodzaju opisane w formie procesu. Ten alegoryczny zapis stanowi źródło informacji o stworzonej rzeczywistości. Dla Eriugeny całe Pismo Święte jest pełnoprawnym źródłem informacji, ponieważ autorem Pisma jest zawsze prawdomówny Bóg. Stwórca pragnie, aby człowiek, który dokonał błędnego wyboru i utracił doskonałość, mógł powrócić do tego stanu, więc otwiera przed człowiekiem Księgę Natury, którą jest stworzony wszechświat oraz Księgę Pisma, którą jest Pismo Święte. Biblia, zawierająca symbole, nauki i opisy, została dana również współczesnej ludzkości, aby rozumna natura człowieka mogła nakierować go na drogę powrotu do Boga i stanu doskonałości. Analiza stworzenia oraz analiza Pisma Świętego powinny zbliżać człowieka do Boga. Wypowiedź egzegetyczna stanowi ważny aspekt interpretacji Pisma, więc Eriugena stawia warunki, które są konieczne lub stanowią wsparcie dla poprawnego wnioskowania. Warunki te dotyczą niesprzeczności pomiędzy wspomnianymi Księgami, roli ludzkiego intelektu w prowadzonych badaniach oraz znaczenia ludzkich autorytetów. Autor artykułu omawia wymagania, określone przez Eriugenę i dokonuje ich interpretacji uwzględniając fakt rozwoju różnych dziedzin współczesnej nauki.

Boreal peatlands are important ecosystems for carbon cycling because they store 1/3 of the world’s terrestrial carbon in only ∼3% of the global landmass. This high carbon storage capacity makes them a key potential mitigation strategy for increased carbon emissions induced by global climate warming. In high-carbon storage systems like peatlands, soil faunal communities are responsible for secondary decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling, which suggests they play an important role in the carbon cycle. Experiments have shown that warming can affect plant and microbial communities in ways that potentially shift peatlands from carbon sinks to sources. Although previous studies have found variable effects of climate change manipulations on soil communities, warming is expected to affect soil community composition mainly through reductions in moisture content, whereas elevated CO2 atmospheric concentrations are expected to only indirectly and weakly do so. In this study we used a large-scale peatland field-based experiment to test how soil microarthropod (oribatid and mesostigmatid mite, and collembolan species abundance, richness and community composition) respond to a range of experimental warming temperatures (between 0°C and +9°C) crossed with elevated CO2 conditions over 4 years in the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) experiment. Here we found that warming significantly decreased surface peat moisture, which in turn decreased species microarthropod richness and abundance. Specifically, oribatid and mesostigmatid mite, collembolan, and overall microarthropod richness significantly decreased under lower moisture levels. Also, the abundance of microarthropods increased under higher moisture levels. Neither warming nor elevated [CO2] affected microarthropods when analysed together or separate, except for the richness of mesostigmatids that significantly increased under warming. At the community level, communities varied significantly over time (except collembolans), and moisture was an important driver explaining community species composition. While we expect that the cumulative and interactive effects of the SPRUCE experimental treatments on soil faunal biodiversity will continue to emerge, our results already suggest effects are becoming more observable over time. Taken together, the changes belowground indicate potential changes on carbon and nitrogen cycles, as microarthropods are important players of soil food webs.

Drainage is a recognised cause of wetland loss worldwide, and New Zealand is no exception. In the last 200 years drainage has reduced the natural extent of wetlands in New Zealand by c. 90%. Avoiding further loss is a national priority. Despite recent reform to restrict new drains within 100 m of existing wetlands in New Zealand, little is known about the extent and effect of existing drains in and near wetlands. Using a national layer of wetland extent (Freshwater Ecosystems of New Zealand) we calculated the area of wetlands currently within a zone of potential drain effects in the North and South Islands, by buffering an existing national drain layer by 100 m and 50 m and stratifying these results by peat/non-peat, and wetland type. We show that 7476 ha (c. 3%) of New Zealand wetlands identified in the national FENZ dataset are potentially affected by drainage when intersected with the national drains layer buffered by 100 m. Of these wetlands near drains, 4387 ha were wetlands with high organic matter (peat) that are vulnerable to drainage-induced subsidence and release of greenhouse gases. We then conducted a case study within the Waituna catchment (Southland, New Zealand) to assess if the national drain data is under-estimating the extent of wetland drainage by comparing the area affected by drainage detected using the national drains layer with an algorithm to identify drains from LiDAR. Our catchment case study revealed that our LiDAR method more than tripled the area of wetland near drains suggesting that the existing national drains layer is underestimating wetland drainage extent. We highlight that further work should be undertaken to develop an accurate stocktake of drains near wetlands, given the increasing availability of LiDAR and the ongoing efforts to improve wetland mapping by territorial authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are efficient carbon sinks due to waterlogged soils causing oxygen depletion and slowing organic matter decomposition, leading to peat accumulation. However, peatlands are also a natural source of methane (CH4), a powerful greenhouse gas, to the atmosphere. Methane production (by methanogens) and oxidation (by methanotrophs) are controlled by water table depth, soil temperature and hydrochemistry. Measuring CH4 emissions is resource demanding. Several measurements method are used, which introduces potential bias for comparisons among studies. Thus, a simple and reliable indicator tool would be desirable for both researchers and managers. Currently, such a tool does not exist. Testate amoebae (TA), an abundant and diverse group of shelled protists occurring in peatlands, are well-established proxies of present water table depth (WTD). As their shells are well preserved in peat, they are commonly used to infer past hydrological changes using predictive mathematical models called transfer functions. As CH4 emissions are also tightly linked to WTD, and although TA are not directly involved in CH4 production or consumption, we hypothesised that CH4 emissions would be significantly correlated to TA community composition and could therefore be inferred from TA communities living in peatland mosses. We tested this hypothesis using compilations of CH4 plot emissions measurements from European and North American bogs and fens, and TA data from moss samples collected from the same plots. Testate amoeba communities were significantly correlated to CH4 fluxes. As our models were based on several independent studies for both flux measurements and TA communities, methodological differences among studies (e.g., CH4 emission measurements, TA taxonomy) may potentially cause bias in the model. Nevertheless, the results are promising, and this proof-of-concept study suggests that past and present peatland CH4 emissions could be inferred from TA shells preserved in peat over centuries and in mosses growing at the surfaces of peatlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ombrotrophic peatlands are ideal archives for reconstructing charcoal fluxes resulting from vegetation burning. This is because they are sensitive to local environmental changes and the deposition of allochthonous material is exclusively atmospheric. This article presents a charcoal analysis in which two generally accepted research methods were compared, namely (i) quantification of the frequency of occurrence (number), and (ii) quantification of the size (area) of charred particles. The peat cores were extracted from the ombrotrophic bog of Tăul Mare in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains (northern Romania). The two methods for quantifying the occurrence of charcoal yielded similar results showing increasing variability of fire activity during the last ~ 3000 years. Charcoal peaks were best defined in the charcoal area dataset and indicated an increase in charcoal particle size during periods of high charcoal abundance, which points to local fires. Analysis of charcoal morphology showed that, during time intervals with high charcoal abundance, there was a gradual increase in the proportion of burnt wood. This suggests that episodes of high and/or low intensity burning, on both long and short timescales, may play an important role in determining the charcoal signature of these events. The high level of detection of high intensity fires suggests that charcoal records may be most useful in systems with high intensity fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drainage activities have caused widespread wetland loss, groundwater drawdown and impairment of ecosystem services. There are now several national programs for wetland restoration, primarily focused on reintroducing ecosystem services such as habitats and nutrient retention. In Sweden, recent dry summers have also reinforced interest in hydrological functions such as the potential for enhanced groundwater storage, both in and around the wetland. However, there are several knowledge gaps regarding groundwater storage effects of restoration, including if they extend beyond the wetland and how they vary with local conditions. Therefore, we have systematically reviewed groundwater storage effects from the interventions of restoring, constructing or draining boreo-temperate wetlands. Drainage was included primarily to evaluate to what degree restoration can reverse drainage effects. Methods: We searched 8 databases for scientific journal publications in English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German and Polish. Gray literature was searched in English and Swedish. Articles were included based on their relevance for Swedish conditions, i.e., in previously glaciated areas with boreal or temperate climate. Extracted outcome data were groundwater level changes, along with other variables including type of wetland and intervention and, when reported, distance between sampling point and intervention. Meta-analyses were conducted separately for studies that reported groundwater levels at different distances and studies that reported overall effects. Included studies were subject to critical appraisal to evaluate their susceptibility to bias, primarily selection bias, performance bias, and detection bias. Critical appraisal results were used in sensitivity analysis. Review findings: Out of 11,288 screened records, 224 articles fulfilled the criteria, and from these, 146 studies were included in meta-analysis. Most studies (89%) investigated peatlands, primarily from Finland, the UK and Canada. Restoration and drainage studies were equally common. Only nine studies reported measurements beyond the wetland area. Our synthesis is therefore primarily focused on effects within wetlands. In peatland restoration, the observed groundwater level rise decreased exponentially with distance from the restored ditch and was reduced to 50% after 9 [95% confidence interval: 5, 26] m. Drainage reached somewhat farther, with 50% of the groundwater drawdown remaining at 21 [11, 64] m. On average, restoration increased groundwater levels by 22 [16, 28] cm near the intervention, whereas drainage caused a drawdown of 19 [10, 27] cm. Assuming that sampling was unbiased, effects were similar for bogs, fens and mires. Restricting the meta-analysis to the 58% of studies that were of high validity did not alter conclusions. Conclusions: Effects of peatland restoration and drainage were of similar magnitudes but opposite directions. This indicates that, on average, rewetting of drained peatlands can be expected to restore groundwater levels near the ditch. However, restoration may not reach all the area affected by drainage, and there was a strong dependence on local context. For managers of wetland projects, it is thus important to follow up and monitor restoration effects and reinforce the intervention if necessary. Our results also point to a need for better impact evaluation if increased storage beyond the restored wetland area is desired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gymnoscirtetes is endemic to the southeastern portion of the North American Coastal Plain and previously comprised two species: G. pusillus Scudder, 1897 and G. morsei Hebard, 1918. Here, this genus is revised based on male genital morphology and geographic data, and four new species are described: G. georgiaensis sp. nov., G. pageae sp. nov., G. rex sp. nov., and G. wadeorum sp. nov. Gymnoscirtetes is primarily associated with mesic grasslands such as pitcher plant bogs, flatwoods, and the edges of seasonal ponds, but can be found less commonly in a variety of other grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe two restoration efforts (raising and lowering the water table) in a transitional mire and use vegetation survey data (from 1987, 1999, and 2015) to evaluate restoration success. We used historical and current vegetation relevés and vegetation maps to identify target plant communities and track changes in vegetation over time. Ordination plot (NMDS) and the Sankey diagram were used to detect changes in plant community composition and overall vegetation. The first restoration (1993) was not planned according to the standards and was unsuccessful because of a very rapid rise in the water level. It caused the destruction of bog and mire plant communities and the emergence of new wetland stands. Subsequent restoration (in 2000), with a gradual lowering of the water table, allowed natural restoration of mire communities, but certain species remain absent. Our study demonstrated the importance of careful restoration planning, selection of target plant communities, and the importance of vegetation survey for monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A typical degraded mountain bog in the Swiss Alps was restored by cessation of grazing and partial rewetting. We observed the development of the vegetation over 15 years, starting immediately after the grazing cessation (4 years before rewetting). Cessation of grazing stimulated the recolonisation of bare peat and the establishment of bryophytes. While many typical bog forest species benefited from grazing cessation, the relative abundance of Cyperaceae decreased. Rewetting (in our case: closing ditches with sheet piles and filling them with sawdust) as an additional restoration measure, had a stabilising effect on most environmental factors (e.g. water availability, soil aeration). Furthermore, rewetting had a stabilising effect on stress tolerators and promoted typical species of bog hummocks and hollows. The abundances of species of nearly all groups changed far less dynamically in the rewetted area than in the area that remained drained. It turned out that cessation of grazing as the only restoration measure was insufficient to maintain the vegetation of bogs, whereas the combination of grazing cessation and rewetting directed the site towards the desired development. However, even eleven years after rewetting and 15 years after cessation of grazing, the site had not yet reached a state that was close to an undisturbed alpine bog.