Peatland biodiversity and climate change

Abstract

It is shown that peatlands are characterized by specific biological diversity on the genetic, species, ecosystem, and landscape levels. They often present the best preserved areas, habitats, and shelters for biological species. Peatlands form a specific environment and play a significant part in the regulation of climate due to their participation in the water and carbon cycles. They are characterized by a wide range of biodiversity; spatial heterogeneity; and a particular structural and functional integrity, which is determined by the interrelations between excessive moisture, peatland vegetation, and peat. The scope of all the features mentioned presupposes a specific, often ambiguous, response of peatlands and their biodiversity to climate change.