In the Monnikenberg estate, built in the mid-19th century in a Pleistocene coversand area to the south of Hilversum (the Netherlands), a depression with a small man-made mire was found to contain the remains of a complex peaty fill of a larger mire. Microfossil study and radiocarbon dating showed that its development started at the beginning of the third millennium BC through water stagnation on a podzol in combination with a high groundwater level, and about two millennia ago the vegetation had progressed from a mesotrophic mire to an ombrotrophic bog. Such origin, development and age are in conformity with the results for some other recently studied mires in the Het Gooi region (Gijzenveen; Van Geel et al., 2016). In the Monnikenberg mire, a discrepancy was found between the radiocarbon age of the upper part of the peaty fill and its clearly medieval or younger age as evidenced by its microfossil content, notably the occurrence of pollen of buckwheat (Fagopyrum) and cornflower (Centaurea cyanus). These species were first introduced in the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages. From further observations in a large pit in the former border zone of the mire, it is concluded that this discrepancy and the unique sedimentary structures, observed in this pit, result from peat exploitation and contemporary reworking of its sandy overburden during the Late Middle Ages or Early Modern Times. This is the first evidence for local early peat exploitation for such mires in Het Gooi. The results underpin the importance of microfossil analyses for proper interpretation of radiocarbon data, when studying mire fills. Additionally, they provide further proof for the development of podzols and ericaceous vegetation prior to and independent of early prehistoric agriculture in the Dutch Pleistocene coversand areas, and for the early (pre-medieval) start of wind erosion and deposition of drift sands.

The Blue Mountains water skink Eulamprus leuraensis is an Endangered swamp specialist known from < 60 sites and restricted to the rare, threatened and fragmented habitat of Temperate Highland Peat Swamps on Sandstone. Understanding the species’ ecology, notably its vulnerability to threatening processes such as hydrological disturbance, is essential if we are to retain viable populations of this Endangered reptile. We examined the impact of anthropogenic disturbance (longwall mining practices, development (industrial, urban, infrastructural) and damage by recreational vehicles) on this species, other herpetofauna and the swamp by surveying six paired undisturbed and disturbed sites in south-eastern Australia. The abundance of E. leuraensis was severely affected by disturbance. The species was absent from disturbed swamps, where it was replaced by its congener E. heatwolei and other woodland reptile species. Disturbance was associated with a halving of soil moisture content and a loss of surface water; the dense, live understorey was replaced by a sparser, drier habitat with dead vegetation, logs, rocks and bare ground. In effect, disturbance eliminated the distinctive features of the swamp habitat, transforming it into an area that resembled the surrounding habitat in terms of fauna, flora and physical characteristics. Our surveys suggest that hydrological disturbance (groundwater loss or alterations in surface water chemistry) extirpates E. leuraensis. This species' dependence on groundwater renders it sensitive to habitat degradation through hydrological disturbance. The conservation message for management authorities is clear: to protect the skink, protect the habitat.

Many mires of high conservation value occur in Bulgaria. These mires acted as refugia during the dry phases of ice ages and therefore contain a high number of rare and disjunct species. The mires harbour specific ecotypes and genotypes of plants and animals, and thus provide an opportunity to test biogeographical hypotheses, and they also contain important information about the history of European mires. In this study we ranked all known mire and spring complexes in Bulgaria according to the occurrence of rare and threatened plant and mollusc species. This analysis shows a conspicuous concentration of rare species at several sites, and no correspondence between the importance of individual mires for biodiversity and their legal protection. Of the 10 mire complexes of highest priority only one is effectively protected. The remaining unprotected mires have either been destroyed or are threatened by ongoing development. Having joined the European Union, Bulgaria has built a Natura 2000 network that could provide an opportunity for mire conservation. However, destruction of mire habitats proceeds faster than the approval of Natura 2000 sites. There is thus a possibility that unique Bulgarian mires will be lost before the Natura 2000 system begins to perform its role. Only effective and timely protection of the mire remnants, together with appropriate management, will ensure the future of these unique habitats.

Spore capsules of four Sphagnum species were buried at different depths in peat on a bog. Spore viability was determined after 0, 1, 2 and 3 yr. Viability generally declined with time, but viable spores were still found at all depths after 3 yr. The light-coloured spores of S. balticum and S. tenellum retained their viability better than the darker spores of S. fuscum and S. lindbergii. Survival was highest under wet but aerobic conditions, but was also high under humid or periodically desiccated conditions. By contrast, most spores stored under wet, anaerobic conditions died within 2–3 yr. These results, and predictions from them, are not consistent with earlier results for spores of long-lived and dominant bryophytes, or for seeds of phanerogams of undisturbed wetlands and forests. There was no correlation between spore size and longevity across species, but the small spores from small capsules of S. balticum and S. tenellum generally showed higher viability than those from the medium-sized and large capsules of the same species. This suggests a positive intraspecific relationship between longevity and dispersal distance. There was an indication of conditional dormancy, controlled by weather, in Sphagnum spores. The experiments indicate that Sphagnum spores can form a long-term persistent spore bank under suitable conditions, with a half-life of between 1 and 20 yr (mean across species of 2.6 and 5.0 yr at two depths studied), and with potential values in individual spore capsules of several decades, or even of centuries. Sphagnum spores kept refrigerated showed 15–35% viable spores after 13 yr. The capacity to form a persistent spore bank that can be activated whenever favourable conditions occur might help explain the wide geographical distribution of many Sphagnum species in the boreal and temperate zones, where they have managed to colonize almost every suitable patch of acidic, nutrient-poor wetland.