Landscape constraints on mire lateral expansion

Little is known about the long-term expansion of mire ecosystems, despite their importance in global carbon and hydrogeochemical cycles. It has been firmly established that mires do not expand linearly over time. Despite this, are often assumed to have expanded at a constant rate after initiation simply for lack better understanding. There yet serious attempt determine drivers regional, or larger spatial scales. Here we make use natural chronosequence, spanning Holocene, which provided by retreating coastline Northern Sweden. By studying an isostatic rebound area can infer dynamics looking portion landscape where become progressively scarce as land becomes younger. Our results confirms non-linearly across related availability suitably wet areas, which, our case, depends primarily on hydro-edaphic properties landscape. Importantly, found occupied wettest locations within only one two thousand years, while it took three four years into slightly drier areas. imply lateral mires, thus peat accumulation non-linear process, occurring different rates depending, above all else, wetness