Background to the current study

Up until now, the focus of 'bog woodland' survey in the UK has been entirely directed towards description of the vegetation communities, together with, occasionally, other ecological parameters such as water chemistry (McHaffie et al 2000). No account, however, has hitherto been taken of the peat stratigraphy occurring on the sites. Nevertheless, this is potentially a very important attribute when assessing any mire system. Mires, uniquely amongst plant communities, preserve a physical record of their history in the form of their 'peat archives', and peat stratigraphy can reveal a great deal about the conditions leading to the formation of present-day surface vegetation -including bog woodland. Such information is clearly helpful in assessing both the 'naturalness' and past dynamics of such systems, as well as giving information on other factors such as anthropogenic disturbance (e.g. whether burning has affected the mires). A more prosaic, though no less important aspect of such work is the charting of peat depths underlying putative bog woodland sites. It is sometimes possible for wet woodland to give the superficial appearance of being rooted on deep peatland, when in fact trees may actually be growing on mineral substrate just a few tens of centimetres below the surface. Re-flooded, terrestrialising peat cuttings can occasionally deceive in this way and it was considered useful to survey the peat substrates of a range of Scottish 'bog woodland' sites in order to establish their true deep peat credentials.

Map A: Location of Study Sites

Seven mire sites identified by previous workers as 'bog woodland' were selected for detailed stratigraphical analysis; namely Lòn Lèanachain, the Loch Maree Islands, Inshriach, Rothiemurchus, Mar Lodge, Monadh Mor & Pitmaduthy (Map A). The sites were selected in order to encompass a climatic gradient from the hyperoceanic west (Lon Leanachan, Lochaber; Loch Maree, Wester Ross) through the Cairngorms (Rothiemurchus, Inshriach, Mar Lodge) to the north-east (Monadh Mor and Pitmaduthy, Invernesshire). With the exception of Lòn Lèanachain, all the sites have been selected as candidate Special Area of Conservations (cSAC).