Researchers from the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw (UW) have published an article on the long-term impact of a subsurface low fen fire on the Biebrza on the properties of organic soil and secondary plant succession. The publication has appeared in the journal Science of The Total Environment, which deals with the issues of climate, environment and ecology.

In the article “Smouldering fire in a nutrient-limited wetland ecosystem: long-lasting changes in water and soil chemistry facilitate shrub expansion into a drained burned fen” researchers from the University of Warsaw – Dr Marcin Sulwiński, Dr Monika Mętrak, Dr.Mateusz Wilk and Prof. Małgorzata Suska-Malawska – assessed how the habitat properties of a low peat bog located in the Biebrza National Park changed 12 years after the subsurface fire.

The article shows that the unburned areas have preserved herbaceous plants, including species typical of ecosystems with low availability of biogenic elements. The availability of potassium and phosphorus in the fire-affected areas increased significantly, which led to the expansion of willow shrubs onto burned-out areas and the complete disappearance of rare plant species.