After Wildfires and Rewetting: Results of 15+ Years’ Monitoring of Vegetation and Environmental Factors in Cutover Peatland

On examples of n × 100 m2 permanent plots laid in 2005 on peatlands disturbed by quarrying and milling peat extraction Meshchera National Park (central European Russia), changes vegetation cover environmental factors during self-revegetation, the impact wildfire, rewetting are considered. Peat pits overgrown with floating mats, which mire, predominantly mesotrophic, is formed. Cofferdams retained original mire contribute to formation a spatially diverse landscape, but they can also be prone natural fires. The conditions at abandoned milled sites do not favour overgrowth. driest areas remain bare perennially. Such most frequent targets wildfires, have severely negative interrupt revegetation processes. Alien plant species emerge disappear over time. To prevent wildfires create favourable for restoration vegetation, required. With an average ground water level (GWL) growing season −5 +15 cm, actively re-establish. Communities near-aquatic aquatic plants form flooded GWL +30. This generally contributes both fire prevention wetland diversity.