The biocenotic value of Slītere National Park, Latvia, with special reference to inter-dune mires

Inter-dune wetlands in Europe harbour many Red List species because they are very nutrient-poor ecosystems. Most of these wetlands are geologically very young and no or little peat formation has occurred. In Slītere National Park the numerous inter-dune wetlands are relatively old, up to 4500 years old, and most mire communities are peat forming and they are well preserved. However, the hydrological systems that have conserved the mires are largely unknown. In the present study we analysed 128 vegetation relevées of dune mires in order to assess the variation in ecological mire types. We also carried out several short-time studies to get an insight into the peat development and hydrological conditions that sustain the mires. We describe peat profiles and measured temperature profiles and electrical conductivity in 26 dune valleys. We distinguished three main vegetation units and ten sub-units, representing various stages in peat formation. Based on electrical conductivity and temperature profiles we hypothesised that the mires were sustained by both local and more regional groundwater flows, of which the latter were possibly disturbed by anthropogenic influences, mainly outside the National Park. The importance of the Park was evaluated by comparing it to species lists of wetlands from all countries bordering the Baltic Sea. On the European scale the inter-dune wetlands of Slītere National Park are very important because they represent well-developed examples of mire formation on a landscape scale, which elsewhere in most of Europe are rare or have become extinct due to intensive land use.