Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: E006
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E006
Published online: 22 April 2026
EIVs of bryophytes: new possibilities for an old ecological tool
Katarzyna Dobrowolska
Bryological Section, Polish Botanical Society, 3 Pergolowa St., 20-819 Lublin, Poland
Corresponding author: dobrowolska@hotmail.it
Ecological indicator values, particularly EIV (Ellenberg Indicator Values), offer a well-established approach to inferring environmental conditions from vegetation composition by integrating species-specific responses along environmental gradients. It is reliable methods for assessing the ecological status of e.g. peatlands are becoming increasingly vital in the face of climate change, habitat degradation, and the urgent need for effective ecosystem monitoring.
Bryophytes, and peat mosses (Sphagnum spp.) in particular, are exceptionally well-suited for such assessments in ombrotrophic peatlands due to their close dependence on hydrology, nutrient availability, and acidity. As ecosystem engineers that drive peat accumulation and water retention, Sphagnum communities are highly sensitive to environmental shifts, making them dependable indicators of habitat conditions.
This study evaluates the effectiveness of bryophyte-based EIVs as a tool for analyzing ecological gradients within Baltic raised bog ecosystems. The research was conducted across five raised bogs in the Słupsk region of northern Poland: Zaleskie Bagno, Słowińskie Błota, Janiewickie Bagno, Torfowisko Pobłockie, and Bagna Izbickie. These sites vary in their land-use history and stages of regeneration but share comparable vegetation structures and protection statuses.
Fieldwork carried out during the 2022–2023 growing seasons focused on four primary habitat types: open bog surfaces, bog margins, forested areas, and Myrica gale shrub communities. A total of 37 study plots provided 291 floristic-ecological records of Sphagnum species and associated vegetation. Indicator values were employed to determine environmental conditions and analyze ecological gradients across the various habitats and sites.
The analyses revealed distinct habitat differentiation, driven primarily by light availability and nutrient status, while moisture levels remained consistently high across all studied areas. These findings demonstrate that bryophyte indicator values effectively reflect environmental gradients in raised bog ecosystems. They offer a rapid, integrated, and cost-efficient method for evaluating peatland ecological health and supporting long-term monitoring of environmental changes.
Keywords: bryophytes; ecology; Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIV); peatbog; Sphagnum
How to cite
Dobrowolska K., 2026. EIVs of bryophytes: new possibilities for an old ecological tool. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.E006