Revegetation processes in abandoned peat production fields in Estonia

About 100 abandoned peat production fields for a total area of 10 000 ha are in need of after-use management in Estonia. Just a very small part of this area has been afforested or is used for growing berries. Due to an un- favourable water regime, natural revegetation processes are generally very slow. Effective measures have to be taken therefore to reclaim these fields, beginning with regulation of the water level. In the course of the inventory of the abandoned milled peat fields, several moss species new or rare in Estonia were identified (Polia elongata, Ephemerum serratum, Campylopus introflexus).