Effects of sulphur pollutants on the growth of Sphagnum species

Abstract
Sphagnum species, once dominant in the blanket bog vegetation of the southern Pennines, have largely disappeared since the Industrial Revolution. Laboratory studies suggest that the growth of a number of Sphagnum species is sensitive to sulphur pollutants ( HSO3, −− SO4, SO2) within the range of concentrations found in Great Britain today. The species differ in their response to the pollutants; 0·5 mM HSO3 eventually proved lethal to the most sensitive species but reduced the growth rate of the most resistant, S. recurvum, by only 35%. These results are discussed in relation to vegetation changes in the southern Pennines and north Cheshire.