Ringinglow Bog, Near Sheffield: Part II. The Present Surface

Abstract

The vegetation of the bog may be interpreted as consisting essentially of 2 large flushes drained by the 2 streams which meet at the single main drainage outlet of the bog. Eriophorum vaginatum, E. angustifolium, and Deschampsia flexu-osa are the most important spp. of the flush vegetation, except for a small area close to the bog margin, which is dominated by Juncus effusus. Between and around the flush areas are regions which are slightly less wet, and are characterized by abundant Calluna vulgaris. The water-table has never been found to lie at a depth greater than 30 cm. from the soil surface, even in the best drained parts of the bog. In the wetter parts it may be above the general soil-level for large parts of the yr. The pH values of the peat at about 10 cm. depth range from 3.1 to 4.1, with a mean value of 3.7 for the wet flush area and 3.5 for areas with abundant Calluna. The values are higher in summer than in winter. Some observations were made on the SO2 content of the air over the bog. The max. values observed were about 1/9 of the max. observed by other workers for the center of Sheffield. It seems likely that values as high as those at Ringinglow may be found anywhere between Manchester and Sheffield. The view is put forward that the bog shows strong affinities with some of the Sphagnum bogs from the n. of England described by Pearsall, such, for example, as Stainmore bog, especially that part of it which is now dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum. While the evidence does not exclude the possibility that the degradation of Ringinglow bog might have been caused by atmospheric smoke pollution, it is also possible to explain it in terms of improved drainage conditions. Thus its recent history would be in line with that of many bogs situated far away from industrial regions.