European Mires

Book excerpt: European Mires brings together in a single volume the various ideas and approaches to the classification and nomenclature of mire types, set out in a single language, namely English. It provides a set of clear explanations of how ecologists view their mires in different parts of Europe. In addition, each account provides a summary and a survey of relevant literature in a variety of languages, which should prove of great value to English speaking students of mire systems. The book contains nine chapters and begins with a discussion of the classification of mires in Europe. This is followed by separate chapters on Finnish mires types, Estonian bogs, the mire types of the German Democratic Republic; and the vegetation and development of Central European mires. Subsequent chapters deal with the vegetation and development of blanket mires, British fens, Welsh mires, and wetland communities in Ireland. It is hoped that this present volume will assist in the dismantling of some international barriers and will provide a basis for further work. It may also help foster a global climate of scientific understanding in such a way as to permit the recrudescence of international mire research.