Introduction

There is little doubt that climate change elicits change in plant communities. These changes are conspicuous in those plant associations that lie in the marginal zone of their ranges. The lowland Sphagnum dominated mires are frequent in cool and humid climates (e.g., in north and west Europe), but are very rare under continental climatic conditions. Three of the five studied areas are the southernmost occurrences of the Oxycocco-Sphagnatea associations on the plains of Europe (Simon 1992a). Their formation and development are caused by edaphic conditions. They were formerly known as “ice age relict” associations. However, current paleobotanical research has documented that these peat moss dominated habitats are much younger (Jakab & Magyari 2000; Magyari 2002). They are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment (which are under marked human influence). These ecosystems are the most sparse and diverse mires of Hungary. All of them are strictly protected. The quality of these peat moss dominated habitats has deteriorated over the past 50 years owing to human and natural influences, and so the Directorate of Hortobágy National Park began their restoration. Restoration measures include the following: blocking of drainage canals; planting of gallery oak forests; initiating artificial water replenishment; and the prohibition of chemical usage on the arable lands around the mires. The aim was to restore these unique habitats so as to provide better conditions for peat mosses to propagate. During the drying period we were able to follow the degradation of the peat moss carpet under a willow carr.