Organic soils of the Lake Luknajno biosphere reserve, North-east Poland
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Summary:
The nature reserve ‘Lake Luknajno’ was established in order to protect its population of mute swan Cygnus olor and other bird species. ‘Lake Luknajno’ is also a Biosphere Reserve established by UNESCO in 1977 and a Ramsar site. The reserve encompasses a shallow lake surrounded by peatlands. Various processes resulted in the gradual lowering of the water level in the lake. Organic matter mineralisation is currently the main soil-forming process in organic soils. As a result, muck soils and mucky soils developed there. Nowadays peat soils at the stage of organic matter accumulation occur primarily under permanently waterlogged rushes surrounding the lake. Thick deposits of calcareous gyttja have accumulated in the lake basin.
