Reconstruction of hydrology, vegetation and past climate change in bogs using fungal microfossils

The microfungi which showed consistent patterns among the three datasets examined in the study were generally indicators of relatively dry (hummock-like) conditions, and the abundance of most of the abundant fungal types observed reflected the prevalent vegetation type more than the direct influence of local moisture conditions. A number of fungal microfossils were identified which can be used to consistently provide a qualitative reconstruction of past conditions on the surface of the bog, and accurately indicate shifts between relatively dry and wet local conditions. Spores, in general, provided more information about local moisture conditions than vegetative mycelia. Some of the more abundant types, particularly Type 12 spores, showed a characteristic distribution with water table depth, which was consistent between the two different sites examined in the study. These fungal types can form the basis of future quantitative reconstructions of past water table and therefore climate in ombrotrophic bogs.