THE SPATIAL-DISTRIBUTION AND STRUCTURE OF MICROBIAL COMPLEXES IN BOG-FOREST ECOSYSTEMS

The vertically layered distribution of microorganisms in bog-forest ec osystems was investigated. It was demonstrated that typically the maxi mum concentration of microorganisms is found in the soil layer. In con trast to the semihydromorphic soils on the margins of a bog, where the microbial population drops off sharply with depth, in the hydromorphi c peat soils, microorganisms are evenly distributed over the entire pr ofile. The total microbial biomass in peat bogs amounts to tonnes per hectare when estimates are extrapolated to the entire thickness of the peat.