Ričkienė, Aurika. 2024. Historical overview of the Šepeta raised bog investigations in the first half of the 20th century. Šepeta. History of the lost mire: 22–35. Vilnius. https://doi.org/10.35513/NRC.2024.2.01
https://gamtostyrimai.lt/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024_Pelke_01_Rickiene.pdf
Summary
Until the Second World War, the Šepeta peatland was basically known as a 1,398.9-ha raised bog located in the northeastern part of Lithuania. However, since 1939, it has been exploited for peat extraction. At present, the entire bog massif is destroyed, and the only extant elements of its former landscape are the forests that previously surrounded the bog. Thus, the information about the natural world of the former Šepeta bog can be retrieved only from the published sources available. It was before the beginning of the 20th century already Šepeta mire was mentioned in several geographic directories. In 1921, the naturalist T. Ivanauskas undertook an endeavoured to designate the Šepeta mire as a nature reserve. At the beginning of the 20th century, studies of the mire vegetation were conducted by both Lithuanian and Polish scientists (A. Minkevičius, K. Regelis, H. Wojtusiakowa). A comprehensive survey of the bog was carried out in 1940, and, based on the research material collected, there was a monograph prepared and published in the same year. In this paper, the historical overview of the Šepeta bog research is presented in the context of historical circumstances as well as economic and scientific potential of the country at that time.
Key words: Academy of Agriculture, peatland research, rare plant species, „Šepeta. Monograph on the raised bog“, University of Lithuania, University of Warsaw, vegetation research, Vytautas Magnus University.
Language: Lithuanian; Abstract – English
E-mail: aurika.rickiene@gamtc.lt
Nature Research Centre
