Vol 4, No 1 (2013)

The paper examine diphosphine-based hypothesis of wetland autoignition: it supposes that Р2Н4 production in
wetlands is sufficient to Р2Н4 spontaneous ignition in air which starts a chain reaction of phosphine and then methane
ignition; the latter reaction is considered as a real cause of many natural forest and peat fires. The paper demonstrates
that Р2Н4 autoignition under the natural conditions is hardly probable. We revealed that experimental data doesn't
indicate any significant diphosphine concentrations in wetlands. Even if diphosphine autoignition was proceeded,
surrounding gas mixture wouldn't sustain a combustion owing to the lack of oxidant (O2) in a peat layer or to a lower
comparing to a combustion limit Р2Н4 concentration in a surface layer. Even if under some unique conditions a shortterm
flash was occured, it wouldn't set fire to the peat layer.
The paper was written basing on the lecture of the same name delivered in MSU workshop «Greenhouse gases:
urgent questions» by one of the author.

Inventory of wood decay community of raised bogs was started in taiga zone of West Siberia (near the Khanty-Mansiysk town). We examined dead wood of Pinus sylvestris which creates substantial biomass in treed Pine - dwarfshrubs - Sphagnum ombrotrophic communities. 49 species of larger fungi from five groups (corticioid, polyporoid, heterobasidiomycetous, agaricoid, clavarioid basidiomycetes, and discomycetes) were registered by direct observation of fruit bodies. Inhabited substrates were: partly buried in sphagnum decorticated logs, stumps, butts of standing logs, and bark. Only one publication about wood decay fungi on Pinus sylvestris in the region was previously concerned with bog wood, species lists of two studies only partly coincide. 13 identified species represent new records for the region, three of them with a few collections in Russia. Two xerotolerant species were registered regularly on bog wood ( Amyloporia xantha, Sistotremastrum suecicum ). Some species represented by several collections: Coniophora arida, Peniophorella praetermissa, Phlebiella pseudotsugae, Piloderma byssinum, and Dacrymyces stillatus . Major part of the list (43 species) were collected once and twice. Large part of species from the list are adapted for decomposition of wide spectrum of coniferous and deciduous trees and also reported on mosses, and miscellaneous substrates of soil litter. Six species cause brown rot type, 23 species are white rotters, discomycetes cause poor decomposition (soft rot), and six corticioid species form mycorrhiza with Pine . Other authors have showed ability of wood decomposers to cause weight loss of Sphagnum peat, propagules of Antrodia and Gloeophyllum were isolated from peat. This confirmed in our study: eight corticioid species were registered on peaty substrates adjoining wood surfaces, and two species were growing on living Sphagnum in absence of wood.