Fruit yield of european cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris Pers.) in different plant communities of peatlands (northern Wielkopolska, Poland)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine fruit yield of Oxycoccus palustris under the climatic and habitat conditions of northern Wielkopolska (the Greater Poland region), depending on the type of occupied plant community. Total fruit number and fruit weight as well as average cranberry leaf size were determined on 33 plots with an area of 1 m2, located on 7 peatlands. On the study areas, European cranberry produced crops from 9.2 up to 242.0 g 􀂉􀀃 m-2, which gives 92-2420 kg 􀂉􀀃ha-1. It has been demonstrated that on the peatlands of northern Wielkopolska O. palustris reaches its generative and vegetative optimum in the communities of the class Scheuchzerio- Caricetea fuscae, in particular in the community Sphagno recurvi-Eriophoretum angustifolii.

Keywords

• Oxycoccus palustris
• Ericaceae
• growth
• crop
• peatlands
• medicinal plants
• plant communities
• vegetation