Plant communities in drainage ditches – conditions, characteristics and environmental functions

Ditches and drainage canals are an important element in the post-bog meadows. Their basic function is to regulate air-water relations in ecosystems, mainly in agrocenoses. The environmental functions of ditches and canals consist of maintaining a large diversity of flora and fauna species due to high humidity of these ecosystems. The study of plant communities in the ditches in the post-bog meadows habitat of the Supraśl Dolna valley structure in 2010–2020 was carried out. There were 23–27 species of plants in the ditches. Species diversity did not change significantly during this period, while changes in individual species’ coverage and viability were found. The species were classified into two rush communities: reed rush ( Phragmitetum australis) and rush ( Phalaridetum arundinaceae). As a result of the lack of maintenance of the ditches, an invasive species of flapped barbed ( Echinocystis lobata) was found. The natural valorization carried out by the Oświt method showed that plant communities in the drainage ditches are in the lowest valorization classes.