Dissertation: Tardigrades in Finnish Peatlands: Even resilient animals do not survive everywhere (Mäenpää)
Peatlands are an essential part of Finland’s landscapes, history, and culture. They are also globally important ecosystems for climate regulation and biodiversity. Although the diversity of peatlands is relatively well known, much of their microscopic life remains unexplored.
Doctoral researcher Hennariikka Mäenpää's doctoral dissertation results show that tardigrade communities are not uniform across peatlands. They vary particularly with peatland type, but management history, microtopography, and moss species also play important roles.
- Although tardigrades are known for their ability to withstand extreme conditions, not all species can survive the harsh environment of open mires. Drained pine mire forests provide less suitable habitats than pristine sites, and the conditions do not seem any better in sites that are restored over a decade ago, explains Doctoral researcher Hennariikka Mäenpää from the University of Jyväskylä.
The environment modifies tardigrades
The research demonstrates that, although tardigrades can endure harsh conditions in their dormant state and are among the most widely distributed animals on Earth, they cannot persist everywhere.
- Even these resilient creatures appear vulnerable to environmental disturbances. The study provides new insights into how environmental variables operating at different scales shape tardigrade communities, says Mäenpää.
M.Sc. Hennariikka Mäenpää defends her doctoral dissertation "In search of peatland tardigrades: methodological insights and community patterns across habitat and management types” on September 19th 2025 at 13:00 in the lecture hall YAA303 on Ylistönrinne. The opponent will be Professor Asko Lõhmus from the University of Tartu, and the custos will be Senior Researcher Sara Calhim. The language of the event is English.
Dissertation “In Search of Peatland Tardigrades: Methodological Insights and Community Patterns Across Habitat and Management Types” is available in the JYX-digital archive: https://jyx.jyu.fi/jyx/Record/jyx_123456789_104801?sid=204736193
