Location: Peat bog located in the north of Covasna county, close to the border with Harghita county, on the ATU of Estelnic commune. Muscoasa Peat bog is located at an altitude of 961 m., With GPS coordinates Latitude (N): 46 ° 9'37.64 ", Longitude (E): 26 ° 12'25.37", and an area of 6.01 ha. The respective area is superimposed with the land with no. cadastre 24561 in the property of Estelnic commune. It is an integral part of the Natura 2000 community interest site Tinovul Apa Lină - Honcsok ROSCI0241 and of the special avifauna protection area ROSPA0169.
Conservation status: The main habitat type is 7140 - Transitional peat bogs, next to which there are other important habitats respectively protected at European level: 91E0 * Alluvial forests of Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae), and 6430 Edge communities with high hygrophilous grasses from the plains and the mountain to the alpine floor. Habitat conservation status 7140 - Transitional peat bogs are unfavorable with medium but continuous degradation, and require rehabilitation interventions. Habitats of 91E0 * Alluvial forests of Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae), and 6430 Edge communities with high hygrophilous grasses from the plain and from the mountain to the alpine floor are located along the course of the stream Apa-Lină, (which delimits the respective area from the East). These habitats cover a relatively small area and their state of conservation is favorable as they do not require rehabilitation.
Identified pressures and threats: During the field inspections, the current pressures were identified, but also those that will threaten the habitats in the future. In addition to those identified in the restoration schemes in the PeatRO program, we also identified other disruptive factors, pressures and threats:
- bridges filled on the tributaries of the Apa-Lină brook that supply the respective area. In order to restore the optimal water regime, these bridges must be cleaned and maintained (sub-activity A.3.2);
- invasion of woody vegetation, species of Salix cinerea, Salix caprea, Betula pubescens. These species due to the dry years of the past began to invade as much as possible, occupying an area of 1,012 ha of peatland. Requires sub activity 4.1;
- invasion of grassy vegetation, species of Juncus tennuis, Deschampsia caespitosa, Festuca rubra, Juncus conglomeratus, Nardus stricta, Veratrum album, Vicia cracca. At the edges of habitat 7140 due to droughts and the accumulation of biomass quantities, the invasion of non-characteristic species began, which requires interventions on an area of 2 ha (sub-activity 4.2);
- accumulation of the amount of biomass that contributes to increasing the degree of mineralization and eutrophication of peatland. Requires interventions and mowing on an area of 4.5 ha (sub-activity A.6.1);
- the extinction of the characteristic species of habitat 7140 was found, for which reason the sub-activity A.5.2 requires intervention.
