Surrounding wetland is approximately 100 acres in size in "basin" below cleared/grazed mountaintops. Cattle graze vegetation severely but soils are not too compacted to be restored. Half of wetland will be fenced off permanently, the other half will be livestock free on a seasonal basis only. Greenbrier limestone outcrops on slopes above wetland contributing to circumneutral nature of the west end of site. Sandstone underlies east end. Various rare species associated - especially with circumneutral side of wetland. Slight alder thicket in middle of site and Rhamnus alnifolia clonal patches on east end. Wetland primarily dominated by graminoids - large Carex zones and Glyceria zones. Landowner reports that this site was a fir-spruce wet forest at turn of century when logged - none now!;A very "soft" herbaceous community. The dominant sedge here, Carex lasiocarpa, has very fine leaves. Along with very dense Eleocharis, makes this a "soft" community. This appears to be a zone grading from the large grass/sedge community at this site into the more acidic sedge/sphagnum community. But this is the only "zone"/community with the soft-leaved sedge -- which makes it interesting/unique at site. This is a smallish zone compared to the dominant grass/sedge community here and the Sphagnum sedge community here at site. This community is directly adjacent to the Glyceria/Sphagnum dominated community at P6 (POCA.5).
