Forested headwater of medium-sized open wetland. Downstream are beaver ponds, Carex stricta meadows, and alder swamp. Part of a large active farm - cows seen.;This seep and small headwater rivulet is fed by a spring and by toeslope seepage from hemlock - yellow birch forest. The headwater spring was excavated to try to create a small fish pond 10-15 years ago, but the spring has returned to natural flow now. Down moss-covered trees and tip mounds are common. All trees grow on large moss-covered hummocks with buttressed roots. Cows are not fenced from this seep but trampling was not observed, probably because the cows have good, accessible feed and water elsewhere. Did not see cut stumps - may not have been logged here. Trees seem to fall before they get to marketable size.
Representativeness
Good example of a spring fed headwater seep under older hemlock forest. This seep is quite broad (40m) and has some swamp-like characters, with trees on large mossy buttressed hummocks within the community.