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!;Grass-sedge dominated herbaceous vegetation. Wetland with "sweetwater" influence from Greenbrier limestone outcrop on adjacent slope to the west. Adjacent alder shrubland to the north of this has similar herb species but stunted sparse alder is also a codominant species. Wetland soils drier than normal due to extremely dry season and due to years of grazing/compaction from cattle. This community grades directly into upland pasture adjacent and "appears" similar but close examination reveals that upland has more exotic pasture grasses, Trifolium repens, etc. I would consider this the same community as P8 (POCA.8), but slightly drier soils.
Adjacent to Greenbrier limestone outcrop to west (upslope). This presumably raises soil/water pH here.
Representativeness
Large size EO and soil damage still appears reversible.