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!;This wetland community occurs on the eastern half of Blister Swamp where sandstone outcrops on the adjacent uplands --> so this end may be more acidic, due to geology, than the western end of Blister Swamp. Sphagnum dominates the ground cover with hummocky Polytrichum commune throughout. Glyceria not far along yet -- but will probably dominate view later in season. Carex crinita occurring on these moss hummocks. This community grades into Alder shrubland to the south (along intermittent stream). Cattle do not seem to venture into this community much -- less to eat? The community begins the eastern transition into "acidic" community. Different ecotones/transitions grade into subtly different acidic "bog" associations as one travels east - see observation points P6/P7.
