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 is a classic wetland edge community (added grazing disturbance) - some wetland spp. - yet upland dry compact soils - with restored hydrology, this may well be wet some portion of the year. This looks like the type of zone that "was" naturally flooded every 50-100 years by beaver but when dam broke reverted to some upland (successional/disturbed) with occasional wetland species. Cattle grazing compounds the current confusion though. Even appears to be 6-12 inches higher in elevation than the typically wet wetland basin. Contains a few scattered Polytrichum hummocks and some Sphagnum cover.
This was likely a perfect presettlement forested (conifer) zone (not too wet not too dry). Restorable to something - something more natural than current condition.
This is a transitional community coming down off eastern sandstone terraces.
