A levee with a Prunus serotina woodland over Calamagrostis canadensis separates this seepage meadow from the Blackwater River. Shrub swamp of Vaccinium myrtilloides lines either side. Upland forest of red maple, tellow birch and black cherry to the south.;Early-mid successional. May be kept open by seepage from surrounding upland and Sphagnum infuenced substrate. Although we are on the "lee" side of the river where flood scour would be low, this area almost certainly floods when the river is high. Probably in ancient times the river moved across this flat area of the floodplain. There is a thin band of Zigadenus lemanthoides found on the drier upland edges just outside of our plot growing with Vaccinium myrtilloides / Carex folliculata/ Spahgnum. The Zigadenus community is too small for a plot but this community is repeated across the floodplain.
Representativeness
Fairly typical sedge meadow. The only extensive one on this section of the Blackwater River. Similar to other clonal sedge meadows, i.e. fairly monotypic with diversity around edges. This plot is fully inside the clone with minimal edge area.
