Name:
Carex (oligosperma, exilis) - Chamaedaphne calyculata Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association forms sedge-shrub lawns in weakly minerotrophic peatlands of northern New England and adjacent Canada. It occurs on wet flats and peat-accumulating depressions at low to moderate elevations, generally over acidic bedrock or till. The peat substrate is constantly saturated, and pH is usually in the 4.0-5.4 range. The vegetation is dominated by an expanse of low to mid-sized sedges mixed with dwarf ericad shrubs, with sedges usually more abundant. Trees and tall shrubs are sparse or absent. The bryophyte layer is continuous. Chamaedaphne calyculata and Andromeda polifolia (= Andromeda glaucophylla) are the most typical dwarf-shrubs, and are often overtopped by the sedges. Other shrubs include Kalmia polifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Myrica gale, Nemopanthus mucronatus, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and (occasionally, northward) Betula pumila. Graminoid species include Carex oligosperma, Carex exilis, Carex michauxiana, Carex utriculata, Carex chordorrhiza, Eriophorum spp. (most typically Eriophorum angustifolium), Rhynchospora alba, Trichophorum caespitosum (= Scirpus cespitosus), and Scheuchzeria palustris. Other herbaceous associates include Solidago nemoralis, Oclemena nemoralis (= Aster nemoralis), Drosera intermedia, Drosera rotundifolia, Pogonia ophioglossoides, and Maianthemum trifolium (= Smilacina trifolia). The bryophyte layer is characterized by a mixture of species, with characteristic peatmosses including Sphagnum angustifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum magellanicum, Sphagnum papillosum, Sphagnum pulchrum, Sphagnum recurvum, and Sphagnum rubellum. This association is differentiated from Chamaedaphne calyculata / Eriophorum virginicum / Sphagnum rubellum Dwarf-shrubland (CEGL006513), which can be floristically similar, by the increased cover of sedges and decreased cover of shrubs.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.21980.CAREXOLIGOSPERM
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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