Name:
Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda / Carex lasiocarpa / Campylium stellatum Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
These rich shrub-graminoid fens occur in northern New England. They are found in basin peatlands that have developed over circumneutral to calcareous substrates, often as one component of the peatland vegetation. The substrate pH is 6 or above, usually pH 7-8. Physiognomy varies, sometimes within a peatland, from shrub-dominated (shrubs typically 0.4-0.8 m tall), with graminoids and other herbs in patches, to herb-dominated, with scattered shrubs. In rare cases, the fen may show patterning, with woody-dominated strings and bryophyte/herb-dominated flarks. Trees, if even present, are sparse and small, or in the patterned fen variant, confined to linear strings. The bryoid layer is well-developed. The scattered trees may include Thuja occidentalis, Acer rubrum, Larix laricina, and occasionally Picea mariana. Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda) is the dominant shrub, sometimes with shrub-sized Thuja occidentalis. Chamaedaphne calyculata, Andromeda polifolia (= Andromeda glaucophylla), Photinia melanocarpa (= Aronia melanocarpa), and Myrica gale may also be present. In the more enriched examples, Salix candida, Cornus sericea, or Betula pumila may be present. Carex lasiocarpa is the most characteristic graminoid; some sites may have lawns of Trichophorum caespitosum (= Scirpus cespitosus). Muhlenbergia glomerata and Carex livida are indicator species, although usually neither is abundant. Other herbs include Eriophorum viridicarinatum, Trichophorum alpinum, Parnassia glauca, Lobelia kalmii, Carex exilis, Carex interior, Juncus stygius, Carex tenuiflora, Symphyotrichum boreale (= Aster borealis), and Solidago uliginosa. The bryophyte layer is strongly dominated by Campylium stellatum, with the calciphile Sphagnum warnstorfii often present in lower abundance. The presence (and usually abundance) of Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda differentiates this type from northeastern herb-dominated rich peatland fens.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.25084.DASIPHORAFRUTIC
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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