Name:
NY Heritage: Rich shrub fen
Reference:
Ecological Communities of New York, 2nd Ed.
Description:
A strongly minerotrophic peatland in which the substrate is a woody peat, which may or may not be underlain by marl or limestone bedrock. Rich fens are fed by waters that have high concentrations of minerals and high pH values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8.
The dominant species in rich shrub fens are shrubs, which form a canopy and overtop most herbs. Some rich shrub fens are dominated by low shrubs (under 4 ft or 1.2 m) that collectively have 80 to 90% cover in the community. Other rich shrub fens are dominated by taller shrubs (over 4 ft or 1.2 m) that collectively have 50 to 70% cover in the community with low shrubs and graminoids locally dominant in openings. The rich shrub fen community is somewhat broadly defined to include both the low shrub and taller shrub examples as well as regional variants distinguished by variations in their flora such as the lack of shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa) in northern examples. More data could lead to the elevation of these variants to community types. In rich shrub fens, Sphagnum is either absent, or a minor component, with only the most minerotrophic species present. Other mosses may be common.
Characteristic shrubs include young red maple (Acer rubrum), red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. rugosa), sweet-gale (Myrica gale), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), swamp fly honeysuckle (Lonicera oblongifolia), black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), alder-leaf buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), and poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix). Other shrubs found in rich shrub fens include hoary willow (Salix candida), dwarf raspberry (Rubus pubescens), tamarack (Larix laricina), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), bog birch (Betula pumila), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), meadow-sweet (Spiraea alba var. latifolia), and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis).
Characteristic herbs include marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris), royal fern (Osmunda regalis), the sedges Carex stricta and C. interior, common cat-tail (Typha latifolia), bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), tall meadow-rue (Thalictrum pubescens), water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), and marsh St. John's wort (Triadenum virginicum). Other herbs found in rich shrub fens include the sedge Carex aquatilis, skunk-cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), flat-top white aster (Aster umbellatus), spreading goldenrod (Solidago patula), blue flag (Iris versicolor), and spike muhly (Muhlenbergia glomerata).
Characteristic non-vascular species include the mosses Calliergonella cuspidata, Aulacomnium palustre, Thuidium delicatulum, Campylium stellatum, Fissidens adianthoides, Sphagnum teres, S. contortum, S. warnstorfii, and S. fimbriatum.
Data on characteristic animals are needed.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.28611.NYHERITAGERICHS
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
1
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