Name:
Carex lasiocarpa - Carex oligosperma / Sphagnum spp. Acidic Peatland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This graminoid poor fen community is found in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, as well as elsewhere in central Canada. Stands are found in peatlands with low exposure to mineral-rich groundwater, including basin fens, shores above the level of seasonal flooding and larger peatlands. Water hydrology is saturated, and surface water is slightly acidic and nutrient poor. The vegetation is dominated by graminoids, with up to 25% shrub cover, and scattered trees. The dominant graminoid is <i>Carex lasiocarpa</i>, and typical associates include <i>Carex chordorrhiza, Carex limosa, Carex oligosperma, Rhynchospora alba, Trichophorum cespitosum</i>, and <i>Scheuchzeria palustris</i>. Forbs include <i>Arethusa bulbosa, Symphyotrichum boreale, Calopogon tuberosus, Pogonia ophioglossoides, Sarracenia purpurea</i>, and <i>Solidago uliginosa</i>. The low-shrub layer contains <i>Andromeda polifolia, Betula pumila, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Larix laricina, Salix discolor, Salix pedicellaris</i>, and <i>Vaccinium oxycoccos</i>. The moss layer is virtually continuous, and is dominated by <i>Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fuscum</i>, and <i>Sphagnum magellanicum</i>. Diagnostic features include the dominance of graminoids, particularly <i>Carex lasiocarpa</i>, the almost continuous layer of Sphagnum peat, and few minerotrophic indicators.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31174-{1EFC3F6E-AD7E-4FEC-8501-D067D0708C80}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
6
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