Name:
Betula pumila - Alnus incana - Salix spp. / Chamaedaphne calyculata Fen
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This bog birch - willow shore fen is found in the northern regions of the midwestern and possibly northeastern United States and in central Canada. Stands occur most commonly along the minerotrophic margins of confined basin peatlands, associated with peatland lakeshore complexes or on "lagg" zones at edges of peatlands where periodic exposure to flooding occurs from groundwater runoff. The substrate is deep fibric to mesic peat. The water regime is saturated to seasonally flooded. Hummock-and-hollow microtopography is well-developed. The shrub layer of this type is dominated by <i>Betula pumila var. glandulifera</i>, with <i>Alnus incana</i> and <i>Salix</i> spp. as codominants (including <i>Salix pyrifolia, Salix planifolia, Salix pedicellaris</i>, and <i>Salix petiolaris</i>). Other less constant tall shrubs include <i>Cornus sericea</i> and <i>Rhamnus alnifolia</i>. Shrubs are typically 1.5-3 m tall and coverage ranges from 30-80%. <i>Chamaedaphne calyculata</i> dominates the dwarf-shrub layer, with lesser amounts of <i>Ledum groenlandicum, Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla, Kalmia polifolia, Rubus arcticus ssp. acaulis, Rubus idaeus</i>, and <i>Rubus pubescens</i>. Cover of these dwarf-shrubs is typically 60-90%. Often being shaded out by this dense dwarf-shrub layer, the cover of herbaceous plants is variable (20-60%). The most abundant species are <i>Carex lacustris, Carex leptalea, Carex rostrata, Carex trisperma, Maianthemum trifolium</i>, and <i>Comarum palustre</i>. <i>Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex chordorrhiza, Carex lasiocarpa, Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum</i>, and <i>Viola</i> spp. are also common at low density. The nonvascular stratum in northern Minnesota is dominated by <i>Sphagnum magellanicum, Sphagnum angustifolium, Sphagnum centrale, Sphagnum girgensohnii</i>, and <i>Sphagnum fallax</i>. These species typically comprise 90-100% cover.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:33990-{4B27BCD5-9BDD-4D24-8125-203CF3AF5C0E}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
4
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