Name:
Carex (oligosperma, exilis) - Chamaedaphne calyculata Shrub Acidic Peatland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
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. <i>Chamaedaphne calyculata</i> and <i>Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla</i> are the most typical dwarf-shrubs, and are often overtopped by the sedges. Other shrubs include <i>Kalmia polifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Myrica gale, Ilex mucronata, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium macrocarpon</i>, and (occasionally, northward) <i>Betula pumila</i>. Graminoid species include <i>Carex oligosperma, Carex exilis, Carex michauxiana, Carex utriculata, Carex chordorrhiza, Eriophorum</i> spp. (most typically <i>Eriophorum angustifolium</i>), <i>Rhynchospora alba, Trichophorum cespitosum</i>, and <i>Scheuchzeria palustris</i>. Other herbaceous associates include <i>Solidago nemoralis, Oclemena nemoralis, Drosera intermedia, Drosera rotundifolia, Pogonia ophioglossoides</i>, and <i>Maianthemum trifolium</i>. The bryophyte layer is characterized by a mixture of species, with characteristic peatmosses including <i>Sphagnum angustifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum magellanicum, Sphagnum papillosum, Sphagnum pulchrum, Sphagnum recurvum</i>, and <i>Sphagnum rubellum</i>. This association is differentiated from ~<i>Chamaedaphne calyculata / Eriophorum virginicum / Sphagnum rubellum</i> Acidic Peatland (CEGL006513)$$, which can be floristically similar, by the increased cover of sedges and decreased cover of shrubs.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35154-{79E9C4AC-9198-40D8-8147-2743A6073A68}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
3
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