Print Report

CEGL003369 Carex lyngbyei Salt Marsh

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Lyngbye''s Sedge Salt Marsh

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This community type occurs along the lower Columbia River, Washington, as far upriver as Fisher Island near Longview. It occurs on floodplains subject to daily freshwater tidal inundation and is typically laced with sinuous tidal creeks. The substrate is mud. This is a heterogeneous community type dominated by Carex lyngbyei. It forms narrow bands or extensive marsh flats. In some places examples of this community type have been degraded by grazing and invasion of Phalaris arundinacea, but in most cases it appears to be below the line of Phalaris arundinacea invasion. Additional species include Bidens cernua, Boltonia asteroides, Caltha palustris, Deschampsia cespitosa, Eleocharis palustris, Equisetum fluviatile, Juncus oxymeris, Sagittaria latifolia, Sium suave, and Typha angustifolia.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: With further study this community type from Washington may be split into separate Carex lyngbyei- and Bidens cernua-dominated community types. This community type is most similar to the Carex lyngbyei community type which occurs in the surge plain in southwestern Washington and is distinct from the Carex lyngbyei community type that occurs in salt marshes. Christy (1993) listed several references for a freshwater tidal Carex lyngbyei community.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This is a heterogeneous community type dominated by Carex lyngbyei. It forms narrow bands or extensive marsh flats. In some places examples of this community type have been degraded by grazing and invasion of Phalaris arundinacea, but in most cases it appears to be below the line of Phalaris arundinacea invasion. Additional species include Bidens cernua, Boltonia asteroides, Caltha palustris (= Caltha asarifolia), Deschampsia cespitosa, Eleocharis palustris, Equisetum fluviatile, Juncus oxymeris, Sagittaria latifolia, Sium suave, and Typha angustifolia.

Dynamics:  No Data Available

Environmental Description:  This community type occurs on floodplains subject to daily freshwater tidal inundation and is typically laced with sinuous tidal creeks. The substrate is mud.

Geographic Range: This community type occurs along the lower Columbia River, Washington, as far upriver as Fisher Island near Longview.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AK, BC, OR, WA




Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: = Carex lyngbyaei (Viereck et al. 1992) [Batten et al. 1978, Craighead et al. 1988, Crow 1968, 1977, Crow and Koppen 1977, del Moral and Watson 1978, any many other references listed.]
= Carex lyngbyaei community type (Kunze 1994) [(p. 54, 96)]
= Carex lyngbyei (MacKenzie and Moran 2004)

Concept Author(s): L.M. Kunze (1994)

Author of Description: L.M. Kunze

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-04-16

  • Batten, A. R., S. Murphy, and D. F. Murray. 1978. Definition of Alaskan coastal wetlands by floristic criteria. EPA804965-01. Envrionmental Protection Aency, Environmental Research Lab, Corvallis, OR. 490 pp.
  • Boggs, K. 2000. Classification of community types, successional sequences and landscapes of the Copper River Delta, Alaska. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-469. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. March 2000. 244 pp.
  • Craighead, J. J., F. L. Craighead, D. J. Craighead, and R. L. Redmond. 1988. Mapping arctic vegetation in northwest Alaska using Landsat MSS Imagery. National Geographic Research 4(4):496-527.
  • Crow, J. H. 1968. Plant ecology of the Copper River Delta, Alaska. Ph.D. thesis, Washington State University, Pullman. 120 pp.
  • Crow, J. H. 1977. Salt marshes of Port Valdez, Alaska, and vicinity: A baseline study. Final report. Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. 113 pp.
  • Crow, J. H., and J. D. Koppen. 1977. The salt marshes of China Poot Bay, Alaska. Volume 10: Environmental studies of Kachemak Bay and lower Cook Inlet. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Anchorage. 29 pp.
  • Dethier, M. N. 1990. A marine and estuarine habitat classification system for Washington State. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA. 56 pp.
  • Flagstad, L., and T. Boucher. 2013. Landcover classes: Sitka National Historical Park. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SITK/NRTR--2013/773. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 100 pp.
  • Frenkel, R. E., T. R. Boss, and S. R. Schuller. 1978. Transition zone vegetation between intertidal marsh and upland in Oregon and Washington. Grant R804963-01. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR. 320 pp.
  • Frenkel, R. E., and H. P. Eilers. 1976. Tidal datums and characteristics of coastal marshes in selected Oregon estuaries. Final report on a pilot study conducted for E.P.A. Department of Geography, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 93 pp.
  • Kagan, J. S., E. M. Nielsen, M. D. Noone, J. C. van Warmerdam, L. K. Wise, G. Kittel, and C. Copass. 2012. Lewis and Clark National Historic Park vegetation classification and mapping project report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCCN/NRR--2012/597. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
  • Kunze, L. M. 1994. Preliminary classification of native, low elevation, freshwater wetland vegetation in western Washington. Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program. 120 pp.
  • MacKenzie, W. H., and J. R. Moran. 2004. Wetlands of British Columbia: A guide to identification. Land Management Handbook No. 52. Research Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Lands, Victoria, BC. 287 pp.
  • Taylor, A. H. 1980. Plant communities and elevation in the diked portion of Joe Ney Slough: A baseline assessment of a marsh restoration project in Coos Bay, Oregon. M.S. thesis. Oregon State University, Corvallis. 105 pp.
  • Taylor, A. H., and R. E. Frenkel. 1979. Ecological inventory of Joe Ney Slough marsh restoration site. Part 2. Tideland mitigation requirements in the Oregon estuarine resources planning goal: a study of the proposed North Bend, Oregon airport extension. Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. 123 pp.
  • Thomas, D. W. 1980. Study of the intertidal vegetation of the Columbia River estuary, July-September 1980. Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force, Astoria, OR. 22 pp.
  • Viereck, L. A., C. T. Dyrness, A. R. Batten, and K. J. Wenzlick. 1992. The Alaska vegetation classification. General Technical Report PNW-GTR286. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. 278 pp.
  • WNHP [Washington Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data files. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.
  • del Moral, R., and A. F. Watson. 1978. Vegetation on the Stikine Flats, southeast Alaska. Northwest Science 52(2):137-150.