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CEGL005279 Carex lasiocarpa - Carex oligosperma - (Lysimachia terrestris) / Sphagnum spp. Acidic Peatland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Woolly-fruit Sedge - Few-seed Sedge - (Swamp-candles) / Peatmoss species Acidic Peatland
Colloquial Name: Midwestern Graminoid Poor Fen
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This graminoid poor fen community is found in the central midwestern region of the United States and extreme southern Canada. Stands occur south of the Laurentian region, in ice block or kettle-hole depressions on sand plains and till plains. They almost always occur in basins that have small watersheds, which minimizes runoff from surrounding uplands. They can also occur in areas with sandy, nutrient-poor soils. The water surface is mildly acidic with moderately low available nutrient concentrations. The surface mat is generally flat. The vegetation is dominated by graminoids, with up to 25% shrub cover, and scattered trees. The dominant graminoid is typically Carex lasiocarpa, and common associates or codominants include Carex oligosperma, Carex utriculata, Carex haydenii, Eriophorum virginicum, and Scheuchzeria palustris. Forbs include Maianthemum trifolium and Sarracenia purpurea. In central-southern Wisconsin, characteristic forbs include Lysimachia terrestris and Hypericum kalmianum. The moss layer is virtually continuous, and is dominated by Sphagnum spp. (including Sphagnum recurvum). The low-shrub layer varies from open to more dense, and may contain Andromeda polifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Kalmia polifolia, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Vaccinium oxycoccos. Taller shrubs or small trees are scattered and may include Betula pumila, Larix laricina, Salix pedicellaris, and Spiraea tomentosa.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This graminoid poor fen type is a southern outlier of northern/boreal acidic peatlands, along with the Midwest leatherleaf kettle bog [see ~Chamaedaphne calyculata / Carex oligosperma - Eriophorum virginicum Acidic Peatland (CEGL005092)$$]. In parts of its range, the type may be thought of as a counterpart to, and is often associated with, the central tamarack poor swamps, ~Larix laricina / Aronia melanocarpa / Sphagnum spp. Swamp Forest (CEGL002472)$$. The one Iowa stand is not a good fit, but no suitable alternative exists.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is dominated by graminoids, with up to 25% shrub cover, and scattered trees. The dominant graminoid is typically Carex lasiocarpa, and common associates or codominants include Carex oligosperma, Carex utriculata, Carex haydenii, Eriophorum virginicum, and Scheuchzeria palustris. Forbs include Maianthemum trifolium and Sarracenia purpurea. In central Wisconsin, characteristic forbs include Lysimachia terrestris and Hypericum kalmianum. The moss layer is virtually continuous, and is dominated by Sphagnum spp. (including Sphagnum recurvum). The low-shrub layer varies from open to more dense, and may contain Andromeda polifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Kalmia polifolia, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Vaccinium oxycoccos. Taller shrubs or small trees are scattered and may include Betula pumila, Larix laricina, Salix pedicellaris and Spiraea tomentosa (White and Madany 1978, Wovcha et al. 1995, E. Epstein pers. comm. 1999).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands occur in ice block or kettle-hole depressions on sandplains and till plains. They almost always occur in basins that have small watersheds, which minimizes runoff from surrounding uplands. They can also occur in areas with sandy, nutrient-poor soils. The water surface is mildly acidic with moderately low available nutrient concentrations. The surface mat is generally flat (Wovcha et al. 1995).
Geographic Range: This graminoid poor fen community is found in localized areas of the central/upper midwestern region of the United States. The type ranges from central Wisconsin east across to southern Michigan, and locally from northeast Iowa to northern Illinois, but it is absent from southern Minnesota and northwest Iowa.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, IL, MI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684612
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass | S44 | 2.C |
| Formation | 2.C.2 Temperate to Polar Bog & Fen Formation | F016 | 2.C.2 |
| Division | 2.C.2.Na North American Bog & Fen Division | D029 | 2.C.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.2.Na.1 Leatherleaf - Small Cranberry - Few-seed Sedge Bog & Acidic Fen Macrogroup | M876 | 2.C.2.Na.1 |
| Group | 2.C.2.Na.1.a Leatherleaf - Few-seed Sedge - Bog Laurel Boreal Bog & Acidic Fen Group | G748 | 2.C.2.Na.1.a |
| Alliance | A4398 Leatherleaf / Woolly-fruit Sedge Poor Fen Alliance | A4398 | 2.C.2.Na.1.a |
| Association | CEGL005279 Woolly-fruit Sedge - Few-seed Sedge - (Swamp-candles) / Peatmoss species Acidic Peatland | CEGL005279 | 2.C.2.Na.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex lasiocarpa - Carex oligosperma - (Lysimachia terrestris) / Sphagnum spp. / Spiraea tomentosa Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Poor Fen Central Subtype]
- Anderson, D. M. 1996. The vegetation of Ohio: Two centuries of change. Draft. Ohio Biological Survey.
- Epstein, Eric. Personal communication. Community Ecologist, Wisconsin Natural Heritage Program, Madison, WI.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., editor. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. plus appendix (705 pp.).
- INAI [Iowa Natural Areas Inventory]. 2017. Vegetation classification of Iowa. Iowa Natural Areas Inventory, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines.
- Kost, M. A., D. A. Albert, J. G. Cohen, B. S. Slaughter, R. K. Schillo, C. R. Weber, and K. A. Chapman. 2007. Natural communities of Michigan: Classification and description. Report No. 2007-21, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing. 314 pp. [http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/reports/2007-21_Natural_Communites_of_Michigan_Classification_and_Description.pdf]
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- WDNR [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]. 2015. The ecological landscapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management. PUB-SS-1131 2015. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. [http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/Book.html]
- White, J., and M. Madany. 1978. Classification of natural communities in Illinois. Pages 311-405 in: Natural Areas Inventory technical report: Volume I, survey methods and results. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana, IL.
- Wovcha, D. S., B. C. Delaney, and G. Nordquist. 1995. Minnesota''s St. Croix Valley and Anoka Sandplain: A guide to native habitats. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 234 pp.