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CEGL002382 Zizania (aquatica, palustris) Marsh

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: (Annual Wild Rice, Northern Wild Rice) Marsh

Colloquial Name: Wild Rice Marsh

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This wild rice marsh community is found in the upper midwestern United States and adjacent Canada. Stands are found in deeper, sheltered waters of slow-moving streams, protected bays, and flowage lakes, particularly at stream mouths. Water depths generally exceed 0.5 m. Substrate is rich sedimentary peat, or mucky, silty soils. A thick mat of rice stalks often covers the bottom. The marsh is dominated almost entirely by the tall emergent graminoids Zizania aquatica or Zizania palustris. Floating-leaved and submerged aquatic cover can be high, but species composition is variable. Species include Ceratophyllum demersum, Nuphar variegata, Potamogeton natans, Potamogeton zosteriformis, Spirodela polyrrhiza, Utricularia macrorhiza, and others.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Taxonomy of wild rice is somewhat indeterminate. Zizania aquatica may be more common in southern stands and Zizania palustris in more northern stands. Stands of this type may have cultural origins, as wild rice was an important food source for Native Americans (Voss 1972). In northeastern Minnesota and Wisconsin, commercial operators and agency wildlife managers may establish stands by seeding directly into natural open-water marsh systems (C. Anderson pers. comm. 1998, E. Epstein pers. comm. 1999). These Zizania species are actually annual grasses, so technically they should be placed in a "Permanently flooded temperate annual grassland," but they are left with their other perennial associates for clarity.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This marsh is dominated almost entirely by the tall emergent graminoids Zizania aquatica or Zizania palustris. Floating-leaved and submerged aquatic cover can be high, but species composition is variable. Species include Ceratophyllum demersum, Nuphar variegata (= Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata), Potamogeton natans, Potamogeton zosteriformis, Spirodela polyrrhiza, Utricularia macrorhiza (= Utricularia vulgaris), and others (Harris et al. 1996).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Stands are found in deeper, sheltered waters of slow-moving streams, protected bays, and flowage lakes, particularly at stream mouths. Water depths generally exceed 0.5 m. Substrate is rich sedimentary peat, or mucky, silty soils. A thick mat of rice stalks often covers the bottom (Voss 1972, Harris et al. 1996).
Geographic Range: This wild rice marsh community is found in the upper midwestern and northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ranging from Vermont and New York to Minnesota and Manitoba, south to Iowa and Indiana.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  IA, IN, MB?, MI, MN, NY, ON, VT, WI


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.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D323 2.C.4.Nd
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nd.2 Broadleaf Cattail - White Snakeroot - Rush species Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M069 2.C.4.Nd.2
Group 2.C.4.Nd.2.a Bulrush species - Cattail species Freshwater Marsh Group G125 2.C.4.Nd.2.a
Alliance A1441 Annual Wild Rice - Northern Wild Rice Marsh Alliance A1441 2.C.4.Nd.2.a
Association CEGL002382 (Annual Wild Rice, Northern Wild Rice) Marsh CEGL002382 2.C.4.Nd.2.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Zizania (aquatica, palustris) Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Deep Marsh Wild Rice Subtype]
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 11-20-98
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