Print Report
CEGL005241 Carex stricta - Valeriana edulis - Parnassia palustris Fen
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Upright Sedge - Tobacco-root - Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus Fen
Colloquial Name: Upright Sedge Prairie Fen
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This prairie upright sedge fen is found on seepage slopes in the prairie region of the central midwestern United States (centered in eastern Iowa). Stands are typically situated partially upslope, where groundwater seeps out of the hillside. Stands generally occur on accumulated peat. Soils are organic, and soil pH is typically neutral to slightly acidic (6.5-7.0) and never very alkaline. The vegetation is dominated by Carex stricta, a tussock-forming sedge that creates a hummock-hollow microtopography, and Eutrochium maculatum. Other common associates include Asclepias incarnata, Symphyotrichum puniceum, Doellingeria umbellata, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex spp. (including Carex interior and Carex prairea), Eupatorium perfoliatum, Helianthus grosseserratus, Helenium autumnale, Lobelia siphilitica, Pedicularis lanceolata, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Schoenoplectus acutus, and Viola nephrophylla. Common shrubs include Salix x bebbii and Salix discolor. Herbaceous species unique or more common to this type in eastern Iowa as compared to other types in western Iowa include (with constancy >20%) Chelone glabra, Fragaria virginiana, Gentiana andrewsii, Geum aleppicum, Lythrum alatum, Onoclea sensibilis, Oxypolis rigidior, Phlox maculata, Saxifraga pensylvanica, Oligoneuron riddellii, and Thelypteris palustris. Shrubs include Cornus amomum, Salix candida, and Spiraea alba. Fen indicators, with variable constancy (and some rare), include Eriophorum angustifolium, Liparis loeselii, Muhlenbergia glomerata, Parnassia glauca, Parnassia palustris, Rhynchospora capillacea, Triglochin palustris, and Valeriana edulis.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type has been described for eastern Iowa. Stands in western Iowa (~Carex prairea - Schoenoplectus pungens - Rhynchospora capillacea Fen (CEGL002267)$$) have an 80% overlap in floristics with eastern stands. The rangewide distribution of this type needs review, as Wisconsin generally treats these stands as part of the Carex stricta meadows, namely ~Carex stricta - Carex spp. Wet Meadow (CEGL002258)$$ (Eric Epstein pers. comm. 1999), and Minnesota includes this with other calcareous seepage fens [see ~Dasiphora fruticosa / Carex sterilis - Andropogon gerardii - Arnoglossum plantagineum Fen (CEGL005139)$$]. Species listed as indicators of eastern Iowa fens is still preliminary, and a wider analysis may alter these patterns [see Carpenter (1990), in Pearson and Leoschke (1992)]. The type is not as alkaline or diverse as prairie rich fens, such as ~Dasiphora fruticosa / Carex sterilis - Andropogon gerardii - Arnoglossum plantagineum Fen (CEGL005139)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is dominated by Carex stricta, a tussock-forming sedge that creates a hummock-hollow microtopography, and Eutrochium maculatum (= Eupatorium maculatum). Other common associates include Asclepias incarnata, Symphyotrichum puniceum (= Aster puniceus), Doellingeria umbellata (= Aster umbellatus), Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex spp. (including Carex interior and Carex prairea), Eupatorium perfoliatum, Helianthus grosseserratus, Helenium autumnale, Lobelia siphilitica, Pedicularis lanceolata, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Schoenoplectus acutus (= Scirpus acutus), and Viola nephrophylla. Common shrubs include Salix x bebbii and Salix discolor (Pearson and Leoschke 1992). Herbaceous species unique or more common to eastern Iowa fens as compared to western Iowa fens include (with constancy >20%) Chelone glabra, Fragaria virginiana, Gentiana andrewsii, Geum aleppicum, Lythrum alatum, Onoclea sensibilis, Oxypolis rigidior, Phlox maculata, Saxifraga pensylvanica, Oligoneuron riddellii (= Solidago riddellii), and Thelypteris palustris. Shrubs include Cornus amomum, Salix candida, and Spiraea alba. Fen indicators, with variable constancy (and some rare), include Eriophorum angustifolium, Liparis loeselii, Muhlenbergia glomerata, Parnassia glauca, Rhynchospora capillacea, Triglochin palustris, and Valeriana edulis. Prairie species include, among others, Triadenum fraseri and Veronicastrum virginicum. Western Iowa fens tend to have more Schoenoplectus pungens (= Scirpus pungens) and Lobelia kalmii (Pearson and Leoschke 1992).
Dynamics: Carex stricta may respond well to a fluctuating water table (Pearson and Leoschke 1992), unlike other fen species that are more dependent on saturated conditions. Selected grazing of palatable grasses and forbs tends to increase the relative abundance of Carex stricta and Helianthus grosseserratus. It may also increase Doellingeria umbellata, Eutrochium maculatum, and Eupatorium perfoliatum. Trampling may also increase the hummocks, as the hollows get compacted.
Environmental Description: Stands are typically situated partially upslope, where groundwater seeps out of the hillside. Stands generally occur on accumulated peat. Soils are organic, and soil pH is typically neutral to slightly acidic (6.5-7.0) and never very alkaline. Stands typically do not have a sedge mat zone, suggesting that mineral substrates extend throughout the whole fen. This is a reflection of their small size (<2 ha) and perhaps a fluctuating water table (Pearson and Leoschke 1992).
Geographic Range: This prairie tussock sedge fen is found in the prairie region of the central midwestern United States on seepage slopes, particularly in eastern Iowa, but also in adjacent states such as Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, MN, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686204
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
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.2 Shrubby cinquefoil - Woolly-fruit Sedge / Star Campylium Moss Alkaline Fen Macrogroup | M877 | 2.C.2.Na.2 |
| Group | 2.C.2.Na.2.b Shrubby-cinquefoil / Dioecious Sedge - Smooth Sawgrass Alkaline Fen Group | G183 | 2.C.2.Na.2.b |
| Alliance | A3704 Shrubby-cinquefoil / Riddell''s Goldenrod - Big Bluestem Graminoid Fen Alliance | A3704 | 2.C.2.Na.2.b |
| Association | CEGL005241 Upright Sedge - Tobacco-root - Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus Fen | CEGL005241 | 2.C.2.Na.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex stricta - Valeriana edulis - Parnassia palustris Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Sedge Meadow Fen Subtype]
- Carpenter, Q. J. 1990. Hydrology and vegetation on a calcareous peat mound fen in southeastern Wisconsin. M.S. thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 112 pp.
- 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.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2003-2005a. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota. Three volumes: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province (2003), The Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province (2005c), The Prairie Parkland and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces (2005b). Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2005b. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota: The Prairie Parkland and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces. Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Pearson, J. A., and M. J. Leoschke. 1992. Floristic composition and conservation status of fens in Iowa. Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science 99(2-3):41-52.
- 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]