Print Report

CEGL000230 Carex cusickii Fen

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Cusick''s Sedge Fen

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This is a minor association throughout its range of the northern Rocky Mountains of Washington and Idaho, and the Blue Mountains of Oregon. It appears within mid to lower montane coniferous forests at 823-1616 m (2700-5300 feet) elevation in narrow to broad, 1-5% gradient valleys. This is a hummocky fen community usually associated with the accumulating margins of old beaver ponds or with fens in wet basins and springs. It can be found growing over stumps and logs, which contributes to the very hummocky appearance and standing water between the hummocks. Soils are organic and remain wet high in the soil profile through the growing season. This fen association is dominated by Carex cusickii with very few other species. Carex utriculata, Polemonium occidentale, Comarum palustre, and Glyceria striata are the most commonly associated species, although they are usually obscured by Carex cusickii. Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia is a constant but sparsely appearing companion shrub in this community.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The Carex cusickii communities reported by Crowe and Clausnitzer (1997), Kovalchik (2001) and Jankovsky-Jones (1997a) are highly variable and are held together in this association only by the dominance of Carex cusickii. Carex utriculata is the most constant sedge in both USFS publications (11 of 16 plots). Species of Sphagnum are not mentioned in these interior Pacific Northwest studies. This association is not the ~Carex cusickii - (Menyanthes trifoliata) Fen (CEGL003332)$$ found in the coastal Willamette Valley-Puget Trough-Frasier region. Sphagnum species are important in the more coastal type.

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

Floristics: This fen association is dominated by Carex cusickii with very few other species. Carex utriculata, Polemonium occidentale, Comarum palustre, and Glyceria striata (= Glyceria elata) are the most commonly associated species, although they are usually obscured by Carex cusickii. Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia is a constant but sparsely appearing companion shrub in this community. The invasive and exotic species Phalaris arundinacea and Ranunculus repens degrade the condition of occurrences.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  No Data Available
Geographic Range: This association is currently known from the northern Rockies of Washington and Idaho and in the Blue Mountains of Oregon and Washington. It is likely to occur in adjacent British Columbia. In northeast Washington and adjacent Idaho, it is restricted to the Selkirk Mountains. It is found at moderate elevations throughout the Blue Mountains in Oregon.

Nations: CA?,US

States/Provinces:  BC?, CA?, ID, OR, WA


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3

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.c Bellardi Bog Sedge - Buxbaum''s Sedge Alkaline Fen Group G516 2.C.2.Na.2.c
Alliance A3435 Mud Sedge - Buxbaum''s Sedge - Seaside Arrow-grass Alkaline Graminoid Fen Alliance A3435 2.C.2.Na.2.c
Association CEGL000230 Cusick''s Sedge Fen CEGL000230 2.C.2.Na.2.c
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Carex cusickii (Murray 2000)
= Carex cusickii (Crowe and Clausnitzer 1997)
= Carex cusickii (McCain and Christy 2005) [3 plots]
= Carex cusickii Association (Christy 2004)
= Carex cusickii Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
= Cusick''s sedge (CACU2) Association (Kovalchik and Clausnitzer 2004)
Concept Author(s): R.C. Crawford

Author of Description: R.C. Crawford

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 10-17-02
  • Christy, J. A. 2004. Native freshwater wetland plant associations of northwestern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Oregon State University, Portland, OR.
  • Crowe, E. A., B. L. Kovalchik, and M. J. Kerr. 2004. Riparian and wetland vegetation of central and eastern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University, Portland. 473 pp. [http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/ publications.html]
  • Crowe, E. A., and R. R. Clausnitzer. 1997. Mid-montane wetland plant associations of the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman national forests. Technical Paper R6-NR-ECOL-TP-22-97. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR.
  • IDCDC [Idaho Conservation Data Center]. 2005. Wetland and riparian plant associations in Idaho. Idaho Conservation Data Center, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise. [http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/tech/CDC/ecology/wetland_riparian_assoc.cfm] (accessed 14 June 2005).
  • IDCDC [Idaho Conservation Data Center]. No date. Unpublished data on file at Idaho Conservation Data Center, Department of Fish and Game, Boise, ID.
  • Jankovsky-Jones, M. 1997a. Conservation strategy for southeastern Idaho wetlands. Unpublished report on file at Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID. 39 pp. plus appendices.
  • Jankovsky-Jones, M., S. K. Rust, and R. K. Moseley. 1999. Riparian reference areas in Idaho: A catalog of plant associations and conservation sites. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-20. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ogden, UT. 141 pp.
  • 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.
  • Kovalchik, B. L. 1993. Riparian plant associations on the national forests of eastern Washington - Draft version 1. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest, Colville, WA. 203 pp.
  • Kovalchik, B. L. 2001. Classification and management of aquatic, riparian and wetland sites on the national forests of eastern Washington. Part 1: The series descriptions. 429 pp. plus appendix. [http://www.reo.gov/col/wetland_classification/wetland_classification.pdf]
  • Kovalchik, B. L., and R. R. Clausnitzer. 2004. Classification and management of aquatic, riparian, and wetland sites on the national forests of eastern Washington: Series description. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-593. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. In cooperation with Pacific Northwest Region, Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee national forests. 354 pp.
  • McCain, C., and J. A. Christy. 2005. Field guide to riparian plant communities in northwestern Oregon. Technical Paper R6-NR-ECOL-TP-01-05. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland. 357 pp.
  • Murray, M. P. 2000. Wetland plant associations of the western hemlock zone in the central coastal and westslope Cascade Mountains. Unpublished report, Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland, OR. 82 pp. [http://www.natureserve.org/nhp/us/or/nw_or_wetlands.pdf]
  • Titus, J. H., M. Kerr, E. Crowe, and B. Kovalchik. 1998. Riparian zones of eastern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland.
  • 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.