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G428 Bolboschoenus maritimus - Cladium mariscus - Cyperus laevigatus Freshwater Marsh Group
Type Concept Sentence: This freshwater marsh group occurs on the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and throughout the main islands as mostly small-patch areas in floodplain or basin topography dominated by native emergent herbaceous bulrushes, sedges and grasses, including Bolboschoenus maritimus, Cladium mariscus, Cyperus spp., and Schoenoplectus spp. Degraded stands may have introduced species present, such as Typha latifolia and Pluchea indica, but do not dominate.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Cosmopolitan Bulrush - Swamp Sawgrass - Smooth Flatsedge Freshwater Marsh Group
Colloquial Name: Hawaiian Freshwater Marsh
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: Freshwater marshes occur on the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and throughout the main islands as a mostly small-patch group confined to limited areas in floodplain or basin topography. Vegetation is dominated by native emergent herbaceous bulrushes, sedges and grasses, including Bolboschoenus maritimus, Cyperus spp., and Schoenoplectus spp. Forbs include Bacopa monnieri and Ludwigia octovalvis. Introduced species include Typha latifolia, Urochloa mutica, and the subshrub Pluchea indica. In a few locations known to formerly support bodies of water on Hawai`i (Waimanu Valley) and O`ahu (Kawai Nui marsh and at Ka`au Crater), marsh vegetation is dominated by Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense. This group interfaces with saline tidal marsh in windward estuaries, where species from both freshwater and saltwater marshes coexist. This group occupies estuaries, surrounds open bodies of water, occurs in former ponds, and sometimes along streams and springs. Water levels in freshwater marshes fluctuate seasonally, but they usually retain standing water most of the year. Soils range from silty clays to deep gley mucks to loams and sand over less permeable subsoils. This group serves as important habitat for endemic and migratory waterbirds.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This group does not include bogs where sphagnum moss develops as the substrate. This type may be historic. Known stands are largely converted to wetlands dominated by non-native species. Invasive species are a serious threat to all wetlands in Hawai`i.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Vegetation is dominated by emergent herbaceous plants.
Floristics: Vegetation is dominated by emergent herbaceous bulrushes, sedges and grasses, including Bolboschoenus maritimus, Cyperus spp., and Schoenoplectus spp. Forbs include Bacopa monnieri and Ludwigia octovalvis. Introduced species include Typha latifolia, Urochloa mutica (= Brachiaria mutica), and the subshrub Pluchea indica. In a few locations known to formerly support bodies of water on Hawai`i (Waimanu Valley) and O`ahu (Kawai Nui marsh and at Ka`au Crater), marsh vegetation is dominated by Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense (= Cladium jamaicense).
Dynamics: Nearly all occurrences have been cultivated in the past. Agricultural and exotic species pressures continue to degrade this group and diminish its ability to provide suitable habitat for wildlife.
Environmental Description: These freshwater marshes occur as a mostly small-patch group confined to limited areas in floodplain or basin topography. This group occupies estuaries, surrounds open bodies of water, occurs in former ponds, and sometimes along streams and springs. Climate: The climate is tropical with variable precipitation depending on where the stand occurs, ranging from arid to very wet (Zones 1-7) of the 7 Moisture Zones developed for the Hawaiian Islands by Price et al. (2007). Soil/substrate/hydrology: Water levels in freshwater marshes fluctuate seasonally, but they usually retain standing water most of the year. Soils range from silty clays to deep gley mucks to loams and sand over less permeable subsoils.
Geographic Range: Freshwater marshes occur on the northwestern Hawaiian Islands and throughout the main islands as a mostly small-patch group confined to limited areas in floodplain or basin topography.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: HI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860813
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.3 Tropical Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F030 | 2.C.3 |
| Division | 2.C.3.Ob Polynesian-Eastern Melanesian Freshwater Marsh Division | D019 | 2.C.3.Ob |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.3.Ob.2 Polynesian Freshwater Marsh Macrogroup | M042 | 2.C.3.Ob.2 |
| Group | 2.C.3.Ob.2.a Cosmopolitan Bulrush - Swamp Sawgrass - Smooth Flatsedge Freshwater Marsh Group | G428 | 2.C.3.Ob.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Coastal Wet Sedgeland (Gagne and Cuddihy 1990)
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Gagne, W. C., and L. W. Cuddihy. 1990. Vegetation. Pages 45-114 in: W. L. Wagner, D. R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer, editors. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii. 2 volumes. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu.
- Mueller-Dombois, D., and F. R. Fosberg. 1998. Vegetation of the tropical Pacific islands. Springer-Verlag, New York. 733 pp.
- Price, J. P., S. M. Gon, III, J. D. Jacobi, and D. Matsuwaki. 2007. Mapping plant species ranges in the Hawaiian Islands: Developing a methodology and associated GIS layers. Hawai''i Cooperative Studies Unit. Technical Report HCSU-008. Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC), University of Hawai''i, Hilo. 58 pp., includes 16 figures and 6 tables.
- Stemmermann, L. 1983. Ecological studies of Hawaiian Metrosideros in a successional context. Pacific Science 37:317-325.
- Wagner, W. L., D. R. Herbst, and S. H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Volumes 1 and 2. University of Hawaii Press and Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp.