Mucky Peat Bottom

Description

These sites can either be cedar swamps or cedar bog woodlands.

Cedar swamps are closed-canopy forests in enriched peatland basins in the Northern Maine. They typically occur in small forested basins, or along lakes or streams, but may rarely occur in the enriched portions of larger peatlands where there is an influence of minerotrophic groundwater. They often occur in areas of calcareous or at least circumneutral bedrock. The soils are organic and range widely in depth of the peat. Canopy closure ranges from somewhat open to closed, and the forest floor is typically dark and cool. Shrub and herb coverage may be sparse to locally dense, with increased cover in canopy gaps. The herb layer is often diverse and scattered thinly over the abundant Bryophytes that form a mossy carpet.

Northern white-cedar bog woodlands of basin peatlands are open canopy forests in Northern Maine. They occur on shallow to deep peat in depressional wetlands in glacial till. Canopy is usually under 60% closure which allows for the development of fairly extensive dwarf-shrub and/or herbaceous layers.

Characteristics and indicators

They often occur in areas of calcareous or at least circumneutral bedrock. The soils are organic and range widely in depth of the peat. Thuja occidentalis is the canopy dominant.

Dominant plant species

1. arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), tree

2. black spruce (Picea mariana), tree

3. balsam fir (Abies balsamea), tree

4. red maple (Acer rubrum), tree

5. tamarack (Larix laricina), tree

6. eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), tree

7. American fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis), shrub

8. common winterberry (Ilex verticillata), shrub

9. highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), shrub

10. catberry (Ilex mucronata), shrub

11. gray alder (Alnus incana), shrub

12. possumhaw (Viburnum nudum), shrub

13. lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), shrub

14. sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia), shrub

15. black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), shrub

16. threeseeded sedge (Carex trisperma), grass

17. upright sedge (Carex stricta), grass

18. bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis), grass

19. softleaf sedge (Carex disperma), grass

20. bristlystalked sedge (Carex leptalea), grass

21. longstalk sedge (Carex pedunculata), grass

22. threeleaf false lily of the valley (Maianthemum trifolium), grass

23. cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), grass

24. threeleaf goldthread (Coptis trifolia), grass

25. sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), grass

26. royal fern (Osmunda regalis), grass

27. creeping snowberry (Gaultheria hispidula), grass

28. twinflower (Linnaea borealis), grass

29. naked miterwort (Mitella nuda), grass

30. twoleaf miterwort (Mitella diphylla), grass

31. heartleaf foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), grass

32. sidebells wintergreen (Orthilia secunda), grass

33. common sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), grass

34. western oakfern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris), grass

35. long beechfern (Phegopteris connectilis), grass

36. American golden saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum), grass

37. single delight (Moneses uniflora), grass

38. bunchberry dogwood (Cornus canadensis), grass

Submodel

Description

Shifts in ecological site composition, functionality, and dynamics driven by natural disturbances, processes, and pressures (may have some anthropogenic influences). More research is needed to determine the extent of the Semi-natural state associated with this ecological site.

Submodel

Description

Shifts in ecological site composition, functionality, and dynamics that are primary driven by anthropogenic disturbances and pressures (may have some associated natural influences). More research is needed to determine the extent of the cultural state associated with this ecological site.

Submodel