Rich conifer swamp - PDF document

Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944 Phone: 517-373-1552 Rich Conifer Swamp, Page 2 Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944 Phone: 517-373-1552 Rich Conifer Swamp, Page 3 VLJQL¿FDQWSURSRUWLRQRIQRUWKHUQZKLWHFHGDURFFX - FHGDUGRPLQDWHGZHWODQGVLQ0LFKLJDQUDQJHIURP 0,5,67KHODUJHGLVFUHSDQF\EHWZHHQWKHWZR FODVVRIORZODQGFRQLIHUZKLFKLVHVWLPDWHGDWRYHU KHFWDUHVPLOOLRQDFUHV$WSUHVHQWLWLV - UDOO\UHJHQHUDWHGLQWKHHDUO\VZKHQWKHUHJLRQ¶V Odocoileus virginianus ZDVPXFKVPDOOHUWKDQDWSUHVHQW9DQ'HHOHQHWDO FRQYHUWHGWRGLIIHUHQWZHWODQGW\SHVVXFKKDUGZRRG sedge meadow, fen, or bog. - EHUVVKLQJOHVDQGVLGLQJ+RYHU7RGD\GHPDQG SLOLQJVDQGVSHFLDOW\SURGXFWV*URVVPDQDQG3RWWHU Witter 1990). - VKRHKDUH9HUPH'RHSNHUDQG2]RJD,Q 0LFKLJDQ¶V8SSHU3HQLQVXODPRUHWKDQHLJKW\VSHFLHV Landscape and Abiotic Context: Rich conifer swamp - groundwater seeps occur at the bases of moraines. Rich DQGFROGJURXQGZDWHUIHGVWUHDPV,WDOVRRFFXUVDORQJ - ZRRGHGGXQHDQGVZDOHFRPSOH[7KHVRLOVDUHFRP - PD\YDU\VLJQL¿FDQWO\LQGHSWKRIRUJDQLFPDWWHU7KH RUJDQLFVRLOVDUHW\SLFDOO\QHXWUDOWRPRGHUDWHO\DONDOLQH VSKDJQXPPRVVGRPLQDWHVWKHJURXQGOD\HU - FLHVZKLFKLQVXODWHWKHRUJDQLFVRLOV$WQLJKWFROGDLU RQSODQWV7KLVFRQVWDQWVRXUFHRIQRFWXUQDOPRLVWXUH KHOSVVXVWDLQWKHFRPPXQLW\¶VDEXQGDQWOLFKHQDQG EU\RSK\WHÀRUD&XUWLV7KHFROGDLUGUDLQDJH freezing throughout the growing season (Curtis 1959). RU-XO\EXWLQWKHIDOOVRLOVUHPDLQXQIUR]HQXQWLODIWHU XQWLO)HEUXDU\&XUWLV7KXVULFKFRQLIHUVZDPS KDVDVKRUWHUFRROHUDQGPRUHKXPLGJURZLQJVHDVRQ Natural Processes: - - WHUWKURXJKWKHRUJDQLFVRLOV&KULVWHQVHQHWDO (1981) determined that rich conifer swamps in northern 3 , 129 - 167 mg· L -1 28.1 to 50.0 mg· L -1 ), and magnesium (Mg, 10.5 - 13.1 mg· L -1 ) in comparison to bogs (i.e., ombrotrophic ODWHVXPPHUDQGIDOO:KLOHULFKFRQLIHUVZDPSRFFXUV - UHVSRQVHWRVHDVRQDOZDWHUOHYHOÀXFWXDWLRQV7KHURRWV Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944 Phone: 517-373-1552 Rich Conifer Swamp, Page 4 KXPPRFNVZKLOHLQVXPPHUDQGIDOOH[SRVHGRUJDQLF - - Fire may spread through the community during exten - LQVRPHLQVWDQFHVUHPRYLQJWKHXSSHUOD\HUVRIRUJDQLF VRLO&XUWLV+RZHYHU¿UHFDQDOVRSOD\DUROHLQ WKHFRPPXQLW\¶VHVWDEOLVKPHQW,Q:LVFRQVLQVHYHUDO cedar swamps are thought to have originated when RQEXUQHGRYHURUJDQLFVRLOV&XUWLV,QRWKHU - WKHORJJLQJHUD9HUPHDQG-RKQVWRQ3UHJLWL]HU 9DQ'HHOHQHWDO Because of the anaerobic conditions associated with a KLJKZDWHUWDEOHDQGRUJDQLFVRLOVWUHHVJURZLQJLQULFK FRQLIHUVZDPSDUHVKDOORZO\URRWHG7KXVZLQGWKURZ FRDUVHZRRG\GHEULVDOOFRQWULEXWHWRWKHFRPPXQLW\¶V FRPSOH[VWUXFWXUHDQGPLFURWRSRJUDK\7KHWLSSLQJ :LQGWKURZPD\DOVRIDFLOLWDWHUHJHQHUDWLRQRIQRUWKHUQ URRWVDWERWKLWVEDVHDQGEUDQFKHV:KHQDOLYLQJQRUWK - V\VWHPW\SLFDOO\UHPDLQVLQWDFWDQGQHZDGYHQWLWLRXV ZLWKWKHJURXQG$VWKHQHZURRWV\VWHPWDNHVKROGWKH XSZDUGIDFLQJODWHUDOEUDQFKHVEHJLQWRJURZHYHQWX - DGGLWLRQLWVORZHUEUDQFKHVPD\IRUPDGYHQWLWLRXVURRWV VSKDJQXPPRVVHYHQWXDOO\IRUPLQJQHZLQGHSHQGHQW - - - abundant in some swamps, vegetative propagation (e.g., white cedar require constant moisture and can suc - RUJDQLFVRLO&XUWLV+ROFRPEH+RZHYHU - - PHQWKDVDOVREHHQREVHUYHGIROORZLQJ¿UHRQRUJDQLF VRLO&XUWLV9HUPHDQG-RKQVWRQ Photo by Michael A. Kost )ROORZLQJZLQGWKURZWKHODWHUDOEUDQFKHVRIQRUWKHUQZKLWH Michigan Natural Features Inventory P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944 Phone: 517-373-1552 Rich Conifer Swamp, Page 5 VORZO\FRORQL]LQJRSHQZDWHU&XUWLV7DPDUDFN FDSDFLW\LVVOLJKWO\UHGXFHG7KHSRRUFRQLIHUVZDPSV - WHVWRIRUJDQLFVRLOVLWHV$VWKHSHDWFRQWLQXHVWRVHWWOH - KROGLQJFDSDFLW\RIWKHRUJDQLFVRLOVDOORZVKDUGZRRGV Fraxinus nigra ) is one of the Acer rubrum Betula alleghaniensis dominance (Curtis 1959). 2EVHUYDWLRQVRIVXFFHVVLRQDOSDWWHUQVLQ:LVFRQVLQ indicate that many cedar swamps formed on sites that - &RQYHUVHO\LQQRUWKHUQ/RZHU0LFKLJDQZKHUHWKH KLJKLQDONDOLQLW\PRVWQRUWKHUQZKLWHFHGDUGRPLQDWHG - swamp (Schwintzer 1981). Vegetation Description: swamp is shaped by northern white cedar, the dominant WUHHPDQGRIWHQIRUPVDGHQVHORZFDQRS\ZKLFK 1959). Because windthrow is very common, portions of OHDQLQJDQGPLVVKDSHQQRUWKHUQZKLWHFHGDU7KH RUJDQLFVRLORUFDUSHWVRIPRVV In addition to northern white cedar, other common Abies balsamea ), Picea alba ), hem - Tsuga canadensis ), white pine ( Pinus strobus ), Betula papyrifera $PHULFDQHOP Ulmus americana aspen ( Populus tremuloides Popu - lus balsamifera ). ZLQGIDOOV7DOOVKUXEVSHFLHVRFFXUULQJLQULFKFRQLIHU Alnus rugosa ), winterberry ( Ilex verticillata Nemopanthus mucrona - tus ), red-osier dogwood ( Cornus stolonifera ( Sambucus canadensis Sambucus racemosa Gaylussacia baccata ), au - Salix serissima ) and Canada yew ( Taxus canadensis 3UHVHWWOHPHQWDFFRXQWVRIWKHFRPPXQLW\¶V KHUELYRU\E\GHHU9DQ'HHOHQHWDO%DOVDP¿U DOVRFRPPRQO\RFFXUVDVSDUWRIWKHVKUXEOD\HUVRPH - times forming dense patches. Low shrub species common to rich conifer swamp can Ledum groenlandicum - ry ( Vaccinium angustifolium V. myrtilloides ), Chamaedaphne calyculata $PHULFDQÀ\ Lonicera canadensis ( Lonicera hirsuta Lonicera oblongifolia Ribes americanum ), swamp red currant ( Ribes triste - rant ( Ribes lacustre ). poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans ) and red honey - Lonicera dioica ). - Carex gynocrates , C. leptalea , C. disperma , C. trisperma , C. interior , C. eburnea , and C. vaginata . Common fern species Adiantum pedatum ( Botrychium virginianum Cystopteris bulbifera ), D. carthusiana ), crested woodfern ( Dryopteris cristata D. interme - dia Gymnocarpium dryopteris ), sensitive fern ( Onoclea sensibilis ), cinnamon fern ( Osmunda cinnamomea ), marsh fern ( Thelypteris palustris ), broad beech-fern ( Thelypteris phegopteris DQG1HZ