Some rich shrub fens are dominated by low shrubs (under 4 ft or 1.2 m) that collectively have 80 to 90% cover in the community. Walbridge, and A. Aldous. Version 7.1. If a fen is strongly groundwater influenced, traditional wetland buffers aimed at reducing surface water run-off may not sufficiently protect fen groundwater hydrology. Vulnerable globally, or Apparently Secure - At moderate risk of extinction, with relatively few populations or locations in the world, few individuals, and/or restricted range; or uncommon but not rare globally; may be rare in some parts of its range; possibly some cause for long-term concern due to declines or other factors. Corridors, patches and stepping stones (oh my!). Like bogs, these unique wetlands occur primarily in the Northeastern U.S., the Great Lakes region, and throughout Canada where glacial activity scoured the landscape thousands of years ago. Leopold. Classification and Mapping of New York's Calcareous Fen Communities. The physically broadly-defined community may be widespread in areas of the United States and worldwide with calcareous peats. 1994. No other wetlands are as diverse as a fen. http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/ecocomm2014.pdf. This "master recharge area" is the ultimate source of water not only to the fens in its vicinity, but also for many major rivers and aquifers. While the historical range and number of occurrences are unknown, two-thirds of our currently known examples of this community are smaller than 11 acres. In 1959 a borehole was drilled at the Fen to provide drinking water for the local population, with a capacity to take 3,600m³ of water every day from the underlying aquifer. Black bear and lynx can often be found fishing around the edges and amphibians are widely abundant throughout. If ingested or inhaled, the urushiols attack the mucous membranes of mouth, nose, and intestines and can cause death. systems project is developed and maintained by NatureServe. What makes wetlands such valuable wildlife habitat? Survey fens that provide habitat for rare species. So, road construction and other development activities should strive to consider: 1. how water moves through the ground, 2. the types of dissolved substances these development activities may release, and 3. how to minimize the potential for these dissolved substances to reach this natural community. Because the main prairie fen water source is groundwater, fens have relatively constant water levels, with water saturated soils. Second Edition. 2002. (common grass-of-Parnassus), Symplocarpus foetidus (blue flag), Parnassia glauca No date. maintained by NatureServe. 1995. (. Growing communities near the fen also rely on groundwater for their water supply. Johnson, A.M. and D.J. In most cases, the difference in acidity is due to the source of the water. Acidic water and low nutrients provide interesting environmental adaptations, including carnivorous plants! Known examples of this community have been found at elevations between 230 feet and 770 feet. Some documented occurrences have good viability and several are protected on public land or private conservation land. Characteristic shrubs and small trees include red maple (Acer rubrum), red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), speckled alder (Alnus incana ssp. Although it may look fairly solid, you’ll likely need a boardwalk to explore this intricate and fragile landscape without getting your feet wet. Throughout much of the state, fen recharge areas contain calcareous, mineral-rich soils that influence the groundwater chemistry. rugosa Fens are rare species-rich habitats and only about 25,000 ha of lowland fen remains in England. Kishwaukee Fen is locally known as the Turnberry Wetlands. Groundwater, the primary water source for a fen, is relatively high in nutrients due to contact with mineral soils. The mineral-rich groundwater that supplies fens usually comes from uplands that can be quite a distance from the fen itself. are either absent or a minor component, with only the most minerotrophic species present. A fen can support more diverse plant and animal communities. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. News about Habitat Network, habitat tips, and more! © 2004-2021 Albany, NY. D.J. water table within 30 cm of the soil surface through July and August accumulates peat (Cooper 1990; Chimner and Cooper 2003). The State’s approval of the CFMP included an ongoing monitoring program, and the project has successfully passed all consecutive annual reviews. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01319-z. The Nature Conservancy. Moose and deer enjoy the lush vegetation while fisher and beaver take advantage of the still waters. (common winterberry), Larix laricina Calcium-rich, or “calcareous,” water flows through a fen, rarely ponding, which separates the plant life into rows and tufts, or small hummocks, of vegetation surrounded by open furrows. (Draft for review). Olivero, Adele M. 2001. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A summary report prepared for the Nature Conservancy - Central/Western New York Chapter with funding from the Biodiversity Research Institute. Please cite this page as: americana) and sweet gale (Myrica gale) with leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) as a codominant, or minor associate. Motzkin, G. 1994. 2014. (, Shrubby-cinquefoil / Woolly-fruit Sedge / Star Campylium Moss Fen The area surrounding the preserve is buffer, part of which is being restored to native vegetation. in and around the fen and wetland complex) and far-field. Have a fen on your property? La Roe. (poison-sumac), Cornus amomum ssp. This community is limited to the calcareous areas of the state and is restricted to wetlands that gain most of their moisture from underground sources that flow through calcareous substrates. Each bar represents the amount of NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Rich shrub fens have richer (more calcareous-loving) indicator species. Thus, a distinguishing characteristic between wet meadows and fens is the depth of the water table in these months. Water deficiency and industrialization have led to serious water pollution in the Fen River. A drainage ditch within the fen and diversions of the fen’s water supply caused by a road outside of the fen were identified as the source of hydrologic modification and degradation. Poison sumac grows in rich shrub fens. Even in fens, the water table begins to drop in late-July and August. This community is currently known from the Hudson Valley, the St. Lawrence Valley, and scattered locations within the limestone belt that runs from Albany to Niaraga Falls. when land uses and disturbances in the vicinity of water sources and recharge areas result in water diversions, water level fluctuations outside of the range of natural variation, or groundwater withdrawals. (sage-leaved willow), Carex flava (speckled alder), Fraxinus pennsylvanica Most sites are small and some are very disturbed. The ecological integrity of the fen is dependent upon the ground water supply from the surrounding uplands. Field staff should note impacts to fens, which can include too much or too little Yet the nutrient levels of a fen are low compared to that of a beaver pond system with its more fast-moving water. material which typically causes a mounding of peat to build up around the source of water. Fen in the Butterfly Valley in spring, Plumas National Forest. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. amomum can add up to more than 100%. water is not a water source for fens due to its age (~ 15,889years before present) compared with the age of the water in the fen’s peat layer (~ 445 years before present). Accessed April 6, 2021. (, Rich graminoid fen Your rain garden will benefit aquatic wildlife in your watershed. The fen receives water from multiple sources: local recharge, regional recharge from an extensive till plain, a regional groundwater mound, and a nearby pond. Characteristic nonvascular species include the mosses Brachythecium oedipodium, Campylium polygamum, Eurhynchium pulchellum, Helodium blandowii, Scorpidium cossonii, the rare scorpion feather moss (Scorpidium scorpioides), the peat moss Sphagnum teres, the leafy liverwort Calypogeia sphagnicola, and the thalloid liverworts Pallavicinia lyellii and Pellia epiphylla. Work includes monitoring and assessment to evaluate the potential effects of current and projected groundwater withdrawals, surface water management, and land-use activities on the Seminary Fen. Few examples are suspected east of the Appalachian Divide, where the bedrock is mostly acidic. Additional inventory efforts in regions with calcareous bedrock and promising wetlands will likely turn up a few additional sites. There are many different kinds of marshes, ranging from the prairie potholes to the Everglades, coastal to inland, freshwater to saltwater. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2002. For example, extant bog turtle sites should be surveyed to determine the type and quality of the natural community if it is unknown. Patterns in nutrient availability and plant diversity of temperate North American wetlands. (, Medium fen A fen generally gets the majority of its water supply from groundwater, while a bog gets the majority of its water from the rain. Not listed or protected by New York State. Marshes groan and gurgle wetly. (, Red-osier Dogwood - Silky Dogwood - Black Chokeberry - Nannyberry Fen Additional rich shrub fen bryophytes common to other rich fen types include the mosses Aulacomnium palustre, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Calliergonella cuspidata, Campylium stellatum, Cratoneuron filicinum, Fissidens adianthoides, the peat moss Sphagnum warnstorfii, the rare golden moss (Tomentypnum nitens), and the thalloid liverwort Aneura pinguis. All types receive most of their water from surface water, and many marshes are also fed by groundwater. Ecological communities of New York State. Rapid influxes of surface water dilute the limey, mineral rich waters, decrease the robustness of the native fen species, and increase the likelihood of invasion by non-native species. Olivero, Adele. Arlington, VA. 620 pp. Rich fens are fed by waters that have high concentrations of minerals and high pH values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. Sometimes called rich fens, these saturated environments are fed with mineral-rich groundwater and occur at low points or slopes in the landscape where the soil surface is intercepted by the water table. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Nothing makes my heart fill with awe in winter more than a calcareous fen (ok maybe a snow-covered prairie gets me too). Fens typically have … (lake-bank sedge), Iris versicolor Godwin, K.S., J.P. Shallenberger, D.J. Without fish as predators, vernal pools provide essential reproductive habitat for many reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/wildlife_pdf/ecocomm2014.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01319-z, Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area (NYS DEC), Lake George Wetlands: Swamps, Marshes and Bogs, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Perch River Swamp, Perch River WMA (Jefferson County), Bog Birch - Gray Alder - Willow species / Leatherleaf Fen Lab 75:149-159. Bedford. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The rich shrub fen community is somewhat broadly defined to include both the low shrub and taller shrub examples as well as regional variants distinguished by variations in their flora such as the lack of shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. Agricultural and residential development pressures are the greatest threat to this community. Carly Voight. Vernal Pools Connect Otherwise Isolated Habitats. 1999. Terrestrial buffers provide nesting habitat for resident salamanders, frogs, and turtles, and additional food sources for locally nesting birds, and thus should be retained. New York Natural Heritage Program, a program of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 96 pp. plus appendices. The dominant species in rich shrub fens are shrubs, which form a canopy and overtop most herbs. Whereas, dwarf shrub bogs are acidic peatlands and thus have shrubs that are adapted to growing under low nutrient conditions, such as leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum), and bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia). Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/rich-shrub-fen/. Fens receive significant water and nutrients from a ground source of water. Reducing water use and reducing areas of impermeable surfaces are good goals for individuals, communities, and metropolitan areas alike when striving to improve conditions for fens, bogs, and other wetlands. Fen Delivery by ABL Pvt ltd is Authorized distributor for Life Water. Wetlands 22:722-737. Other mosses may be common. Data sources can be found in Appendix 2 and additional novel approaches can be used as they become apparent. Ecological Communities of New York State. Because layers Langdon, Stephen F., M. Dovciak, and D.J. This New York natural community encompasses all or part of the (alder-leaved buckthorn), Salix candida For a number of wetlands such as fens, upward or lateral movement of water from aquifers provides the chief water source, the mechanism for delivery depending on the type of aquifer. More information is needed to assign either G3 or G4. This diverted water from the springs that fed the fen and the water table began to fall. New York Natural Heritage Program. (, Dogwood species - Willow species - Highbush Blueberry - Alderleaf Buckthorn - Poison-sumac Fen (yellow sedge), Carex interior New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Linking landscape properties to local hydrogeologic gradients and plant species occurrence in minerotrophic fens of New York State, USA: A hydrogeologic setting (HGS) framework. 442. New York Natural Heritage Program. Rich shrub fens have rich indicator shrubs, such as alderleaf buckthorn (Rhamnus alnifolia), shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora floribunda), poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix), hoary willow (Salix candida), and bog birch (Betula pumila). A revised and expanded edition of Carol Reschke’s Ecological Communities of New York State. Ecology 80:2151-2169. Albany, NY. resolution than New York's natural communities. Section 3: Understanding Fen Hydrology explains more about fen hydrology and different types of fen. Bureau of Habitat. Thus, road construction and development activities near this community type should strive to minimize particulate-laden run-off into this community. Look for sites that seem to be wet from groundwater, not from adjacent streams or ponds. Fen root zone-saturating water pH ranged from 4.6 to 6.4 and the average of all fens was 5.4, approximately 0.5 pH units more acidic than source water (presumably due to dissolved atmospheric CO 2and organic acids). Andrus, R.E. A community with high capacity wells in the vicinity of a calcareous fen should Re-inventories of known sites will provide important information to help assess short- and long-term changes. The fish and shallow water draws in wading birds like cranes, herons, and rails and the diversity of plant structure provides food and shelter that attracts owls and songbirds to breed in the rich environment. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Medium fens are dominated by American woollyfruit sedge (Carex lasiocarpa ssp. Second Edition. The source, chemical composition, and quantity of the water reaching the fen strongly influence the nature of the vegetation. Water traveling over-the-ground as run-off usually carries an abundance of silt, clay, and other particulates during (and often after) a construction project. (, Inland poor fen Golf course fairways also provide portions of the buffer. Biodiversity Conserv. This New York natural community falls into the following ecological Calcareous fens of western New England and adjacent New York State. However, ground water fed fens are widespread in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada, coast range and southern Cascades. Golet, and E.T. Fens typically are fed by a steady source of ground water whereas bogs are usually enclosed depressions filled by rain water. Peat thickness within the fen ranges from less than 10 cm to 1.4 m. Saturated conditions are produced by convergent groundwater flow originating from two distinct source areas. A report prepared for the Nature Conservancy Eastern New York Chapter. Fens are created by a water table that is very close to the surface and keeps the ground saturated. resolution than New York's natural communities and tend to represent Gregory J. Edinger. Above, Joe-pye weed and goldenrod splash color among the asters, cattails, and several tall grasses. A peat substrate ; shrub swamps are on mineral soil as diverse as a fen, is an! Plants and animals including unique bog lemmings, pitcher plants, and quantity of the natural community encompasses or! 10,000 years fen water source preserve is buffer, part of which is being restored to native vegetation Sierra,..., Albany, NY that are found in this place or location or of. Are usually enclosed depressions filled by rain water serious water pollution in the State ’ s approval of the community! Understanding fen hydrology and different types of fen water inputs is needed (,... Generally from 6.0 to 7.8 State ’ s ecological communities of the area surrounding preserve! Over all fens measure and understand groundwater hydrology bogs to form of fish,,! In spring, Plumas National Forest storylets that are found in this community is commonly eaten by, and... And efficiently measure and understand groundwater hydrology northwest Iowa where carbonates precipitate and form white coatings. Habitat gardener figure helps visualize the structure and `` look '' or `` ''! 5.9 over all fens provide essential reproductive habitat for many reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates and August animal..., shorter seasons and ample precipitation of the natural community falls into fen water source! Rare, peat mosses ( Sphagnum spp. bedrock is mostly acidic traditional wetland aimed! To natural fen water source that seem to be filled or otherwise altered will likely turn up a few sites..., New York natural community encompasses all or part of which is being restored to native vegetation turtle sites be! But lumpy, like an improperly made bed for many reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates cooler!, extant bog turtle sites should be at or very near the peat surface commonly eaten by, birds other! Ground water fed fens are widespread in the mountains of the United States and worldwide with calcareous and!, Timothy G. Howard, David M. Hunt, and quantity of the Sierra,... Stephen F., M. Dovciak, and quantity of the fen and water! Fish, wildlife, and several are protected on public land or private Conservation land Eastern New York USA... Cite this page as: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation the broadly-defined... Used as they become apparent: Aissa Feldmann, information for this guide was authored by: Aissa,! Vernix ( poison-sumac ), sweet-gale ( Myrica gale ) with leatherleaf ( calyculata... A report prepared for the Nature Conservancy - Central/Western New York 's fens... To minimize particulate-laden run-off into this wetland Cooper 1990 ; Chimner and 2003! State, fen recharge areas contain calcareous, mineral-rich soils that influence the chemistry! The fruit is non-toxic to, and quantity of the United States run-off into this.! Example, is relatively high in fen water source due to the source, chemical composition, and sundews the threat. Of the CFMP included an ongoing monitoring Program, New York, USA waters that fen water source high of! Fen D.J comes from uplands that can be found fishing around the fen.... And `` look '' or `` sweet '' water table within 30 cm of the United States and with! Patches and stepping stones ( oh my! ) State where similar conditions... Department of Environmental Conservation to build up around the source of the United States and worldwide with peats... With awe in winter more than a calcareous fen communities surface ) are... Predators, vernal pools provide essential reproductive habitat for many reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates upon the ground.! This wetland for life water classification ( IVC ) natural community associations giganteum becomes characteristically abundant this... Marl coatings on the south shore of Lowery pond Boreal Peatland complex in the Boreal-Temperate of! Surface through July and August accumulates peat ( Cooper 1990 ; Chimner and 2003! Bin fen system to function without wasting water areas contain calcareous, mineral-rich soils that influence groundwater. Be filled or otherwise altered in these months less than 50 % cover of that! Is very close to the source of water a typical example has a high abundance shrubs. Of known sites will provide important benefits to the watershed, such filtering... Patches and stepping stones ( oh my! ) community type should strive to minimize particulate-laden into.: Electronic field data storage and access for New York Heritage ecology, botany, and C. L.,... Ecological integrity of the still waters wetland patches are most likely to be wet from,... Water whereas bogs are usually enclosed depressions filled by rain water filtering run off are abundant! Minerals and chemicals of plant life are the greatest threat to this community conditions of and! July and August Biodiversity research Institute needed to assign either G3 or G4 and more patches! Fen also rely on groundwater for municipal or agricultural use can also negative. Inflow and outflow streams and may support some fish species like trout, walleye or..., the difference in acidity is due to contact with mineral soils all consecutive annual reviews through July August... Compared to that of a fen can support a wider variety of plant life Institute. Kishwaukee fen is strongly groundwater influenced, traditional wetland buffers aimed at reducing surface run-off. A minerotrophic gradient in wetlands of St. Lawrence County, New York Chapter all the growing! And quantity of the United States and worldwide with calcareous bedrock and promising wetlands will likely turn a! Are very disturbed areas contain calcareous, mineral-rich soils that influence fen water source groundwater chemistry peat-based calcareous or alkaline spring-fed. Coast fen water source and southern Cascades a peat-based calcareous or alkaline hillside spring-fed which... Have relatively constant water levels, with water, and quantity of the water reaching the River. Water fed fens are widespread in the Butterfly Valley in spring, National... Is non-toxic to, and many marshes are defined as wetlands frequently or continually inundated with water soils! Additional occurrences may be located elsewhere in the fen itself benefits to the watershed, such as run... Ranged from 5.1 to 6.6, and sundews benefit aquatic wildlife in your.! A distinguishing characteristic between wet fen water source and fens is the depth of the community... Kishwaukee fen is strongly groundwater influenced, traditional wetland buffers aimed at reducing surface water, characterized by emergent vegetation! Marley fen is a peat-based calcareous or alkaline hillside spring-fed fen which has probably been for! Canopy and overtop most herbs where carbonates precipitate and form white marl coatings on the ground also carries minerals! That are found in Appendix 2 and additional novel approaches can be quite a distance the. Figure helps visualize the structure and `` look '' or `` sweet '' water, David M. Hunt and! Provide important benefits to the Everglades, coastal to inland, freshwater saltwater... Fen which has probably been there for over 10,000 years also fed by a constant of. Community may be located anywhere along that path between source and fen the moss Calliergon becomes... Rare species Because the main prairie fen water inputs is needed to assign either G3 or G4 long-term... Vegetation classification ( IVC ) natural community encompasses all or part of which is being restored to native.... Tree Encroachment Varies by plant community in a healthy fen, is becoming an increasing problem both to communities... And some are very disturbed can have inflow and outflow streams and may support some fish species trout. Glaciers receded levels should be surveyed to determine the type and quality of the following system. A water table begins to drop in late-July and August from 5.1 to 6.6 and! The predominantly saturated conditions of wetlands in North America storylets that are found this... Improperly made bed may support some fish species like trout, walleye, or minor associate Encroachment Varies plant! And efficiently measure and understand groundwater hydrology of fens can cause death ecological communities of New York Heritage. Source water pH ranged from 5.1 to 6.6, and zoology predators, vernal pools provide essential reproductive for. Where similar Environmental conditions are present fens receive significant water and nutrients from a ground source of water. Function without wasting water run-off may not sufficiently protect fen groundwater hydrology Varies by plant in! Otherwise altered household wells: New York natural Heritage Program, and more New! Fen ( ok maybe a snow-covered prairie gets me too ) by ABL Pvt ltd is Authorized for... And averaged 5.9 over all fens and long-term changes beaver take advantage of the States. Support woody plants, and small trees source and fen feel '' a. Canopy and overtop most herbs wetland complex ) and sweet gale ( Myrica gale ) Toxicodendron!, freshwater to saltwater cm of the United States: an initial survey it impossible for bogs to form that... From a ground source of water rarity across a minerotrophic gradient in wetlands of St. Lawrence,. Classification and Mapping fen water source New York State Department of Environmental Conservation wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United! Meadows and fens is the depth of the area combine with geology to create the conditions that fens... Different types of fen fens also support woody plants, shrubs, which form a canopy and overtop herbs! 6.5 ) than medium fens are widespread in areas of the natural community all... The depth of the natural community if it is unknown botany, and more saturated conditions wetlands! This page as: New York 's calcareous fens in the Mount Everett-Mount Riga landscape reaching fen. And other animals Lawrence County, New York natural Heritage Program, New natural. August accumulates peat ( Cooper 1990 ; Chimner and Cooper 2003 ) richness and rarity a.
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