Sedge Meadow
General Description
A wet meadow community that has organic soils (muck or fibrous peat) that are permanently saturated and seasonally flooded; there is usually limited peat accumulation in the substrate, but it is deep enough (usually at least 20 cm) to be treated as a peatland; otherwise it would be classified as a mineral soil wetland such as shallow emergent marsh. The peat of this community is usually fibrous, rather than sphagnous, and is usually underlain by deep muck. The dominant herbs are tussock-forming sedge species, such as tussock sedge (Carex stricta) (Edinger et al. 2002).
Characters Most Useful for Identification
Sedge meadows are open wetlands dominated by fibrous peat (at least 20 cm deep) and tussock-forming sedges such as tussock sedge, which has at least 50% cover. The most common associate is bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), which has less than 50% cover. Other associates include other sedges (Scirpus spp., Carex spp., Eleocharis spp., Dulichium arundinaceum), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), manna grasses (Glyceria spp.), and sparsely distributed shrubs (Alnus spp., Spiraea spp.).
A wet meadow community that has organic soils (muck or fibrous peat) that are permanently saturated and seasonally flooded; there is usually limited peat accumulation in the substrate, but it is deep enough (usually at least 20 cm) to be treated as a peatland; otherwise it would be classified as a mineral soil wetland such as shallow emergent marsh. The peat of this community is usually fibrous, rather than sphagnous, and is usually underlain by deep muck. The dominant herbs are tussock-forming sedge species, such as tussock sedge (Carex stricta) (Edinger et al. 2002).
Characters Most Useful for Identification
Sedge meadows are open wetlands dominated by fibrous peat (at least 20 cm deep) and tussock-forming sedges such as tussock sedge, which has at least 50% cover. The most common associate is bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), which has less than 50% cover. Other associates include other sedges (Scirpus spp., Carex spp., Eleocharis spp., Dulichium arundinaceum), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), manna grasses (Glyceria spp.), and sparsely distributed shrubs (Alnus spp., Spiraea spp.).
Marshes with drier hydroperiods are sometimes called “wet meadows” (P. Rutledge pers. comm.). These wet meadows are often found in agricultural or cleared land and may be dominated by sedges (Carex spp.) and soft rush (Juncus effusus).
Dominant: three- way sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum), sweetflag (Acorus americanus), tall meadow-rue (Thalictrum pubescens), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), smartweeds (Persicaria amphibia, P. hydropiperoides), marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre)
abundant:
blue flag iris (Iris versicolor), bur-reeds (Sparganium americanum, S. eurycarpum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Palustricodon aparinoides (marsh bellflower), royal and cinnamon ferns (Osmunda regalis, O. cinnamomea), rushes (Juncus effusus), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
water-willow (Decodon verticillatus), shrubby dogwoods (Cornus amomum, C. sericea), willows (Salix spp.), meadow-sweet (Spiraea alba var. latifolia), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Areas with greater than 50% shrub cover are classified as shrub swamps.
Sedges (Carex spp.) may be abundant in shallow emergent marshes, but are not usually dominant. Marshes must have less than 50% cover of peat and tussock-forming sedges, such as tussock sedge (Carex stricta); otherwise it may be classified as a sedge meadow
Dominant: three- way sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum), sweetflag (Acorus americanus), tall meadow-rue (Thalictrum pubescens), boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), smartweeds (Persicaria amphibia, P. hydropiperoides), marsh bedstraw (Galium palustre)
abundant:
blue flag iris (Iris versicolor), bur-reeds (Sparganium americanum, S. eurycarpum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Palustricodon aparinoides (marsh bellflower), royal and cinnamon ferns (Osmunda regalis, O. cinnamomea), rushes (Juncus effusus), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
water-willow (Decodon verticillatus), shrubby dogwoods (Cornus amomum, C. sericea), willows (Salix spp.), meadow-sweet (Spiraea alba var. latifolia), and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Areas with greater than 50% shrub cover are classified as shrub swamps.
Sedges (Carex spp.) may be abundant in shallow emergent marshes, but are not usually dominant. Marshes must have less than 50% cover of peat and tussock-forming sedges, such as tussock sedge (Carex stricta); otherwise it may be classified as a sedge meadow
Characteristic amphibians that breed in in shallow emergent marshes include frogs such as northern spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer), green frog (Rana clamitans melanota), American toad (Bufo americanus), and wood frog (Rana sylvatica) (Hunsinger 1999). Characteristic birds with varying abundance include red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), marsh wren (Cistothorus palustris), swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana), Virginia rail (Rallus limicola), and common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) (Levine 1998, P. Novak pers. comm.).