02/27/2008 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

the ground surface on Wet Prairies in seepage areas. Most soils are calcareous. Salt concentrations (sulfates of calcium and magnesium) high enough to influence the species composition of the community are present in the soils of Wet Prairies along the western edge of Minnesota,. primarily in the Agassiz Lacustrine Plain. On drier sites Wet Prairie often grades into wet -mesic stands of Mesic Prairie; on wet sites it often grades into Wet Meadow. Mesic Prairie, Wet Prairie, and Wet Meadow do not have well - defined floristic boundaries, and sometimes are difficult to separate from one - another in the field when they occur together. Shrub cover increases in Wet Prairie northward, and in the northern part of the community's range Wet Prairie often grades into Wet Brush - Prairie. Wet Prairie in southeastern Minnesota is distinctive from that elsewhere in the state, containing several species with restricted distribution. Floristic diversity is low in Wet Prairies in western Minnesota, but distinctive species assemblages occur there in association with saline sites. A comprehensive plant species list for Foxborough's Wet Prairie restoration areas is provided in Appendix B of this report. Wet Meadow Wet Meadow occurs within wetlands throughout all of Minnesota. The ground layer of the Wet Meadow community is composed of dense, closed stands of predominately wide - leaved sedges (e.g., Carex lacustris, C. stricta, C. aquatilis C. rostrata, C. haydenii) or grasses (e.g., Calamagrostis canadensis, C. inexpansa). Forb cover and diversity usually are high. Forbs such as spotted joe -pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), common mint (Mentha arvensis), turtlehead (Chelone glabra), and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) are conspicuous. Shrub cover in Wet Meadows ranges from 0 to 70% and is composed of Bebb's willows and pussy willows. Mosses are rare or absent. Wet Meadow occurs on wet mineral soil, muck, or shallow peat ( <0.5 m). Standing water (generally stagnant) is present in the spring and after heavy rains, but the water table is generally below the soil surface for most of the growing season. The drawdown of the water table as the growing season progresses enables the oxidation of dead organic matter that has accumulated on the ground surface from previous years. This process makes available nutrients for some of the nutrient - demanding species present in the community. Occurrences of Wet Meadow along stream courses or adjacent to lakes often have fairly constant water levels relative to Wet Meadows in depressions or basins. On these sites siltation may be important in maintaining high nutrient levels. Wet Meadow tends to succeed to Shrub Swamp communities in the absence of fire, and therefore, there is a Shrub Subtype of the Wet Meadow community. Water -table lowering caused by drought or by ditching promotes succession of Wet Meadow to Shrub Swamps. Wet Meadows on organic soils, like other communities that occur on organic soils, recover very slowly, if at all, once altered by artificial flooding or draining A comprehensive plant species list for Foxborough's Wet Meadow restoration areas is provided in Appendix B of this report. Shallow/Mixed Emergent Marsh Mixed emergent marsh is dominated by wetland species other than cattails. Bulrushes are the most common dominants, especially hard - stemmed bulrush (Scirpus acutus), river bulrush Foxborough Conservation Development Restoration and Management Plan 24 • •