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Related Subnational Community Units These data are subject to substantial ongoing revision and may be out of date for some states. In the U.S., contact the state Heritage Program for the most complete and up-to-date information at: http://www.natureserve.org/natureserve-network. Information from programs in other jurisdictions will be posted when they are made available.
Subnation	Concept Name	Relationship to Standard	Confidence	Reference
New Hampshire	Calcareous sedge - moss fen	Equivalent		Sperduto 2000
New York	Rich graminoid fen	Equivalent		Edinger et al. 2002
Vermont	Rich Fen	Broader		Thompson and Sorenson 2000

Other Related Concepts

Related Concept Name: Mixed short-sedge seepage fen

Relationship: ? - Undetermined

Reference: NAP [Northern Appalachian-Boreal Forest Working Group]. 1998. Northern Appalachian-Boreal Working group discussions. The Nature Conservancy, Boston, MA.

Ecological Systems Placement
Ecological System Unique ID	Ecological System Name
CES201.585	Laurentian-Acadian Alkaline Fen

Global Status: G2G3 (13Nov1997)
Rounded Global Status: G2 - Imperiled
Reasons: This "fen" vegetation type is restricted to the Northern Appalachian region where it is associated with areas or limestone or other calcareous bedrock . Areas meeting these conditions are generally found within the Northern Green Mountains, Vermont piedmont and some parts of the White Mountains. The 23 occurrences tracked by the state heritage data bases range in size from 0.5 to 10 acres. A recent analysis suggest that 6 to 9 of these are either too small or occur in to degraded of a landscape to confidently be considered viable. There is some evidence that the distribution of fens was actually expanded by grazing at the turn-of-the-century is now contracting as the forest landscape returns.

United States Distribution: NH, NY, VT
Canadian Province Distribution: QC
Global Distribution: Canada, United States

U.S. Forest Service Ecoregions
Domain Name: Humid Temperate Domain
Division Name: Warm Continental Regime Mountains
Province Name: Adirondack-New England Mixed Forest - Coniferous Forest - Alpine Meadow Province
Province Code: M212			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain
Section Name: White Mountain Section
Section Code: M212A			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain
Section Name: Vermont-New Hampshire Upland Section
Section Code: M212B			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain
Section Name: Green, Taconic, Berkshire Mountain Section
Section Code: M212C			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain
Section Name: Adirondack Mountain Section
Section Code: M212D			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain
Section Name: Tug Hill Plateau Section
Section Code: M212F			Occurrence Status: Confident or certain

Vegetation Summary: The vegetation is strongly dominated by the well-developed herb layer. Trees are essentially absent (at some sites occasional small Thuja occidentalis are present), and shrubs are sparse. Bryophytes are extensive, in many cases forming the substrate for the vascular plants. Cornus sericea is the most frequent shrub, although it is rarely abundant; other characteristic shrubs include Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), Rhamnus alnifolia, and Salix candida. The more ubiquitous Alnus incana, Salix discolor, and Salix lucida may also occur. The dominant sedge cover is composed of a variety of species, usually some combination of Carex aquatilis, Carex aurea, Carex castanea, Carex flava, Carex interior, Carex hystericina, Carex lasiocarpa, Carex leptalea, Carex prairea, Carex sterilis, Eleocharis tenuis, Eriophorum virginicum, Eriophorum viridicarinatum, Rhynchospora alba, and Trichophorum alpinum. Muhlenbergia glomerata is a characteristic grass. Other associated herbs include Cypripedium reginae, Drosera rotundifolia, Geum rivale, Lobelia kalmii, Packera aurea (= Senecio aureus), Packera schweinitziana (= Senecio robbinsii), Parnassia glauca, Platanthera dilatata, Platanthera hyperborea, Platanthera psycodes, Solidago uliginosa, Thalictrum pubescens, and Thelypteris palustris. Bryophytes are mostly non-sphagnous, with Campylium stellatum the most characteristic, and usually abundant, species. Others include Aulacomnium palustre, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Calliergon giganteum, Calliergon trifarium, Meesia triquetra, Paludella squarrosa, Philonotis fontana, Scorpidium scorpioides, Sphagnum warnstorfii, and Tomentypnum nitens.

Vegetation Composition (incomplete)
Species Name	Rounded Global Status	Growth Form	Stratum	Charact- eristic	Dominant	Constant	Cover Class %	Con- stancy %
Carex flava	G2	Graminoid	Herb (field)
Carex hystericina	G2	Graminoid	Herb (field)
Carex interior	G2	Graminoid	Herb (field)
Trichophorum alpinum	G2	Graminoid	Herb (field)
Campylium stellatum	G2	Moss	Nonvascular

Wetland Indicator: Y
Environmental Summary: These are rich, sedge-dominated fens of shallow slopes or small basins, scattered across New England. Most are in calcareous bedrock areas, or over calcium-bearing till where drainage is impeded. The soils remain saturated due to groundwater seepage, and the setting ranges from slightly sloping to flat. The substrate pH is usually 6.5-7.5. Settings include calcium-influenced catchment basins, headwater areas, and grazed pastures. Unlike fens developing in more extensive basin peatlands, these have only shallow peat (almost always <1 m, often <15 cm deep).

Plots stored in VegBank

Concept Author(s): Northern Appalachian Planning Team
Element Description Edition Date: 28Jan2003
Element Description Author(s): S.C. Gawler
NatureServe Conservation Status Factors Edition Date: 13Nov1997
NatureServe Conservation Status Factors Author(s): M. Anderson

Ecological data developed by NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs (see Local Programs) and other contributors and cooperators (see Sources).