The Alaska Vegetation Classification - Alaska Geobotany Center ...

Closely related types-Herb wet meadows are similar lo fresh herb marshes butare not as wet and are not dominated by Equisetum fluviatile. They also are similarto herb bog meadows but occupy essentially mineral substrates instead of peats.They also resemble wet sedge-herb tundra and subarctic lowland wet sedgemeadows, but sedges are absent or scarce.Photographs-Batten and others 1978, figure 26; Racine and Anderson 1979, figure25.Primary references-Cooper 1939, Hanson 1951, Shacklette and others 1969.Communities-Equisetum arvense (Craighead and others 1988, Hulten 1960).Equisetum arvense-E. variegafum (Batten and others 1978). Equisetum arvense-E. var;egatum/Phi/onofis fonfana (Cooper 1939). Calfha palusfris (Murray 1974).Calfha palustris-Clayfonia sibirica (Shacklette and others 1969). Caltha palustris-Sparganium hyperboreum (Amundsen 1977, Amundsen and Clebsch 1971). Calfhapalusfris-Angelica lucida-Plafanthera spp. (Friedman 1982). Juncus arcficus (delMoral and Watson 1978, Hanson 1951). Senecio congesfus (Racine and Anderson1979). Parnassia kofzebuei/Philonofis fonfana (Shacklette and others 1969).lll.B.3.c. Subarctic Lowland Herb Bog MeadowDescription-Herb bog meadows are dominated by broad-leaved herbs, commonlyMenyanfhes trifoliata (fig. 71). Other common herbs include Potentilla palustris andCalfha palustris. Aquatic plants such as Hippuris vulgaris and Sparganium spp. maybe present. Mosses, sometimes including sphagnum, usually are present. Graminoids,woody plants, and lichens are absent or scarce. Plant cover is usually open.Distribution and site characteristics-Small stands of herb bog meadows arefound on the wettest parts of floating peat mats, in shallow bog pools, and on boggypond margins throughout the southern two-thirds of the State. The substrate is peat,often a floating peat rnat, and may be strongly acidic. Standing water usually ispresent. The peat rnat is often shallowly submerged and sinks 20 to 50 centimeters(8 to 20 in) or more when walked on.Flgure 71-Subarctic lowland herb bog meadow 01 Menyanfhes iriloliafa,Porentdia palustris, and Caliha palustris near the coast in south-centralAlaska.197