Life Sciences Commons^™

Ecological Drivers Of Plant Community Composition In A Patterned Fen At Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Michigan, Alex Graeff

All NMU Master's Theses

Regional variation in geomorphology, vegetation, fen landforms, and water chemistry create a variety of unique peatlands across the Northern Hemisphere. In the Great Lakes region, patterned fens have been extensively studied in northern Minnesota, but largely ignored in Michigan. The purpose of this study was to describe vegetation, landforms, and water chemistry in a patterned fen at Seney National Wildlife Refuge. Percent cover of plant species and environmental variables were measured at 298 relevé style plots across 6 landform types: triangular swamp forests, featureless water tracks, peripheral water tracks, strings, flarks, and ponded sedge lawns. Additionally, several morphometric parameters were …