Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F144BY220ME
Semi-acidic Peat Wetland Complex
Last updated: 9/27/2024
Accessed: 12/21/2024
General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 144B–New England and Eastern New York Upland, Northern Part
This major land resource area (MLRA) is in Maine (56 percent), New Hampshire (22 percent), Vermont (14 percent), Massachusetts (6 percent), Connecticut (1 percent), and New York (1 percent). It makes up about 22,728 square miles (58,864 square kilometers). The MLRA consists of a relatively young landscape shaped by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered the region from 35,000 to 10,000 years ago. Rolling hills of dense basal till converge on ridges of shallow bedrock that were scoured by glacial ice. River valleys that were flooded by melting glacial water or seawater house large expanses of glacial outwash and stratified drift in inland areas and, to a lesser extent, glaciomarine and glaciolacustrine sediment deposits in coastal areas. Organic bogs, ablation till, and alluvial flood plains make up the remaining portions of the MLRA.
The soils in this region are dominantly Entisols, Spodosols, and Inceptisols. They commonly have a fragipan. The dominant suborders are Ochrepts, Orthods, Aquepts, Fluvents, and Saprists. The soils in the region dominantly have a frigid soil temperature regime with some cryic areas at higher elevation, a udic soil moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. Most of the land is forested, and 98 percent is privately owned. Significant amounts of forest products are produced including lumber, pulpwood, Christmas trees, and maple syrup. Principal agricultural crops include forage and grains for dairy cattle, potatoes, apples, and blueberries. Wildlife habitat and recreation are important land uses. Stoniness, steep slopes, and poor drainage limit the use of many of the soils.
Classification relationships
NRCS:
Land Resource Region: R—Northeastern Forage and Forest Region
MLRA: 144B—New England and Eastern New York Upland, Northern PartMLRA resources
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 144B–New England and Eastern New York Upland, Northern Part
Ecological site concept
This site occurs in flat, low-lying areas characterized by very poorly-drained, semi-acidic peat soils and bog vegetation. Soil pH is typically between 4.5 and 6.0 throughout, allowing for more overall species diversity than true acid bogs, but also lacking many true acid bog indicator species. It is dominated by sphagnum moss and heath shrubs, and supports other common bog species such as cotton grass in lower quantities. This site may also support low cover of black spruce and larch trees in some areas.
This ecological site is resistant to major disturbances except for small scale hydrologic alterations that may create small patches of drained or ponded peatland. This ecological resistance can be attributed to the ability of these bogs to respond to large fluctuations in water, as well as general resistance to fire, insects, disease, construction, land management, etc. Further study is needed to identify alternative states for this site.
Associated sites
| F144BY230ME |
Acidic Peat Wetland Complex The Semi-acidic Peat Wetland Complex may grade into the Acidic Peat Wetland Complex, usually with the latter being toward the center of the bog and grading outward to be less acidic toward the surrounding forest. |
|---|
Similar sites
| F144BY230ME |
Acidic Peat Wetland Complex The Acidic Peat Wetland Complex has pH less than 4.5 throughout the profile, compared to pH greater than 4.5 in at least part of the profile for Semi-acidic Peat Wetlands. The lower pH results in the most acidic bog indicator plants, such as pitcher plants and sundews. |
|---|---|
| F144BY210ME |
Marsh Wetland Complex The Marsh Wetland Complex occurs in a similar landscape position, but has more nutrient and oxygen-rich soil water conditions, resulting in the decomposition of organic matter into muck, rather than the peat accumulation characteristic of the Semi-acidic Peat Wetland Complex |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Abies balsamea |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
Not specified |
| Herbaceous |
Not specified |
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