Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F146XY031ME
Mucky Peat Bottom
Accessed: 03/29/2024
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.
Ecological site concept
This site typically occurs on relatively-flat areas (0-2 percent slopes) where water saturates organic peat and muck deposits for most of the growing season. Northern white cedar is the dominant overstory plant on this site, often with small diameter hardwoods and softwoods such as brown ash, balsam fir, black spruce, tamarack, and gray birch present but not dominant.
The surface soil surface consists of poorly-drained hummocks and very poorly-drained depressions. These soils receive significant extra water from the above watershed, often with ponding in the depressions during wet periods. Trees grow mostly on the hummocks, and diverse understory species occupy various niches associated with the complex microtopography.
The plant community is characterized by 50-75 percent overstory canopy cover, with diverse, productive, herbaceous understory species. Northern white cedar dominates the site, with small-diameter softwood and hardwood species often present, including balsam fir, brown ash, yellow birch, and red maple. Wind often blows down small patches or individual trees. Beaver activity or man-made structures (e.g. roads, dams) may inundate this site temporarily or permanently, killing trees and forming an open water pond. Following inundation, this site may succeed through a series of open marsh types before eventually returning to Northern White Cedar dominance. Beaver activity is expected to be limited by proximity to areas where poplar or aspen species are present.
This site is resistant to most other disturbances, including fire and insect damage. Drainage and cultivation are not typically present on this wet, mucky soil. However, winter logging is possible on these otherwise inaccessible stands, and can reduce tree density and increase herbaceous production. The cedar is resilient and expected to eventually recover dominance of the site following timber harvest.
Associated sites
F146XY021ME |
Marsh The Marsh ecological site often grades into the Mucky Peat Bottom as wetness decreases. Both sites are very wet, but Marsh is too wet for tree persistence. |
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F146XY032ME |
Loamy Till Bottom The Loamy Till Bottom site grades into the Mucky Peat Bottom as the depth of organic peat and muck increases. |
Similar sites
F146XY032ME |
Loamy Till Bottom The Loamy Till Bottom always has mineral soil within 16 inches of the organic soil surface, while the Mucky Peat Bottom has greater than 16 inches of organic material. The Loamy Till Bottom is overall drier than the Mucky Peat Bottom. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Thuja Occidentalis |
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Shrub |
(1) Alnus incana |
Herbaceous |
Not specified |
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