Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F146XY034ME
Wet Sandy Bog
Accessed: 04/23/2024
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 occurs on gently-sloping, very-poorly drained glacial outwash deposits that are frequently ponded for much or all of the year. Soils are deep loams formed, often with a mucky peat surface layer. These saturated bog soils are acidic to very acidic with few rock fragments.
This site receives significant inputs of run-in water from surrounding uplands. This results in year-round saturation, extended surface ponding, and ultimately acidification. These water features influence plant community structure and dynamics on this site.
Black spruce dominates the overstory, with diverse heath shrubs, herbs, and mosses dominating the understory and open patches. Increases in ponding depth due to beaver activity or man-made structures can cause mortality of these dominant species and a transition to a ponded, open wetland state. As ponding decreases to reference levels, this site may transition through a series of open wetland phases prior to re-establishment of reference state species.
Logging, insects (particularly spruce budworm), and windthrow may reduce overstory cover in patches. However, black spruce is expected to regain dominance on this site following these disturbances.
In area where this site is cleared, drained, and cultivated, hay, pasture, and sometimes crops may be produced with significant soil amendment.
The soil moisture regime is aquic and soil temperature regime is frigid.
Associated sites
F146XY021ME |
Marsh This site may grade into the Marsh site as soils become wetter. |
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F146XY033ME |
Wet Loamy Flat This site may grade into the Wet Loamy Flat site as soils become drier. |
Similar sites
F146XY033ME |
Wet Loamy Flat This site is similar to the Wet Loamy Flat, except it is wetter, more acidic, and supports primarily black spruce instead of red spruce and balsam fir |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Picea mariana |
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Shrub |
Not specified |
Herbaceous |
Not specified |
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