Native Plants of Wetlands and Their Borders: A Broad Community Approach Donald J. Leopold SUNY – ESF Syracuse, NY djleopold@esf.edu

What are the key environmental factors that affect the distribution and abundance of plant species?

And what unique physical and chemical characteristics underlie each natural community?

climate (temperature and precipitation, especially) alpine spruce-fir montane

microclimates (and resource gradients – especially soil moisture and nutrients)

microhabitats (and resource gradients of light, humidity, soil moisture, fertility, etc.)

light

light – partial shade spreading globeflower – Trollius laxus

soil moisture - mesic

soil moisture - dry

soil moisture - wet

soil chemistry – high fertility

soil chemistry – low fertility

soil chemistry – acidic pH

soil chemistry – high pH

hydrogeologic setting

disturbance

Example of How Just Two Factors Determine Type of Natural Community

(From: Leopold, unpublished)

Two other factors that greatly affect the abundance of plant species in all natural communities: Herbivory Invasive Plants

purple loosestrife – Lythrum salicaria

common reed – Phragmites communis

Natural Wetland Communities (very broadly defined) and Associated Native Species

hardwood swamps

royal fern – Osmunda regalis cinnamon fern – Osmunda cinnamomea

marsh marigold – Caltha palustris

skunk cabbage – Symplocarpus foetidus

pinxter azalea – Rhododendron periclymenoides

winterberry – Ilex verticillata

spicebush – Lindera benzoin

witch-hazel – Hamamelis virginiana

American hornbeam – Carpinus caroliniana

serviceberry – Amelanchier arborea

red maple – Acer rubrum

red maple – Acer rubrum

shellbark hickory – Carya laciniosa

blackgum – Nyssa sylvatica

swamp white oak – Quercus bicolor

floodplain communities

ostrich fern – Matteuccia struthiopteris

eastern cottonwood – Populus deltoides

shining willow – Salix lucida

buttonbush – Cephalanthus occidentalis

witherod viburnum – Viburnum cassinoides

wet meadows

marsh fern – Thelypteris palustris

swamp milkweed – Asclepias incarnata

turtlehead – Chelone glabra

Joe-pye weed – Eupatorium maculatum

rose mallow – Hibiscus moscheutos

blue flag – Iris versicolor

cardinal flower – Lobelia cardinalis

soft rush – Juncus effusus

narrow-leaf cattail* broad-leaf cattail

red-twig dogwood – Cornus sericea

silky dogwood – Cornus amomum

black elderberry – Sambucus canadensis

tidal freshwater marsh

yellow bullhead lily – Nuphar variegata

pickerel-weed – Pontederia cordata

bur reed – Sparganium sp.

sedge meadow

tussock sedge – Carex stricta

fens

Fens – Open vs. Closed Canopy (i.e., effect of light)

open fens

grass-of-Parnassus – Parnassia glauca

northern bayberry – Myrica pensylvanica

forested fens

maidenhair fern – Adiantum pedatum lady fern – Athyrium filix-femina

yellow ladyslipper – Cypripedium parviflorum

showy ladyslipper – Cypripedium reginae

northern white-cedar – Thuja occidentalis

eastern white pine – Pinus strobus eastern hemlock – Tsuga canadensis

marl fen

horizontal juniper – Juniperus horizontalis

bogs

eastern larch – Larix laricina black spruce – Picea mariana

northern pitcher plant – Sarracenia purpurea sundews – Drosera spp.

leatherleaf – Chamaedaphne calyculata bog rosemary – Andromeda glaucophylla Labrador tea – Ledum groenlandicum bog laurel – Kalmia polifolia

cranberries – Vaccinium oxycoccus and macrocarpon

highbush blueberry – Vaccinium corymbosum

black chokeberry – Aronia melanocarpa

coastal salt marsh

cordgrass – Spartina alterniflora and salt-meadowgrass – Spartina patens

black-grass – Juncus gerardii

seaside goldenrod – Solidago sempervirens