Freshwater Wetland Types

Shallow Open Water

Hydrology Generally have water depths of less than 6.6 feet (2 meters) Ponds, river oxbows, shallow bay of a lake

Dominant Plant Species Submergent, floating and floating-leaved aquatic vegetation including pondweeds, water-lilies, water milfoil, coontail, and duckweeds characterize this wetland type.

Marshes

Hydrology Deep marsh plant communities have standing water depths of between 6 inches and 3 or more feet during the growing season Shallow marsh plant communities have soils that are saturated to inundated by standing water up to 6 inches in depth, throughout most of the growing season

Dominant Plant Species Deep marsh: major dominance by cattails, hardstem bulrush, pickerelweed, giant bur- reed, Phragmites, wild rice, pondweeds and/or water-lilies. Shallow marsh: herbaceous emergent vegetation such as cattails, bulrushes, arrowheads, and lake sedges characterize this community.

Inland Fresh Meadows

Sedge Meadows

Hydrology Sedge meadows can be supported by groundwater and surface water runoff

Dominant Plant Species Sedge meadows are dominated by the sedges (Cyperaceae) growing on saturated soils (Carex dominates) Also present are Eleocharis (spike- rushes), Scirpus (bulrushes), …

hummock sedge (Carex stricta), Chippewa County, Wisconsin.

Wet Meadows

Hydrology Usually supported by groundwater and surface water runoff

Dominant Plant Species hummock sedge (Carex stricta) lake sedge (Carex lacustris) Canada bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis) woolgrass (Scirpus cyperinus) marsh milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) arrow-leaved tearthumb (Polygonum sagittatum) water pepper (Polygonum hydropiper)

Wet Prairie

Hydrology High groundwater table and, to a lesser extent, surface runoff

Dominant Plant Species open, herbaceous plant communities dominated by native grass and grass-like species; at least half of the vegetative cover is made up of true grasses similar to fresh (wet) meadows, but are dominated by native grasses and forbs associated with prairies such as prairie cord- grass, big bluestem, gayfeather, New England aster, culver's root, prairie dock and sawtooth sunflower

Calcareous Fens

Hydrology Upwelling, calcareous groundwater discharge Small, calcareous streams frequently originate in the fen complex due to the groundwater discharge

Dominant Plant Species sterile sedge (Carex sterilis) beaked spike-rush (Eleocharis rostellata) fen beak-rush (Rhynchospora capillacea) whorled nut-rush (Scleria verticillata) common valerian (Valeriana edulis) twig- rush (Cladium mariscoides) white lady-slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

Bogs

Open Bogs

Hydrology Ground water sourced with peaty soils saturated to the surface

Dominant Plant Species sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum spp.) bog sedge (Carex oligosperma) tawny cottongrass (Eriophorum virginicum) three-way sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum) leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata) bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla) bog buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia)

Pitcher plant

Coniferous Bogs

Hardwood Swamps

Hydrology Groundwater discharge (seepages).

Dominant Plant Species black ash (Fraxinus nigra), red maple (Acer rubrum), formerly American Elm groundlayer dominated by –lake sedge (Carex lacustris), –ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and –marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) –wood reedgrass (Cinna latifolia) –jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) –jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) –giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)

Floodplain Forests

Hydrology Seasonal flood pulses Inundated during spring flood events and heavy summer rainfall events

Dominant Plant Species silver maple (Acer saccharinum) wood nettle (Laportea canadensis) honewort (Cryptotaenia canadensis) green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), riverbank grape (Vitis riparia), jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica),