54.2 - Rich fens

Classification des habitats du Paléarctique (2001)

Description

Wetlands of the Palaearctic region mostly or largely occupied by peat- or tufa-producing small sedge and brown moss communities developed on soils permanently waterlogged, with a soligenous or topogenous base-rich, nutrient-poor, often calcareous water supply, and with the water table at, or slightly above or below, the substratum. Peat formation, when it occurs, is infra-aquatic. Calciphile small sedges and other Cyperaceae usually dominate the mire communities, which belong to the Caricion davallianae, characterized by a usually prominent "brown moss" carpet formed by Campylium stellatum, Drepanocladus intermedius, Drepanocladus revolvens, Cratoneuron commutatum, Acrocladium cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Fissidens adianthoides, Bryum pseudotriquetrum and others, a grasslike growth of Schoenus nigricans, Schoenus ferrugineus, Eriophorum latifolium, Carex davalliana, Carex flava, Carex lepidocarpa, Carex hostiana, Carex panicea, Juncus subnodulosus, Scirpus cespitosus, Eleocharis quinqueflora, and a very rich flora including Tofieldia calyculata, Dactylorhiza incarnata, Dactylorhiza traunsteineri, Dactylorhiza traunsteinerioides, Dactylorhiza russowii, Dactylorhiza majalis ssp. brevifolia, Dactylorhiza cruenta, Liparis loeselii, Herminium monorchis, Epipactis palustris, Pinguicula vulgaris, Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum, Primula farinosa, Swertia perennis. Wet grasslands (Molinietalia caerulaea, 37), tall sedge beds (Magnocaricion, 53.2), reed formations (Phragmition, 53.1), fen sedge beds (Cladietum mariscae, 53.3), may form part of the fen system, with communities related to transition mires (54.5, 54.6) and amphibious or aquatic vegetation (22.3, 22.4) or spring communities (54.1) developing in depressions. The subunits below, which can, alone or in combination, and together with codes selected from the categories just mentioned, specify the composition of the fen, are understood to include the mire communities sensu stricto (Caricion davallianae), their transition to the Molinion, and assemblages that, although they may be phytosociologically referrable to alkaline Molinion associations, contain a large representation of the Caricion davallianae species listed, in addition to being integrated in the fen system; this somewhat parallels the definition of an integrated class Molinio-Caricetalia davallianae in Rameau et al., 1989. Outside of rich fen systems, fen communities can occur on small surfaces in dune slack systems (16.3), in transition mires (54.5), in wet grasslands (37), on tufa cones (54.121) and in a few other situations. The codes below can be used, in conjunction with the principal code relevant, to signal their presence. Rich fens are exceptionally endowed with spectacular, specialized, strictly restricted species. They are among the habitats that have undergone the most serious decline. They are essentially extinct in several regions and gravely endangered in most. A very few large systems remain, in particular in pre-Alpine Bavaria, in the Italian pre-Alps,in collinar and montane eastern France, in northeastern Germany, in the coastal marshes of northern France, in southeastern and northern England, in Wales and in Ireland.

Correspondances phytosociologiques

Tofieldietalia (Caricetalia davallianae): Caricion davallianae

Bibliographie

Devillers P., Devillers-Terschuren J. & Vander Linden C., 2001. PHYSIS Palaearctic Habitat Classification Database. Updated to 10 December 2001. Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles, Bruxelles. (Source)

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