Long-Term Plant Community Changes in Managed Fens in Ohis, USA

Long-term plant community changes in managed fens in Ohio, USA, are examined. Aerial photographs and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques are used to describe patterns of woody plant invasion in these fens. The nine distinct plant communities identified here are correlated with environmental gradients of soil organic content, groundwater depth, peat depth, distance from the edge of the fen and pH. Four plant communities are found in areas of shallow peat and open marl, and sedges, forbs, and rare species, that are indicative of rich fens, dominate these. Groundwater level is one of the key environmental filters determining spatial distribution of plant communities in these fens.