North American Arid West Emergent Marsh

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Nature Serve ID: CES300.729

Geology

Various substrates, but often Quaternary alluvium.

Landform

Depressions, margins of freshwater lakes, and margins of streams and rivers.

Soils

Various edaphic situations, with accumulation of organic material depending on the length of time the marsh has been established.

Parent Description

Vegetation occupying depressions, margins of lakes, or margins of streams that are frequently or continuously inundated by freshwater. This system includes marshes occupying stock tanks and other man-made depressions, and other moist to wet sites other than marshes. The vegetation is dominated by herbaceous species including Schoenoplectus pungens var. longispicatus (American bulrush), Schoenoplectus acutus (hardstem bulrush), Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense (saw-grass), Eleocharis montevidensis (sand spikerush), Polypogon monspeliensis (rabbitfoot grass), Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyardgrass), Cynodon dactylon (Bermudagrass), Phragmites australis (common reed), Phalaris caroliniana (Carolina canarygrass), Typha domingensis (southern cattail), Juncus spp. (rushes), Potamogeton spp. (pondweeds), Polygonum spp. (smartweeds), Ceratophyllum demersum (coontail), and Chara spp. (stoneworts).

Ecological Mapping Systems