Calcareous Fen
Lagrange County, Indiana
Lagrange County, Indiana
A calcareous fen is a natural community where groundwater seeping through a calcareous substrate (in this case, a gravelly glacial moraine) rises to the surface creating a unique, nutrient-poor wetland community of very interesting plant species. They are often referred to as a "hybrid" community since the plant association is an odd combination of plants from communities as divergent as bogs on the wet end to dry prairies on the dry end. It is very strange to see a pitcher plant growing near to Little Bluestem Grass, a plant typical of dry prairies. The pH is usually neutral or alkaline, and many of the plants are calciphiles.
The substrate in this fen is a combination of gravel, marl, muck and peat, and it is very soupy in places where one will sink into the mire. This fen is also a good example of what is called a "perched fen" or "hanging fen" because there is a distinct slope where the water emerges at a much higher level than the nearby river. The tall, large-leaved plant with yellow flowers is Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum).
These photos were taken with a 10-24mm Nikkor lens (the equivalent of a 15-36mm on my camera). This was my first opportunity to use it, and I think I'm going to like it for landscape-style natural community shots.
Calcareous Fen
Lagrange County, Indiana
Lagrange County, Indiana
A calcareous fen is a natural community where groundwater seeping through a calcareous substrate (in this case, a gravelly glacial moraine) rises to the surface creating a unique, nutrient-poor wetland community of very interesting plant species. They are often referred to as a "hybrid" community since the plant association is an odd combination of plants from communities as divergent as bogs on the wet end to dry prairies on the dry end. It is very strange to see a pitcher plant growing near to Little Bluestem Grass, a plant typical of dry prairies. The pH is usually neutral or alkaline, and many of the plants are calciphiles.
The substrate in this fen is a combination of gravel, marl, muck and peat, and it is very soupy in places where one will sink into the mire. This fen is also a good example of what is called a "perched fen" or "hanging fen" because there is a distinct slope where the water emerges at a much higher level than the nearby river. The tall, large-leaved plant with yellow flowers is Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum).
These photos were taken with a 10-24mm Nikkor lens (the equivalent of a 15-36mm on my camera). This was my first opportunity to use it, and I think I'm going to like it for landscape-style natural community shots.