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Exploring Washington's Peatland Diversity

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Exploring Washington's Peatland Diversity EXPLORING WASHINGTON’S PEATLAND DIVERSITY: ENVIRONMENTAL GRADIENTS & ASSOCIATED VEGETATION PATTERNS Joe Rocchio First Washington Botanical Symposium Senior Vegetation Ecologist University of Washington Botanic Gardens WA DNR, Natural Heritage Program Seattle, WA Olympia, WA March 15, 2017 Presentation Overview • Introduction – peatland definition – bogs vs fens • Environmental Gradients – regional gradients • climate • geology • biogeography – local gradients • hydrology • pH • nutrients Presentation Overview • Introduction • General Vegetation Patterns – peatland definition – dominant species vs. – bogs vs fens environmental gradients • Environmental Gradients • WA Peatland Classification – regional gradients – general peatland types • climate – specific peatland types • geology • biogeography – local gradients • WA Peatland Types • hydrology – review of Subgroups • pH • nutrients What Are Peatlands? • Peat – an accumulation of OM due to incomplete decomposition – forms in situ What Are Peatlands? • Peat – an accumulation of OM due to incomplete decomposition – forms in situ • Peatland – peat-covered terrain – minimum peat depth criteria • 40 cm in USA/Canada • 30 cm in other countries – term for ‘bogs and fens’ – distinctive vegetation Bogs vs. Fens Hydrological Criteria – bogs are rain-fed (ombrotrophic) Bogs vs. Fens Hydrological Criteria – bogs are rain-fed (ombrotrophic) – fens are groundwater/surface-water fed (minerotrophic) Bogs vs. Fens Vegetation Criteria Bogs • broad definition: dominated by acid- loving plants & Sphagnum spp. • strict definition: bogs lack minerotrophic species Bogs vs. Fens Vegetation Criteria Bogs • broad definition: dominated by acid- loving plants & Sphagnum spp. • strict definition: bogs lack minerotrophic species Fens • dominated by sedges, various shrubs, various Sphagnum spp., brown mosses, etc. Climate Precipitation > Evapotranspiration Glaciation Unique Geology Phytogeography • regional species pools • embedded in the USNVC • Vancouverian Province* • North Pacific • Rocky Mountain Province* • Columbia Plateau • Rocky Mountain *Cronquist. 1982. Brittonia 34(2); based on Takhtajan, (1986) Floristic Regions of the World Local Environmental Gradients Cation Concentration / Soil Nutrients Very Very Poor Medium Rich Hyper Poor Rich Moist Very Moist Wet Soil Moisture Regime Moisture Soil Very Wet *Wetland edatopic grid adapted from MacKenzie and Moran (2014) Wetlands of British Columbia Local Environmental Gradients Cation Concentration / Soil Nutrients Very Very Poor Medium Rich Hyper Poor Rich Moist Very Moist Wet Soil Moisture Regime Moisture Soil Very Wet *Wetland edatopic grid adapted from MacKenzie and Moran (2014) Wetlands of British Columbia Local Environmental Gradients Cation Concentration / Soil Nutrients Very Very Poor Medium Rich Hyper Poor Rich Moist Very Moist Wet Soil Moisture Regime Moisture Soil Very Wet *Wetland edatopic grid adapted from MacKenzie and Moran (2014) Wetlands of British Columbia General Vegetation Patterns Abundance pH Sphagnum spp. Ericaceous shrubs General Vegetation Patterns Abundance pH Sphagnum spp. Ericaceous shrubs Brown mosses Cyperaceae Deciduous shrubs WA Sphagnum Distribution S. capillifolium S. fuscum S. austinii Hummock S. squarrosum S. russowii S. girgensohnii S. rubellum S. palustre S. teres S. magellanicum S. fimbriatum S. angustifolium S. warnstorfii S. alaskense S. papillosum Intermediate S. subnitens S. pacificum Relation to Water Level Water to Relation S. riparium S. mendocinum S. miyabeanum Hollow Ombrotrophic Oligotrophic Mesotrophic Eutrophic pH / nutrients General Patterns & Peatland Types Water Base Colloquial Technical Types Mosses Plants pH source cations Sphagnum Ericaceous shrubs, precipitation <4.5 very low Open Bogs (oligotrophic) few herbaceous Bog Ericaceous shrubs, Bog Sphagnum stunted trees, few precipitation <4.5 very low Woodlands (oligotrophic) Bog herbaceous Sedges, Sphagnum surface / Ericaceous shrubs, 4.0-5.5 low Poor Fens (oligotrophic) groundwater stunted trees Sphagnum Intermediate (minerotrophic) Graminoids; short surface / 5.5-7.0 moderate Fens to “brown willows, bog birch groundwater mosses” Fen Sphagnum (minerotrophic) Tall willows, alder, surface / 5.5-7.0 moderate Shrub Carrs to “brown graminoids; groundwater Various mosses” surface / Extremely Calciophiles; groundwater “Brown mosses” >6.8 high Rich Fens graminoids, shrubs from ultramafic/ basic bedrock WA Peatland Classification • Framework – U.S. National Vegetation Classification – general peatland types • Supervised / expert-based classification Colloquial Technical Types – literature / field experience Open Bogs Bog – primary ecological drivers and vegetation Bog Woodlands Bog diversity Poor Fens Intermediate Fens Fen Shrub Carrs Various Extremely Rich Fens Colloquial Technical Types Ecological variation USNVC Subgroup Concepts • biogeography • elevation Open Bogs • hydrology • water chemistry Bog • biogeography Bog • elevation Woodlands • hydrology Bog • water chemistry • biogeography • elevation Poor Fens • hydrology • water chemistry • biogeography Intermediate • elevation Fens • hydrology • water chemistry Fen • biogeography • elevation Shrub Carrs • hydrology Various • water chemistry • biogeography Extremely • elevation Rich Fens • hydrology • water chemistry WA Peatland Classification • Supervised / expert-based classification • Collect vegetation, pH, and EC data to refine units – 306 vegetation plots at 148 sites – classify plots to peatland type & Subgroup in field • NMS ordination to discern vegetation patterns • Descriptive statistics to summarize pH & EC Colloquial Technical Types Ecological variation USNVC Subgroup Concepts • biogeography North Pacific Open Raised Bog • elevation North Pacific Open Flat Bog Open Bogs • hydrology North Pacific Open Transitional Bog • water chemistry Bog • biogeography North Pacific Raised Bog Woodland Bog • elevation North Pacific Bog Woodland • hydrology Woodlands North Pacific Coastal Bog Woodland Bog • water chemistry North Pacific Lowland Open Poor Fen • biogeography North Pacific Montane Poor Fen • elevation North Pacific Open Transitional Poor Fen Poor Fens • hydrology Rocky Mountain Poor Fen • water chemistry Rocky Mountain Patterned Fen • biogeography North Pacific Lowland Intermediate Fen Intermediate • elevation North Pacific Montane Intermediate Fen • hydrology Fens Rocky Mountain Intermediate Fen Fen • water chemistry • biogeography • elevation Rocky Mountain Shrub Carr Shrub Carrs • hydrology Various • water chemistry • biogeography North Pacific Serpentine Fen Extremely • elevation Columbia Plateau Alkaline Fen & Seep • hydrology Rich Fens Rocky Mountain Calcareous Fen • water chemistry pH of Peatland Types 9 n = 25 8 n = 5 7 n = 29 n = 35 6 n = 11 pH 5 n = 12 4 3 Open Bogs Bog Woodlands Poor Fens Intermediate Fens Shrub Carrs Extremely Rich Fens pH of Subgroups 9 n = 10 8 n = 12 n = 5 n = 3 n = 17 7 n = 12 n = 7 n = 11 n = 6 n = 11 6 pH n = 5 5 n = 6 n = 1 n = 5 n = 5 4 3 Electrical Conductivity of Peatland Types 800 n = 25 700 600 500 400 300 n = 4 Electrical Conductivity (uS/cm) Conductivity Electrical n = 5 200 n = 17 n = 24 100 n = 4 Open Bogs Bog Woodlands Poor Fens Intermediate Fens Shrub Carrs Extremely Rich Fens Electrical Conductivity of Peatland Types 800 700 600 500 400 n = 16 300 n = 12 n = 4 Electrical Conductivity (uS/cm) ConductivityElectrical n = 3 n = 3 n = 10 200 n = 2 n = 6 n = 2 n = 7 n = 5 n = 4 100 n = 1 n = 2 n =1 Peatland Type WA Subgroups North Pacific Open Raised Bog Open BogsBogs North Pacific Open Flat Bog North Pacific Open Transitional Bog North Pacific Raised Bog Woodland Bog Woodlands North Pacific Bog Woodland North Pacific Coastal Bog Woodland North Pacific Lowland Open Poor Fen North Pacific Montane Poor Fen Poor Fens North Pacific Open Transitional Poor Fen Rocky Mountain Poor Fen Rocky Mountain Patterned Fen North Pacific Lowland Intermediate Fen Intermediate Fens North Pacific Montane Intermediate Fen Rocky Mountain Intermediate Fen Shrub Carr Rocky Mountain Shrub Carr North Pacific Serpentine Fen Extremely Rich Fens Columbia Plateau Alkaline Fen & Seep Rocky Mountain Calcareous Fen Open Bogs (Beal’s smoothing applied) Original Subgroups NOT Significantly Different • NP Coastal Open Flat Bog ~ NP Open Flat Bog • NP Coastal Open Flat Bog ~ NP Open Raised Bog North Pacific Open Raised Bog Subgroup • short-statured Ericaceous shrubs >60% • Sphagnum > 80% • Carex <1%; deciduous shrubs <5% • conspicuously raised surface • summer fog likely critical http://www.josephrocchiophotography.com/p133163904/h84171e47#h84171e47 North Pacific Open Flat Bog Subgroup • Ericaceous shrubs >75% • Sphagnum > 40%; Carex <5% • deciduous shrubs <5% • ombrotrophic / semi- ombrotrophic North Pacific Open Transitional Bog Subgroup • Ericaceous shrubs >40% • Sphagnum > 40% • deciduous shrubs + Carex >15% • semi-ombrotrophic Peatland Type WA Subgroups North Pacific Open Raised Bog Open BogsBogs North Pacific Open Flat Bog North Pacific Open Transitional Bog North Pacific Raised Bog Woodland Bog Woodlands North Pacific Bog Woodland North Pacific Coastal Bog Woodland North Pacific Lowland Open Poor Fen North Pacific Montane Poor Fen Poor Fens North Pacific Open Transitional Poor Fen Rocky Mountain Poor Fen Rocky Mountain Patterned Fen North Pacific Lowland Intermediate Fen Intermediate Fens North Pacific Montane Intermediate Fen Rocky Mountain Intermediate Fen Shrub Carr Rocky Mountain Shrub Carr North Pacific Serpentine Fen Extremely Rich Fens Columbia Plateau Alkaline Fen & Seep
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