Habitats of North Carolina

Marshes, Mires, and Shoreline Habitats
General Sedge, Grass, and Rush Mires

Habitat Overview

Open, shallow, wetlands dominated by graminoids -- often called beaver meadows in the past -- were once major features of stream and river valleys, forming hummocks and larger wet meadows as beaver ponds gradually filled in with sediments. With the near extinction of beavers across North America at the beginning of the 20th Century, these habitats became greatly reduced and fragmented. Many of their distinctive species -- most prominently, Mitchell's Satyr -- were left as rare relicts, scattered across their once vast geographic range.

The plants in this habitat grow in wet, mucky soils and experience frequent, shallow flooding. Some species, such as Carex stricta, form hummocks that rise up to a foot above the surface of the waters. Most grow in full sun but are capable of surviving in narrow galleries along streams as shrub and tree cover develop due to succession. Some are even capable of persisting for at least a while under full shade. In some areas along the lower Roanoke and other brownwater river floodplains, extensive meadows of Carex occur under a closed hardwood canopy.

The Lepidoptera belonging to this habitat all occur in association with wetland graminoids, with many known to have larvae that are obligate feeders on Carex or the other species of graminoids. The Orthoptera probably feed more generally on both sedges and wetland grasses. The one predatory member of this habitat, Libellula flavida, is associated with sedgy bogs, seeps, and beaver sedge meadows. Adults perch in open, sunny areas; larvae have also been found with the same, shallow, graminoid- and sphagnum-choked waters.

Unlike bogs, fens, hillside seepage bogs, and sandhill seeps, all of which have significant amounts of sphagnum and thick deposits of peat, this habitat is more marsh-like in character, lacking these deposits. The openness characteristic of this habitat is maintained by frequent flooding and -- at least historically -- beaver activity, rather than occasional fire or the build up of peat too deep to allow tree growth.

Related NHP Natural Communities

Determining Species

Taxa	Global Rank	State Rank	Probability of Extirpation (PE)
MOTHS
Amolita fessa - Feeble Grass Moth	G5	S5	0.00
Amolita obliqua - Oblique Grass Moth	G5	S4S5	0.0002
Bactra furfurana	GNR	SU	0.0020
Bactra verutana - Javelin Moth	GNR	SU	0.0020
Cosmopterix clemensella - Clemens' Cosmopterix Moth	GNR	SU	0.0020
Deltote bellicula - Bog Lithacodia Moth	G5	S4	0.0007
Hypenodes fractilinea - Broken-line Hypenodes Moth	G4	S4S5	0.0002
Macrochilo hypocritalis - Twin-dotted Macrochilo Moth	G4	S4	0.0007
Macrochilo litophora - Brown-lined Owlet Moth	GNR	S4S5	0.0002
Macrochilo orciferalis - Bronzy Macrochilo Moth	G5	S4S5	0.0002
Meropleon diversicolor - Multicolored Sedgeminer Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Renia sobrialis - Sober Renia Moth	G5	S4S5	0.0002
Rivula propinqualis - Spotted Grass Moth	G5	S5	0.00
HEMIPTERAN HOPPERS
Amplicephalus osborni
ORTHOPTERANS
Anaxipha vernalis - Spring Trig	GNR	S4	0.0007
Leptysma marginicollis - Cattail Toothpick Grasshopper	G5	S5	0.00
Metaleptea brevicornis - Clipped-Wing Grasshopper	G5	S5	0.00
Paroxya atlantica - Atlantic Grasshopper; Atlantic Locust	GU	S3S4	0.0020
Paroxya clavuligera - Olive-green Swamp Grasshopper	G5	S3S4	0.0020
BUTTERFLIES
Ancyloxypha numitor - Least Skipper	G5	S5	0.00
Euphyes dion - Dion Skipper	G5	S4	0.0007
Lethe appalachia - Appalachian Brown	G4	S4	0.0007
GRAMINOIDS
Carex alata - Broadwing Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex albolutescens - Greenish-white Sedge	G5	S4	0.0007
Carex allegheniensis - Allegheny Sedge	GNR	S3	0.0058
Carex atlantica - Prickly Bog Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex aureolensis - Goldenfruit Sedge	GNR	S2	0.0460
Carex bromoides - Brome-like Sedge	G5	S2	0.0460
Carex canescens var. disjuncta -
Carex collinsii - Collins's Sedge	G4	S3	0.0058
Carex crinita - Fringed Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Carex festucacea - Fescue Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex intumescens - Bladder Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Carex joorii - Cypress-swamp Sedge	G4G5	S3	0.0058
Carex laevivaginata - Smooth-sheath Sedge	G5	S4	0.0007
Carex longii - Long's Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Carex lupuliformis - False Hop Sedge	G4	S1	0.3584
Carex lupulina - Hop Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Carex lurida - Sallow Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Carex mitchelliana - Mitchell's Sedge	G4	S2	0.0460
Carex normalis - Greater Straw Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex prasina - Drooping Sedge	G4	S3	0.0058
Carex scoparia - Pointed Broom Sedge	G5	S4	0.0007
Carex stipata var. maxima - Stalk-grain Sedge	G5T5	S3	0.0058
Carex stipata var. stipata - Awl-fruit Sedge	G5T5	S4	0.0007
Carex stricta - Tussock Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex styloflexa - Bent Sedge	G4G5	S4	0.0007
Cladium mariscoides - Twig-rush	G5	S3	0.0058
Coleataenia stipitata - Stalked Panicgrass	G5	S4	0.0007
Dichanthelium lucidum - Bog Witchgrass	G4G5	S4S5	0.0002
Dulichium arundinaceum - Three-way Sedge	G5	S5	0.00
Eleocharis quadrangulata - Squarestem Spikerush	G4	S2	0.0460
Glyceria striata - Fowl Mannagrass	G5	S5	0.00
Juncus canadensis - Canadian Rush	G5	S3	0.0058
Juncus coriaceus - Leathery Rush	G5	S5	0.00
Juncus effusus - Soft Rush	G5	S5	0.00
Juncus pylaei - Common Rush	G5	S3	0.0058
Leersia oryzoides - Rice Cutgrass	G5	S5	0.00
Schoenoplectiella purshiana - Weakstalk Bulrush	G4G5	S4	0.0007
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani - Softstem Bulrush	G5	S4	0.0007
ODONATES
Libellula flavida - Yellow-sided Skimmer	G5	S4S5	0.0002
mo
Mesapamea fractilinea
Expected Number of Extirpations with a PE value (Sum of PE) = 0.6336
N = Number of Extant Species with a PE value = 41
Average PE = ENE/N = 0.0155
Number of S5 species = 15
Proportion of Secure Species = Number of S5 Species/N = 0.3659
Habitat Risk Index = ENE x (1 – PSS) = 0.4018

Phagic and Competitory Symbioses: (Sedge species/Amolita fessa-Amolita obliqua-Cosmopterix clemensella-Deltote bellicula-Euphyes dion-Meropleon diversicolor); (Carex species/Lethe appalachia-Neonympha mitchellii)

Candidates for Inclusion

Habitat Sub-sets

Distribution Map

Distribution

Survey Coverage Map

Survey Coverage

Survey Priorities

Average Imperilment of Habitat Members

Habitat Conservation Status

High Quality Habitat Occurrence Table

High Quality Habitat Occurrences

Protected Habitat Occurrences

Threats and Trends

Status Summary

Stewardship Recommendations

References

Updated on

2019-11-14 20:00:43