Record Details
Sphagnum fens on the Oregon coast: diminishing habitat and need for management
ScholarsArchive at Oregon State University
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Sphagnum fens on the Oregon coast: diminishing habitat and need for management |
| Names |
Christy, John A.
(creator) |
| Date Issued | 2005-12 (iso8601) |
| Note | Report to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon |
| Abstract | Sphagnum fens on the coast of Oregon are unique globally and contain a variety of rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the landscape. Evidence indicates that in the absence of disturbance, many open fens have converted to tall shrub and forest stands over the last 25-50 years, while fens on lake-fill mats show slower rates of change. Ditching in fens with deep peat appears to have hastened succession, while perched-water fens on soils underlain by hardpan exhibit the greatest rate of change because of lack of disturbance. Major disturbance regimes include fire, beaver, elk, tsunamis, windthrow, and people. Initial results of girdling and burning at New Lake Fen are encouraging, but it will take a number of fires over a period of years for conditions to improve. Management targets are early seral stages that favor growth of Sphagnum and other specialized fen species. Primary management objectives are restoration of the water table and its maintenance at a consistent level. Primary management tools to control woody vegetation include fire, manual removal, herbicides, and excavation followed by replanting. |
| Genre | Technical Report |
| Identifier | Christy, John A. Sphagnum fens on the Oregon coast: diminishing habitat and need for management. 2005. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University (Corvallis, Oregon). |
