CALCAREOUS FEN PLANT COMMUNITIES
Extremely Rich Fens
The Bonaparte Fen is likely classified as an “extremely rich fen” from what I have learned. (This is all new to me, so if you’re a plant nerd and I am wrong, please let me know!)
Fens with this pattern typically have what is referred to as “brown mosses”. These brown mosses get their name from their foliage, which tends to be brown, golden, or reddish hues.
These brown mosses are in a group of non-spaghnum wetland bryophytes and are distinct from peat moss. They are primary peat formers in minerotrophic fens.
Minerotrophic fens describes a fen environment that receives its water and nutrients primarily from ground water or surface runoff that has passed through mineral-rich soils or bedrock.
Because of mineral content, minerotrophic waters are typically nutrient rich, less acidic (higher pH) and support diverse vegetation like grasses, sedges, and reeds, unlike other fens that might be sphagnum moss dominant.
PLANT DIVERSITY OF BONAPARTE FEN
This is a work in progress and I will continue to add more images as I get them. If you’re a plant biologist and know the names of these plants, I’d love help identifying them. I will pass on the information to the Okanogan Land Trust as well. Thank you for your help!