Poor fens and soft-water spring mires
English name:
Poor fens and soft-water spring mires
Description (English)
Peatlands, flushes and vegetated springs with moderately acid ground water, within valley mires or on hillsides. As in the rich fens, the water level is at or near the surface of the substratum and peat formation depends on a permanently high watertable. Poor-fen vegetation is typically dominated by small sedges (Carex canescens, Carex echinata, Carex nigra, Eriophorum angustifolium, Eriophorum scheuchzeri, Trichophorum cespitosum), with pleurocarpous mosses (Calliergonella cuspidata, Calliergon sarmentosum, Calliergon stramineum, Drepanocladus exannulatus, Drepanocladus fluitans) or sphagna (Sphagnum cuspidatum, Sphagnum papillosum, Sphagnum recurvum agg., Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum subsecundum agg.). Other characteristic vascular plants are Agrostis canina, Cardamine pratensis, Juncus filiformis, Ranunculus flammula and Viola palustris. Soft-water spring mires (D2.2C) are often dominated by Montia fontana or bryophytes (Bryum spp., Philonotis spp., Pohlia spp.). Excluded are the water body of soft-water springs (C2.1), and incompletely terrestrialized fringing vegetation (C3.2) or vegetation rafts (D2.3).
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Quick facts
| EUNIS habitat type | code D2.2 |
|---|
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
| Name | Definition | Other names | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caricion lasiocarpae Vanden Berghen in Lebrun et al. 1949 | Mesotrophic sedge fens of wet sites on peat and mineral soils of Europe | Acrocladio-Caricion Succow 1974; Caricion diandrae Palczynski 1975; Eriophorion gracilis Preising in Oberd. 1957; Junco acutiflori-Caricion lasiocarpae Julve 1993; Junco subnodulosi-Caricion lasiocarpae Julve 1993; Stygio-Caricion limosae Nordhagen 1943 p.p.; Caricion chordorrhizo-lasiocarpae (Vanden Berghen in Lebrun et al. 1949) Julve 1993; Meeseo-Caricion limosae (Preising in Oberd. 1957) Passarge 1978; Carici lasiocarpae-Eriophorion vaginati Voroiov et al. 1997 | Schaminee et al, 2012 |
| Caricion fuscae Koch 1926 | Fen meadows with dominating sedges and forbs on non-calcareous soils of temperate Europe and high-altitudes of Mediterranean | Caricion canescenti-fuscae Nordhagen 1936 nom. mut. propos.; Agrostio caninae-Caricion curtae Julve 1993; Anagallido tenellae-Juncion bulbosi Br.-Bl. 1967; Calamagrostion neglectae Palczynski 1975; Carici-Nardion V. Randelovic 1998; Carici-Narthecion scardici Horvat 1936; Caricion canescenti-fuscae Nordhagen ex Tx. 1937; Caricion canescenti-goodenowii Nordhagen 1936; Caricion canescenti-goodenowii Nordhagen 1937; Caricion nigrae Koch 1926 nom. mut. propos.; Comaro palustris-Juncion effusi Passarge 1999; Drepanocladion exannulati Krajina 1933; Drepanocladion exannulati Krajina 1934; Eriophorion scheuchzeri Hadac 1939; Narthecion scardici Horvat 1936; Narthecion scardici Horvat 1960; Narthecion scardici Horvat ex Lakušic 1968; Narthecion scardici Horvat ex Lakušic 1970; Ranunculo-Caricion fuscae Passarge 1978; Rhynchosporion albae Koch 1926 nom. dubium propos.; Sphagnion teretis Succow 1974; Caricion canescenti-nigrae Nordhagen ex Tx. 1937 nom. mut. propos.; Anagallido tenellae-Juncion acutiflori Br.-Bl. 1967 nom. corr. propos.; Caricion curto-nigrae (Koch 1926) Westhoff et Den Held 1969; Parvocaricion canescentis-fuscae Duvigneaud et Vanden Berghen 1945; Caricion canescenti-nigrae Nordhagen 1936 nom. mut. propos. | Schaminee et al, 2012 |
| Sphagno-Utricularion T. Müller et Görs 1960 | Vegetation of bladderwort and peat-moss communities of oligotrophic and dystrophic peaty water pools of Europe | Scorpidio-Utricularion minoris Pietsch 1965; Utricularion Den Hartog et Segal 1964 p.p.; Utricularion intermedio-minoris Passarge 1978; Utricularion intermedio-minoris (T. Müller et Görs 1960) Julve 1993 | Schaminee et al, 2012 |
| Festucion frigidae Rivas-Mart. et al. 2002 | Relictual oromediterranean oligo-mesotrophic mires of Sierra Nevada (Iberian Peninsula) | Caricion intricatae Quézel 1953 | Schaminee et al, 2012 |
| Bellidio-Bellion nivalis Gamisans 1975 | Relictual oromediterranean oligo-mesotrophic mires of Corsica | Bellidio-Bellion nivalis Gamisans 1977 | Schaminee et al, 2012 |
Species mentioned in habitat description
Flowering Plants
Agrostis canina
Flowering Plants
Cardamine pratensis
Flowering Plants
Carex canescens
Flowering Plants
Carex nigra
Flowering Plants
Eriophorum angustifolium
Flowering Plants
Eriophorum scheuchzeri
Flowering Plants
Juncus filiformis
Flowering Plants
Montia fontana
Flowering Plants
Ranunculus flammula
Flowering Plants
Viola palustris
Mosses & Liverworts
Calliergon sarmentosum
Mosses & Liverworts
Calliergon stramineum
Mosses & Liverworts
Calliergonella cuspidata
Mosses & Liverworts
Drepanocladus exannulatus
Mosses & Liverworts
Drepanocladus fluitans
Mosses & Liverworts
Sphagnum cuspidatum
Mosses & Liverworts
Sphagnum papillosum
Mosses & Liverworts
Sphagnum recurvum
Mosses & Liverworts
Sphagnum russowii
Mosses & Liverworts
Sphagnum subsecundum
| Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
|---|---|---|
| Agrostis canina | Flowering Plants | |
| Cardamine pratensis | Flowering Plants | |
| Carex canescens | Flowering Plants | |
| Carex nigra | Flowering Plants | |
| Eriophorum angustifolium | Flowering Plants | |
| Eriophorum scheuchzeri | Flowering Plants | |
| Juncus filiformis | Flowering Plants | |
| Montia fontana | Flowering Plants | |
| Ranunculus flammula | Flowering Plants | |
| Viola palustris | Flowering Plants | |
| Calliergon sarmentosum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Calliergon stramineum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Calliergonella cuspidata | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Drepanocladus exannulatus | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Drepanocladus fluitans | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Sphagnum cuspidatum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Sphagnum papillosum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Sphagnum recurvum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Sphagnum russowii | Mosses & Liverworts | |
| Sphagnum subsecundum | Mosses & Liverworts |
Other classifications
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 54.4 | Acidic fens | same |
| CORINE Land Cover | 4.1.1. | Inland marshes | n/a |
| Phase 1 habitat classification (UK) 1993 | E2 | Flush and spring | overlap |
| Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitats (UK) | 18 | Fens | not defined |
| Milieux Naturels de Suisse 1998 | 2.2.2 | Parvocariçaie acidophile | same |
| Biotopes of the Czech Republic 2001 | R2.2 | NEVÁPNITÁ MECHOVÁ SLATINIŠTĚ (Acidic moss-rich fens) | overlap |
History
| Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | D2.2 | Poor fens and soft-water spring mires | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | D2.2 | Poor fens | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 200202 | D2.2 | Poor fens | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199910 | D2.2 | Poor fens | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199811 | D2.2 | Poor fens | same |
| EUNIS Habitat Classification 199712 | D2.2 | Acid flushes and marshes, dominated by small sedges and often sphagna | same |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 199905 | 54.4 | Acidic fens | same |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1997 | 54.4 | Acidic fens | same |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1996 | 54.4 | same | |
| Palaearctic Habitat Classification 1993 | 54.4 | same | |
| CORINE Biotopes Classification 1991 | 54.4 | same | |
| CORINE Biotopes Classification 1989 | 54.4 | same |
