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A fen-meadow is a type of
A fen-meadow is a type of peatland
A mire, peatland, or quagmire is a wetland area dominated by living peat-forming plants. Mires arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. All types ...
, common in North America and Europe, that receives water from precipitation and groundwater.
Habitat
The continuous flow of mineral-rich and nutrient-poor acidic groundwater through fen-meadowtopsoil
Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and microorganisms and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs.
Description
Topsoil is composed of mineral particles and organic matt ...
fosters endemic plant species, including plant associations such as '' Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre'', and protects them from floods, droughts, and nutrient pollution.
Degradation by human activity
Fen meadows have been severely impacted by farming, resulting in hydrological changes,acidification
Acidification may refer to:
* Ocean acidification, decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans
* Freshwater acidification, atmospheric depositions and soil leaching of SOx and NOx
* Soil acidification, buildup of hydrogen cations, which reduces the ...
, and nutrient pollution
Nutrient pollution, a form of water pollution, refers to contamination by excessive inputs of nutrients. It is a primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters (lakes, rivers and coastal waters), in which excess nutrients, usually nitrogen or ...
, leaving few preserved into the 21st century. Compositional transformations and increased groundwater flow have the greatest effect this habitat and can degrade peat. Keeping water tables at appropriate levels allows fen meadows to regulate themselves. Restoration efforts are difficult and no deteriorated fens have been fully restored. Therefore, preservation efforts focus on maintaining fen meadows with slight to no anthropogenic
Anthropogenic ("human" + "generating") is an adjective that may refer to:
* Anthropogeny, the study of the origins of humanity
Counterintuitively, anthropogenic may also refer to things that have been generated by humans, as follows:
* Human im ...
interference.
Habitat protection and restoration
The consequences of water supply alteration are severe. Even after acidified topsoil has been removed and replaced, native species reintroduced, and groundwater sources restored or purified, fen meadows are unable to return to their natural state. Rewetting, maintenance, and seed transfer are used in unison to recover damaged fens. Rewetting reintroduces water to topsoil, but not water flow. Without proper drainage mechanisms in place, the water will provide correct amounts of nutrients and minerals but drown the vegetation in the area. Maintenance, like mowing, can be a rapid way to salvage vegetative species. Combined with seed transfer, to reintroduce vital biotic components to the habitat. Although most fens do not ever return to the natural state that requires no human upkeep, maintenance can be slowly reduced over time.See also
*Fen
A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. T ...
* Meadow
A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non-woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or artifi ...
References