About me
I am a wetland ecologist at Utah State studying fens and their plant communities in the Uinta Mountains. I am interested in anything wetland related, but peatlands are a particular passion of mine and I enjoy learning about their unique plants, ecology, and restoration potential here in Utah. Coming from the Great Lakes and the upper Midwest, wetlands look a little different here, but you would be surprised at how much overlap there is in native wetland plants!
Plant communities of Uinta Mountain fens
Montane fens are small, groundwater fed wetlands that experience consistently saturated conditions year-round, slowing decomposition and allowing for the accumulation of organic soils, or peat. Despite their small size, montane fens can have an outsized impact on ecosystem services such as carbon storage, water quality and retention, and biodiversity. Fens host a unique suite of plant species that are often highly specialized to tolerate consistently saturated soils. While many peatland species are circumboreal, many regionally rare and disjunct populations are supported by montane fens in regions where their niche does not otherwise exist. In this study, we characterized the physical environment and vegetation communities of fens in the Uinta Mountains to document their characteristics to establish baseline conditions and determine potential drivers of fen plant community assembly in this region. We visited a total of 44 sites and observed 114 unique vascular species that formed 12 plant communities based on the environmental conditions within fens, rather than differences between fens across the range. Six observed species are listed as rare in the state of Utah and two identified mosses were observed in Utah for the first time. Plant community composition was significantly influenced by microtopography, surface wetness, and peat type, resulting in varying species diversity and floristic quality. Community variation along these gradients is well documented in other mountain ranges, but surprisingly, other frequently influential gradients such as pH and the margin-to-expanse gradient did not have an effect on community assembly. Ultimately, this study provides evidence of unique and diverse plant communities within fens in the Uinta Mountain Range that warrant monitoring and conservation efforts. Further documenting montane peatland vegetation and the factors that influence it is critical to maintaining these important ecosystems and understanding how they are impacted by disturbance and climate change.
