Five Species of Sedge in a Small Wetland in Oxford

Donald A. Windsor

In a small wetland, less than half an acre, I found 5 species of sedge and 1 species of rush on 14 September 2010.

SEDGES
      No common name  Carex crinita   B 62 | G 339-40 | K 67, 69 #49
      No common name  Carex lupulina   B 58 | G 377  K | 64 #6 
      No common name  Carex intumescens   B 59 | G 376 | K 64 #4
      Threeway Sedge  Dulichium arundinaceum   B 101 | G 248 | K 54
      Woolgrass Sedge  Scirpus cyperinus   B 36-7 | G 275 | K 59

RUSH
      Soft Rush  Juncus effusus   B 122 | G 406-7 | K 77, 79

The property is privately owned and is not open to the public, so I am not disclosing the owner's name.  It is located in the Town of Oxford, south of the Village, between County Road 32 (East River Road) and the Chenango River, in a kettle-kame terrain.  It sits at an elevation of around 1050 feet.  The river is about 0.1 mile west at an elevation of 970 feet.  East River Road is about 0.25 mile east at an elevation of 1090 feet.
Normally, this wetland contains standing water a foot or so deep atop mud.  This year, in September, it was dry enough to walk through without boots. 

If there are 5 species of sedges in one little wetland, how many are there in all of Chenango County?  I intend to find out.

Following the names of the sedges listed above are the references I used in identifying them.  The capital letters are initials of the authors listed below.  The numbers are the pages.  Numbers after a # are drawings.

Brown, Lauren.  Grasses.  An Identification Guide.  Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.  1979.  240 pages.

Gray, Asa,  Rewritten and Expanded by Fernald, Merritt Lyndon.  Gray's Manual of Botany.  Eighth Centennial Edition - Illustrated.  A Handbook of the Flowering Plants and Ferns of the Central and Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada.  Portland, OR:  Dioscorides Press (Timber Press).  1950.  4th printing.  1632 pages.

Knobel, Edward.  Revised by Faust, Mildred E.  Field Guide to the Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of the United States.  New York: Dover.  2nd Revised Edition.  1980.  84 pages.

Blog 6

AFTER THE FINAL FRACK IS FINISHED

BLOG 2

AFTER THE FINAL FRACK IS FINISHED

Donald A. Windsor,   Norwich NY

Fracking for natural gas is going to occur, whether anyone likes it or not.  The economic forces are too enticing to resist.  I do not like it.  But, because it will happen, we have to consider the consequences and figure out how to contend with them. 

My biggest concern is ecological damage.  In this blog I am not addressing other environmental impacts of gas drilling, production, and transportation.  The most recognizable ecological impact of fracking will be the removal of woody plants, both trees and bushes.  Many of the drilling and pipeline sites will have to be clearcut.

Rather than letting these cleared areas be turned into neatly mowed lawns, which have minimal ecological value, I propose that they be turned into wild grasslands.  The difference is significant.  A lawn is frequently mowed throughout the growing season, rendering it unsuitable for most wildlife.  Grasslands, by sharp contrast, are mowed once a year, in August or later, to keep out woody vegetation.  Grasslands are the natural habitat of many species of wildlife.

We have plenty of trees in Chenango County, but few wild grasslands.  Hayfields are mowed during the breeding season of many ground-nesting birds, such as, bobolink, meadowlark, and these sparrows:  grasshopper, Henslow's, savannah, and vesper.  Mowing in May, June, and July massacres these birds.
When drilling sites are converted to producing wells, any land no longer needed can be turned into grasslands.  When pipelines are installed and buried, the land above them can also be turned into grasslands.  The best way to accomplish this landscaping is to plow, or at least rough up the ground, and then sow grass seed.  The exact kind is currently being determined.

Another option is to merely allow the land to sprout whatever species of vegetation it does, and then mowing it once a year in August.  Still another option is to let the land revert to forest, but only on drilling sites.  Pipelines must be kept free of woody vegetation.  Scruffy, bushy land supports a great many species of wildlife.  The most notable birds are:  catbird, brown thrasher, mockingbird, robin, cedar waxwing, song sparrow, yellowthroat, yellow warbler, mourning warbler, several flycatchers, cardinal, and goldfinch.  Forest edge adjacent to brush supports:  rose-breasted grosbeak, chestnut sided warbler, purple finch, indigo bunting, warbling vireo, and oriole.  As the brushland begins succeeding into forest, other species of birds move in, such as: grouse, turkey, veery, wood thrush, downy and hairy woodpeckers, sapsuckers, red-eyed vireo, and junco.

Disturbance encourages biodiversity, which is the number of species of all organisms at a given area.  Disturbance creates new habitats, which provide more niches for different species.

Fracking for gas will make a mess of many places in Chenango County, but it only has to be temporary.  If the messed up land is treated properly, nature can not only be restored; it can also be enhanced.

Souvenirs of Yesteryear. Exploring Chenango County, New York.

BLOG  #1  by  Donald A. Windsor, Norwich NY

Chenango County, New York, is where I live and what I write about.

My multivolume series is called Souvenirs of Yesteryear.  Exploring Chenango County, New York.  Volumes 1, 2, and 3 have been published.  Volume 4 is in press and should be in the Norwich bookstores this month.

I am an observant field historian.  Souvenirs of Yesteryear  presents an unusual view of local history from my unique perspective. 

During my explorations of Chenango County, I sought out the kind of historical remains that are normally ignored or disliked by most residents.  My motive was to instill an appreciation for the old relics of the past, so that they can be protected from destruction and passed along to future generations.

The articles in these books were originally published in our local newspaper, The Evening Sun, from October 2001 through April 2008 in a column named "Souvenirs of Yesteryear".  The exact reference is stated for each article.  A thorough index is provided.  Volume 4 concludes this series.

Books can be ordered directly from me.  Each volume is $25.00 + $2.00 New York State sales tax, for a total of $27.00.  Shipping is $3.00 for 1 volume and $5.00 for multiple volumes. 
Make checks payable to:  Donald A. Windsor.  No credit cards.
Send orders to: 
     Donald A. Windsor
     PO Box 604
     Norwich, NY 13815

"Souvenirs of Yesteryear. Exploring Chenango County, New York."