Ecological Features - Aquatic Landscapes
Wetlands
Between the retreat of the last continental ice sheet
12,000 years ago, and the commencement of drainage activities in the 1880’s,
the majority of Merry Lea was a complex of wetlands. As agricultural activities
dimished, and some of the drainage systems began failing, some previous
wetlands began to reestablish themselves. Merry Lea has also restored about
45 acres of wetlands.
The following are wetland community types found within
Merry Lea:
Swamp
Forest found on poorly drained peat/muck
soils. Typical trees found include: pin and swamp white oaks, red and silver
maples, green and black ashes, sycamore, cottonwood and black gum. Shrubs
and herbs include: buttonbush, winterberry, cinnamon fern, fowl manna grass.
Bog
Found on peaty and acidic soils formed from a
Sphagnum moss mat. Typical species found are leatherleaf, highbush blueberry,
tamarack, poison sumac, three-way sedge and royal fern.
Small representations are found in the lowlands, just north of High Lake,
and at Hickory Bog--in the extreme NW corner of the property.
Fen
A
small shrubby representation is found along the SE shore of Bear Lake.
A surface seep of alkaline water due to the calcareous marl soils. Shrubs
include: shrubby cinquefoil and red osier dogwood. Herbs include: little
bluestem, ironweed, black-eyed Susan, swamp thistle, bottle gentian, mountain
mint and Ohio goldenrod.
Shrub-Carr
Neutral, poorly-drained
muck soils with seasonal or permanent standing water. Dominated by buttonbush,
willow species, red osier and silky dogwood, elderberry shrubs.
Marsh
Deep,
black muck soils with permanent, mostly non-flowing water. Typical plants
include: cattails, bulrushes, wool grass, water plantain, common boneset,
marsh milkweed, smartweed, bur marigold.
Wet Meadow
Seasonally
saturated soil in meadow depressions. Typical plants include: reed canary
grass, fox sedge, path rush, stinging nettle, blue vervain and jewelweed
