Wetland Classification and Mapping of the Kenai Lowland, Alaska
Map Unit Descriptions
Ecosystem: Tidal
Map Units: T35; T53; T3-5
Extent:
T35: 4 wetland polygons; 13.4 ha; 0.01% of wetland area; 0.02% of wetland polygons.
T53: 4 wetland polygons; 5.5 ha; 0.00% of wetland area; 0.02% of wetland polygons.
T3-5: 1 wetland polygon; 0.3 ha; 0.00% of wetland area; 0.01% of wetland polygons.
A T35 unit near the mouth of the Kenai River (polygon 8501).
A T53 wetland at the base of the Homer Spit (polygon 50597).
The single T3-5 wetland, in Mud Bay, at the base of the Homer Spit (polygon 50603). |
Wetland Indicators Type: Tidal Average depth to water table: T3: at least 150 cm; n=1 T4: 114 cm; n=4 T5: 8 cm; n=1 Organic layer thickness: T3: 23.5; n=2 T4: 25.5; n=2 T5: at least 150 cm; n=1 Average depth to redoximorphic features: T3: 0.0; n=2 T4: 0.2 cm; n=5 T5: n/a Common Soils: CLUNIE Common Plant communities: T3 Component: T4 Component: T5 Component: |
T35 and T53 are a mixture of Ramensk's sedge and goosetongue in the upper portion of a protected tidal flat. Both of the components, T3 and T5 are common; the wetland is named with the most abundant component first.
T3 represents the tidal flat zone dominated by goosetongue, which corresponds with Vince and Snow's (1984) 'Inner Mudflats Zone 5', estimated to be inundated on the higher spring tides, or an average of 8 times per summer on the Susitna Flats (with a range of 6-13 times per summer), in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska. Vince and Snow also found that water was retained for only 2-3 hours per inundation.
T5 is the tidal zone occupied by Ramensk's sedge, and corresponds with Vince and Snow's (1984) 'Outer Sedge Marsh Zone 3', estimated to be inundated on only the highest spring tides, or an average of 3 times per summer on the Susitna Flats (with a range of 0-5 times per summer), in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska. Vince and Snow also found that water was retained for 2-3 days per inundation.
T3-5 is made up of the above two components along with alkaligrass (T4) (usually Hultén's and Nootka alkaligrass, Puccinellia hulténii and P. nukaënsis). The single wetland mapped as T3-5 lies at the base of the Homer Spit, in Mud Bay. The Alaska Heritage program tracked rare plant, Kamchatka spikerush (Eleocharis kamchatica, S2S3) occurs in this wetland.
