Wetland Classification and Mapping of the Kenai Lowland, Alaska
Map Unit Descriptions
Ecosystem: Tidal
Map Unit: T69; T96
Extent:
T69: 5 wetland polygons; 87.7 ha; 0.06% of wetland area; 0.03% of wetland polygons.
T96: 4 wetland polygons; 37.5 ha; 0.03% of wetland area; 0.02% of wetland polygons.
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A T69 wetland, east of the Warren Ames Memorial Bridge over the Kenai River (polygon 8546).
A T96 wetland at mile 3.3 of the Kasilof River (polygon 8845). |
Wetland Indicators Type: Tidal Average depth to water table: T6: 11.5 cm; n=2 T9: n/a Organic layer thickness: T6: 19 cm; n=1 T9: n/a Average depth to redoximorphic features: T6: 0 cm; n=1 T9: n/a Common Soils: CLUNIE Common Plant communities: T9 Component: Sphagnum moss – Manyflower sedge Bog blueberry – Manyflower sedge – Dwarf birch
T6 Component: |
T96 complexes are wetlands with both a shrubby manyflower sedge (Carex pluriflora) component (T9) and Lyngbye's sedge (Carex lyngbyei) (T6). The two components either segregate, with small patches of Lyngbye's sedge occupying dispersed micro-topographic low spots, or intermix. They are found a few miles form the mouths of the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers on wide flats.
The manyflower sedge (T9) component corresponds to Vince and Snow's (1984) 'Inner Sedge Marsh zone 8'. Vince and Snow estimate that this zone is inundated an average of once per summer (range 0-2 times for a duration of more than 5 days); by only the highest spring tides.
The Lyngbye's sedge (T6) component corresponds with Vince and Snow's (1984) 'Inner Sedge Marsh Zone 7', estimated to be inundated on only the highest spring tides, or an average of 2 times per summer on the Susitna Flats (with a range of 0-5 times per summer), in upper Cook Inlet, Alaska. Vince and Snow found that water was retained for greater than 5 days per inundation.
