Habitats

Palustrine System. Open Mineral Soil Wetlands Subsystem-- Deep emergent marsh community

Deep emergent marsh

Physical Setting: The Deep emergent marsh covers approximately 101,000 square meters in a flat, S-shaped valley between the two highest hills east of the Ice Pond. The approximate center of the marsh is at 41.450ºN, 73.608ºW (± 10 m) and 135 m above sea level. The marsh borders Red maple-hardwood swamp to the east, Hemlock-northern hardwood forest to the north and south and the east branch of the Metro North Railroad to the west.

Substrate and Hydrology: The substrate is composed of deep, well-decomposed muck and mineral soil. The water is about 1 meter deep throughout the year and wave action is minimal. It receives perennial water recharge from a stream running east to west under Putnam County Road 62 (Farm to Market Road) and eventually drains into the Ice Pond through a two-meter pipe under the eastern branch of the Metro North Railroad.

Biota: This marsh has no woody vegetation (except dead Acer rubrum L., and Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall var. pennsylvanica stems) and is dominated by herbaceous plants including: Pontederia cordata L., Persicaria robustior (Small) E. P. Bicknell, Typha latifolia L., Lythrum salicaria L., Rumex altissimus Alph.Wood. Several non-aquatic herbs grow on tussocks formed around dead trees.

Cultural: Stone walls border most edges of the marsh, following the current high-water line, but do not cross through the marsh, suggesting that this area was segregated from the adjacent uplands and perhaps was not drained. According to local resident Anthony Russo, beavers occasionally block the outflow pipe causing the water level to rise significantly and in turn prompting adjacent homeowners and Railroad personnel to clear the pipe and evict the beavers.