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Sign 2 - IMPORTANT MARSH PLANTS
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The
modern world of life depends on green plants for converting
solar energy into potential chemical energy -- in the foods we
eat. During the day, green plants carry on photosynthesis
faster than respiration, yielding a net gain in carbohydrate
and atmospheric oxygen at the expense of carbon dioxide and a
little water.
But
plants are also important in shaping the landscape for animal
habitats. They take part in successions in which different
vegetations follow each other, from the quick, short-lived,
weedy "pioneers" to the crowding-tolerant, permanent or
"climax" types.
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In the lawn edge by the parking lot, for example, soil
disturbance is subsiding; the rank weeds are being subdued by
the invasion of more permanent pioneers, Kentucky bluegrass
and other lawn grasses. Compare the size of foxtail grass,
lesser ragweed and others here with those along the raw
shores. If left unmowed, bluegrass can in turn be invaded by
forest.
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The three dominant emergents in the deep water marsh are
cattail and roundstem and river bulrushes. Here roundstem
predominates at present.
In
moist ground (the low meadow), the dominants are bluejoint
grass and tussock sedge, often now replaced by the huskier
Eurasian reed canary - planted by farmers - which excludes
other life. A dozen other plants of shores, mud and shallows
are shown here. All the marsh plants pioneer early but
many persist and spread for many years - hence can be
considered "climax" vegetation.
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