Classification

• Province: Laurentian Mixed Forest
  • Section: Northern Superior Uplands
    • Subsection: Border Lakes
• System: Fire Dependent Woodland

Description:

• The Alder/Willow Wetland, about 2.5% of the BWCAW by surface area
• Slow moving subsurface water with dense, nearly impenetrable cover of tall shrubs
• Signature Species
• Speckled Alder, Alnus incana
• Willows, Salix spp.

Indicator
Species:

Trees

• Black Spruce, Picea mariana

Shrubs

• Speckled Alder, Alnus incana
• Labrador Tea, Ledum groenlandicum
• Late Low Blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium

Herbs

• Sedges, Carex ssp

Ground Cover

• Feather Moss,
• Dicranum Moss, Dicranum spp
• Hair Cap Mosses,
• Sphagnum Moss, Sphagnum spp

Landform & Topography:

Soils & Hydrology:

Identification:

• Generally small, slow moving, shallow, and muddy bottomed
• Shores support marsh or bog communities
• Signature Species
  • Brasenia
  • Pondweed
  • Water Lilies

• Common Loon, Gavia immer
• Pied Bill Grebe, Podilymbus podiceps
• Common Merganser, Mergus merganser
• Mallard Duck, Anas platyrhynchos
• American Black Duck, Anas rubripes
• Blue Wing Teal, Anas discours
• American Wigeon, Anas americana
• Common Goldeneye, Bucephala clangula
• Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus
• Ring Neck Duck, Aythya collaris
• Wood Duck, Aix sponsa
• Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
• American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus
• Killdeer Plover, Charadrius vociferous
• Solitary Sandpiper, Tringa solitaria
• Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia
• Common Snipe, Gallinago gallinago
• Herring Gull, Larus argentatus
• Black Tern, Chlidonias niger
• Osprey, Pandion haliaetus
• Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
• Belted Kingfisher, Megaceryle alcyon
• Tree Swallow, Iridoprocne bicolor
• Alder Flycatcher, Empidonax alnorum
• Yellow Warbler, Dendroica petechia
• Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla
• Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas
• Northern Waterthrush, Seiurus noveboracensis
• Clay Colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida
• Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana
• Red Winged Blackbird, Agelaius phoeniceus
• Rusty Blackbird, Euphagus carolinus

• Moose, Alces alces
• Muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus
• Beaver, Castor canadensis
• Masked Shrew, Sorex cinereus

Natural
History

• History

Other
Communities:

Last updated on 30 June, 2004