Water sedge / Marsh fivefinger
	Carex aquatilis / Comarum palustre
	n = 3
	IIA(3)c,f: Wet Sedge Herb Meadow Tundra, Subarctic Lowland Sedge Wet Meadow
	Ecosystem: Relict Drainageway, Riparian

Water sedge (Carex aquatilis) communities are well described for Alaska.  A water sedge / marsh fivefinger (Comarum palustre) community is described as ”wet sedge herb meadow tundra” in the Vegetation of Alaska (Viereck, et al 1992).  Since tundra (underlain by permafrost) is absent on the Kenai lowlands, “subarctic lowland sedge wet meadow” is probably a more appropriate classification for Kenai water sedge communities.  A water sedge type with low marsh fivefinger representation is described in Chugach National Forest (DeVelice et. al., 1999), and on the Copper River a marsh fivefinger type is described (Boggs, 2000), although water sedge is not identified as occurring in any plots there.

 The three water sedge / marsh fivefinger sites we measured are along larger, slow moving watercourses on the central Peninsula.  One was adjacent to the Moose River, the other two along Soldotna and Salamatof Creeks.  Both these creeks are modern underfit streams occupying larger relict glacial drainageways. 

An open stand of water sedge tops regular, but scattered marsh fivefinger.  Open water is abundant, and sometimes water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) is common.  Occasionally, tealeaf willow (Salix pulchra) is encountered.

A thick organic layer is present, averaging 117 centimeters; on the Moose River this layer is probably a floating mat when the river level is high.  Standing water is present in between the sedge tussocks, and ranges from 7 cm deep to 7 cm below the surface.  pH in slightly acidic, averaging 6.3.  All three sites sampled qualify as jurisdictional wetlands.

Table 1. Summary of plant frequency and average cover for plants occurring in more than 50% of plots.

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