A sedge meadow community showing the hummock growth form, often conspicuous in grazed sedge meadow. This picture is from Wisconsin but Minnesota has identical sedge meadows.

A farmed prairie pothole basin in western Minnesota that had been planted to corn. This photo taken in midsummer shows drown out and crop stress (yellowed, stunted) corn due to ponding and saturated soil conditions. The dark green vegetation in the background is softstem bulrush, which is re-colonizing the basin in spite of plowing earlier in the growing season.


An example of wetlands dominated by facultative-upland species, in this case a coniferous swamp dominated by white pine on muck soils. No artificial drainage or other hydrologic alterations have been done at this site. This photo is from Wisconsin. MN has similar swamps.

Drift lines (deposits of debris due to water) are a hydrologic indicator.


An indicator of subsidence of organic soils -- exposed roots where organic soils are oxidized.

Adventitious roots sprouting from the stem of sandbar willow after prolonged inundation.
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