Forested Wetlands at the Watershed Center

Trillium grandiflorum (common names white trillium, great white trillium, white wake-robin, French trille blanc) is a species of flowering plant in the family Melanthiaceae. A monocotyledonous, herbaceous perennial, it is native to eastern North America, from northern Quebec to the southern parts of the United States through the Appalachian Mountains into northernmost Georgia and west to Minnesota. It also thrives on Vancouver Island. There are also several disjunctive populations, such as in Nova Scotia and Iowa. less ↑

Sphagnum is a genus of approximately 120 species of mosses. Sphagnum accumulations can store water, since both living and dead plants can hold large quantities of water inside their cells; plants may hold from 16-26 times as much water as their dry weight depending on the species. The empty cells help retain water in drier conditions. Hence, as sphagnum moss grows, it can slowly spread into drier conditions, forming larger peatlands, both raised bogs and blanket... less ↑

Dryopteris /draɪˈɒptərɨs/, commonly called wood fern, male fern (referring in particular to Dryopteris filix-mas), or buckler fern, is a genus of about 250 species of ferns with distribution in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in eastern Asia. Many of the species have stout, slowly creeping rootstocks that form a crown, with a vase-like ring of fronds. The sori are round, with a peltate indusium. The stipes have prominent scales. less ↑

Tilia americana is a species of Tilia native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Texas, and southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to Cherry County, Nebraska. Common names include American Linden and Basswood (also applied to other species of Tilia in the timber trade). less ↑

Identification

The Eastern Hemlock is the most blue-green conifer of them all. It’s branches wilt towards the ground. Each needle has two white bands running lengthwise on the top and bottom of the needle. The needles grow in rows on either side of the twig on which they are growing. The needles are flat. The tree in its general shape looks like an upside down cone. The bark is scaly and has a purplish-brown color.

Niche
The Eastern Hemlock is a producer. I know this because they make their own food; converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. They provide food for porcupine which eats the Hemlock's bark, along with red squirrel. Unfortunately the tree also is considered home to invasive insects known as hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale which feed on it’s wood.

The Eastern Hemlock grows best is cool moist climates without an abundance of sunlight. Hemlocks grow best in areas with many other trees, which provide shade. The reason Hemlock grows best in wetlands is because the soil is constantly saturated. Eastern Hemlocks often grow from a decaying stump or tree. The Hemlock serves as shelter for many animals including birds and other small animals. (Ex. Red Squirrel)

Sources
http://www.cornellplantations.org/our-gardens/natural-areas/invasive/hemlock-woolly-adelgid
http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/sites/harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/files/publications/pdfs/orwig_Sierran_2008.pdf less ↑

Onoclea sensibilis, the sensitive fern, also known as the bead fern, is a coarse-textured, medium to large-sized deciduous perennial fern. The name comes from the observation by early American settlers that it was very sensitive to frost, the fronds dying quickly when first touched by it. It is sometimes treated as the only species in Onoclea, but some authors do not consider the genus monotypic. less ↑

Identification:

The Black Willow tree can be 30 to 60 feet tall. Also, the Black Willow has soft wood. Its fine-grained wood is used to make artificial limbs, boxes, caning and baskets. These trees are found along many streams. The Black Willow’s branches are spreading branches and it has a dark trunk. Thin narrow leaves often have stipules like tiny heart-shaped collars at the base. The flowers are called catkins. They are less puffy than those of a pussy willow tree. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees and form small hairy seeds.

Niche
The Black Willow is a producer. It is a producer because it gives food to other plants and animals. The Black Willow is also a producer because it makes oxygen. This helps the ecosystem because it gives the animals that eat the tree energy and oxygen. The oxygen is for all living things. If we didn't have any trees we wouldn't be here on this earth because there would be no oxygen for us to breathe.

Sites or books:

Trees: A Guide to Familiar American Trees by Herbert S. Zim and Alexander C. Martin less ↑

Identification:
Eastern White Pines are evergreen trees and have straight trunks, with smooth, gray bark. The needles on this tree grow in a clump of 5 and each one grows to about 5 inches. Instead of flowers, this tree has small, yellow cones. The “fruit” of this tree are large, brown pine cones. This pine tree in particular is a softwood tree, and can live over 400 years. The Eastern White Pine used to cover most of northeast North America. This tree can grow to 164.0 to 188.8 feet. It grows 1 meter in the “ages” 15 to 45.

Niche:
The niche of this organism is to create shelter, shade and energy for other organisms, which makes it a producer. Being a producer means you get your energy directly from the sun, and give your energy to other organisms. The young trees get eaten by white tailed deer. American Bald Eagles love to nest in this tree.

Eastern White Pine Sites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_strobus
http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pist.pdf
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/eastern_white_pine.htm less ↑

Identification:
Red maple usually have a narrow compact crown. Red maple can grow to a height of 60 feet or more. Leaves are deciduous. Leaves are 2.5 to 4 inches long. They are usually green and slippery.

Niche: The red maple is a producer. It takes in carbon-dioxide, sun and water, it then releases oxygen. It provides shelter for other animals. Fungi can grow on the trunks. This tree is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees in north america. They are often found in swamps and in poor dry soil conditions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_rubrum less ↑

Identification
The pitch pine can be identified by the needles. They are in groups of three. It is a medium sized tree. The needles are about 11/2” - 5” long. The branches are often thick.

Niche
The pitch pine is a producer. I know this because it makes its own food. Sprouts and seeds are for deer, cottontail rabbits, and meadow mice. Birds including quail, chickadees and juncos eat pine seeds as mice do also. They can be shelter from rain. It can also provide shade. less ↑