Plant wise Bob what is more diverse? A natural flowing cedar stream or a beaver bog.I know the beavers change the look of the stream for centuries there after but the ponds are a have for wildlife and fish.Are they a more diverse area for plants as well?
That is a good question Al. Actually, what comes in can crowd out what was there, so it becomes more of an even swap. In our area, a beaver pond is usually not large at first. That comes with time as the trees die off.
The problem is, the new ecosystem crowds out rare species that used to define our pine savannas, and replaces them with common, aggressive plants that give an entirely different look to the area. These newly established plants will be more densely crowded and much less appealing.
Losers:
Schizaea pusilla (Curly Grass Fern)
Triantha racemosa (Coastal False Asphodel)
Narthecium americanum (Bog Asphodel)
Chamaecyparis thyoides (Atlantic White Cedar)
Platanthera cristata (Crested Yellow Orchid)
Lobelia canbyi (Canby's lobelia)
Winners:
Leersia oryzoides (Rice Cut Grass)
Panicum virgatum (Switch Grass)
Decodon verticillatus (Swamp Loosestrife)
Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Chamaedaphne calyculata (Leatherleaf)
Phragmites australis (Reed Grass)