Hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) is an occasional fern on Watershed 6. It is a fern of open areas and can colonize large open spaces. In some woodland settings (not at Hubbard Brook) it can develop so much cover and be so dense that it precludes other species, including regenerating tree species. In the photo below, hayscented fern almost completely covers one of the rain gauge clearings near Watershed 6. In this instance, its dense cover is helpful in that it keeps woody plants from invading the clearing and thus reduces clearing maintenance.

Average aboveground biomass     =     0.41  g/m²

Web page created April 2001
by Thomas Siccama and Ellen Denny