ABSTRACT:

Field observations from six fens in Wisconsin, U.S.A., under varying conditions (pristine to highly degraded) are archived here. Data was collected and lab analyses were performed to determine relationships between soil water regime, floristic quality, and peat hydraulic properties. Concomitant cover-weighted floristic quality index (wFQI) and mean growing season surface soil moisture (SSM_mean) data from 118 plots were collected. Near-surface soil samples were collected from 9 of the same plots and moisture release curves were created in the laboratory using a Decagon Devices HYPROP system. Moisture release curve model parameters were estimated for the van Genuchten model using SWRC Fit (http://swrcfit.sourceforge.net/) and are presented here for the van Genuchten alpha parameter (VGalpha) and saturated volumetric water content (thetaSAT).