Vegetation

Springs are defined in the landscape not only by the flow out and flow off of the water, but can also be delineated against their surrounding by their plant cover or vegetation. The vegetation inside and in the immediate sourrounding is called spring and flush community. It's extend is usually not more than 5 square meters. Spring and flush communities are charcterized by a low growing, often ground covering, predominantely evergreen herbaceous layer, often with a high percentage of mosses, and a lack of high growing woody plants. Larger areas influenced by ground water, which often bear multiple springs arranged in groups, and stocked with an alder-ash-marsh forest, are referred to as „spring forest“.