A
fen is one of the main types of
wetland, the others being grassy
marshes, forested
swamps, and peaty
bogs. Along with bogs, fens are a kind of
mire. Fens are usually fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. They are characterised by their water chemistry, which is
pH neutral or
alkaline, with relatively high dissolved
mineral levels but few other
plant nutrients. They are usually dominated by grasses and sedges, and typically have brown mosses in general including
Scorpidium or
Drepanocladus. Fens frequently have a high diversity of other plant species including carnivorous plants such as
Pinguicula. They may also occur along large lakes and rivers where seasonal changes in water level maintain wet soils with few woody plants. The distribution of individual species of fen plants is often closely connected to water regimes and nutrient concentrations.