Moist sandy meadow is distinctive in its typically anthropogenic origins (e.g., disturbed sites such as ditches, borrow pits, logging trails) and mix of prairie, fen, sedge meadow, and sometimes barrens species. Moist sandy meadows may be similar to coastal plain marshes or inland beaches but are generally not adjacent to seepage lakes, have little standing water, and do not have the strong vegetation zonation typical of these other communities. The nutrient-poor, sandy soils set this community apart from other similar types like wet prairie (found on loam, silt loam, or silty clay loam) and sedge meadow (associated with organic [peat] soils). Moist sandy meadows also may have a barrens flora component, which is lacking in wet prairies.
