Name:
Typha (angustifolia, latifolia) - (Schoenoplectus spp.) Semipermanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This alliance, found in virtually every state in the United States and probably most Canadian provinces, contains stands dominated by Typha angustifolia and/or Typha latifolia, either alone or in combination with other tall emergent marsh species. Associated species vary widely; in the Midwest they include many sedges such as Carex aquatilis, Carex rostrata, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa), bulrushes such as Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus), Schoenoplectus acutus (= Scirpus acutus), and Schoenoplectus heterochaetus (= Scirpus heterochaetus), and broad-leaved herbs such as Thelypteris palustris, Asclepias incarnata, Impatiens capensis, Sagittaria latifolia, Scutellaria lateriflora, Sparganium eurycarpum, Hibiscus moscheutos, and Verbena hastata. Floating aquatics such as Lemna minor may predominate in deeper zones. This alliance is found most commonly along lake margins and in shallow basins, and occasionally in river backwaters. Lacustrine cattail marshes typically have a muck-bottom zone bordering the shoreline, where cattails are rooted in the bottom substrate, and a floating mat zone, where the roots grow suspended in a buoyant peaty mat. Typha angustifolia can grow in deeper water compared to Typha latifolia, although both species reach maximum growth at a water depth of 50 cm. Typha often occurs in pure stands, and can colonize areas recently exposed by either natural or human causes. Lythrum salicaria, an exotic species from Europe, has become a common associate of many eastern Typha marshes. In the Southeast, this alliance is widespread and currently representative of a wide variety of mixed marshes with no clear dominants. Vegetation in this alliance may be natural or semi-natural and includes mixed stands of the nominal species, as well as essentially monospecific stands of Typha latifolia. These monospecific stands occur especially in artificial wetlands, such as borrow pits or ponds. This alliance occurs on hydric soils in wetlands, ditches, ponds, lakes, and rivers, as well as on shorelines and streambanks. Inundation is commonly 3-6 dm (1-2 feet) in depth. These marshes have hydric soils and are flooded with water levels ranging from several centimeters to more than 1 m for a significant part of the growing season. Occurrences may display areas of open water, but emergent vegetation dominates (80% cover). Seasonal flooding during winter and spring or flooding during heavy rains help maintain these marshes by causing water exchange which replenishes freshwater and circulates nutrients and organic debris. Soils which support this community can be mineral or organic but are saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. Vegetative diversity and density is highly variable in response to water depth, water chemistry, and natural forces.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.17763.TYPHAANGUSTIFOL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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