Name:
Fraxinus nigra - Acer rubrum Saturated Forest Alliance
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This alliance, found in the upper midwestern and eastern regions of the United States as well as parts of adjacent Canada, contains communities known as 'calcareous seepage swamps,' 'hardwood swamps,' and 'red maple - black ash swamps' in which Acer rubrum and Fraxinus nigra are dominant or prominent canopy members. Total canopy cover ranges from nearly closed to open. Where the tree canopy is open, the understory vegetation is patchy, ranging from shrub-dominated patches to minerotrophic sedge meadows. Associated canopy trees are Betula alleghaniensis, Ulmus rubra, Ulmus americana, and Pinus strobus. In the northern parts of the range, Larix laricina, Thuja occidentalis, and Abies balsamea are sometimes present. Lindera benzoin (east), Toxicodendron vernix, Alnus incana (north), Salix spp., and Rhamnus alnifolia often occur in the shrub layer. The herbaceous layer is often quite diverse, supporting such species as Carex leptalea, Carex bromoides ssp. bromoides, Caltha palustris, Veratrum viride, Platanthera grandiflora, Geum rivale (north), Symplocarpus foetidus, Trollius laxus (north), Cypripedium reginae, Cypripedium parviflorum (= Cypripedium calceolus), Osmunda cinnamomea, Impatiens capensis, Cardamine bulbosa, Saxifraga pensylvanica, Dryopteris cristata, and Carex lacustris. Stands are typically found in poorly drained depressions (sometimes as narrow zones or small inclusions in wetland complexes, sometimes as large swamps), and occasionally in seepage zones at the base of river terraces or draws. Soils are generally muck and, although Sphagnum spp. may occur, there is generally not substantial peat development. Stands often occur in areas where there is influence by calcareous bedrock, and soil pH is generally higher than that of other alliances containing Acer rubrum.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.18071.FRAXINUSNIGRAAC
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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