Name:
Acer rubrum / Carex stricta - Onoclea sensibilis Woodland
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association is a partly wooded, deciduous-canopy wetland of central and northern New England. It occurs on muck soils or mineral soils with a surface organic layer, in poorly drained depressions influenced by groundwater. It is also common in those streamside and lakeside settings where the hydrology is that of a basin setting rather than a floodplain. The community is typically flooded in spring, with pools and small streams persisting throughout much of the growing season; soils may remain saturated, or may become dry on the surface over the course of the growing season. Hummock-and-hollow topography may be pronounced. The canopy consists of scattered trees, with as little as 25% overall cover. The shrub layer is patchy, and may be extensive in places. The herb layer is typically well-developed, with ferns and graminoids dominant. The bryophyte cover is variable. Acer rubrum is dominant in the canopy, often with many standing dead trees. Associated trees include Fraxinus nigra, Ulmus americana, and occasional Pinus strobus, Tsuga canadensis, or Picea rubens. The shrub layer is characterized by Vaccinium corymbosum and Ilex verticillata. Other shrubs may be locally common, including Nemopanthus mucronatus, Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides, Viburnum recognitum (= Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum), Lyonia ligustrina, Alnus incana, Ilex laevigata, Spiraea alba, and the creeping Rubus hispidus. The herbaceous layer is typically dominated by the graminoids Carex stricta, Carex lacustris, or Calamagrostis canadensis, or the ferns Onoclea sensibilis, Osmunda cinnamomea, or Osmunda claytoniana. Less abundant herbs include Carex intumescens, Carex folliculata, Carex canescens, Carex trisperma, Glyceria striata, Osmunda regalis, Dryopteris cristata, Thelypteris palustris, Lycopus uniflorus, Caltha palustris, and Impatiens capensis. Sphagnum spp. are the characteristic bryophytes, with non-sphagnous mosses as associates. These woodlands are ecologically similar to both Acer rubrum - Fraxinus spp. / Nemopanthus mucronatus - Vaccinium corymbosum Forest (CEGL006220) and Picea rubens - Acer rubrum / Nemopanthus mucronatus Forest (CEGL006198), but those are closed-canopy wetlands. This association does not include red maple wooded wetlands on deeper peat soils [see Acer rubrum / Alnus incana - Ilex verticillata / Osmunda regalis Woodland (CEGL006395) and Acer rubrum - Larix laricina / Rhamnus alnifolia Woodland (CEGL006118)].
Accession Code:
VB.CC.19430.ACERRUBRUMCAREX
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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