Name:
Betula alleghaniensis - Acer rubrum - (Tsuga canadensis, Abies balsamea) / Osmunda cinnamomea Forest
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This mixed forest type occurs in moist ecotonal areas between uplands and wetlands in New England and the northern Appalachians. Settings include stream drainages, seepage channels, inactive river terraces, and slope bottoms where an impervious soil layer keeps water near the surface, but not permanently saturated basins. There is often pronounced hummock-and-hollow microtopography. The somewhat acidic to circumneutral mineral soils are typically saturated early in the season, but may dry out as summer progresses. The canopy closure ranges from somewhat open to nearly closed. Shrubs are sparse; the herb layer is patchy and may be locally dense. The bryoid layer is typically fairly sparse. The canopy is codominated by Tsuga canadensis and mixed hardwoods such as Betula alleghaniensis and Acer rubrum. Less frequent species can include Pinus strobus, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Fraxinus nigra. Picea rubens may occur sporadically at the northern extent of this community, and Nyssa sylvatica may occur to the south. The shrub layer often includes Lindera benzoin, Viburnum lantanoides (= Viburnum alnifolium), and Acer pensylvanicum. The herb layer reflects the underlying moisture gradients, with Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda claytoniana, Geum rivale, Impatiens capensis, Thelypteris palustris, Arisaema triphyllum, Symplocarpus foetidus, Hydrocotyle americana, and Cardamine pensylvanica in the more moist areas, and Coptis trifolia, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Oclemena acuminata (= Aster acuminatus), Dryopteris intermedia, Cornus canadensis, Aralia nudicaulis, and Clintonia borealis typical of the areas grading to upland. Bryophyte cover is spotty and often includes Sphagnum girgensohnii, Bazzania trilobata, and Mnium spp. These forests are somewhat similar to Tsuga canadensis - Betula alleghaniensis / Ilex verticillata / Sphagnum spp. Forest (CEGL006226), but occur on mineral soils, not in peaty basins, and have understory species that indicate somewhat more nutrient-enriched conditions.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.19792.BETULAALLEGHANI
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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