Name:
Schoenoplectus pungens - Eleocharis parvula Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association encompasses the brackish marshes of coastal salt ponds of the northeastern Atlantic coast. Coastal salt ponds are ponds separated from the ocean by a barrier beach. They generally form when a lagoon or bay is closed off from regular tidal flooding by a sand spit or other barrier. Salinity depends on the length of time since enclosure of the lake/pond; freshwater input from precipitation and overland flow dilutes the enclosed seawater resulting in meso- to oligohaline conditions. Depending on the distance from the ocean, saltwater input is infrequent and a result of tidal breaches or storm overwash, although there can be some saltwater seepage across the barrier beach. Shorelines usually have gentle slopes that magnify gradients of salinity and saturation. Depending on local water balance, ponds can draw down to a certain degree exposing mud or sand flats. Substrate ranges from sand to mud to peat. Vegetation of coastal salt ponds is highly variable both spatially and temporally given the variable nature of the habitat and processes affecting it. Although not constant, vegetation zonation often occurs along shores of coastal salt ponds along gradients of salinity and flooding or saturation. Dominant species can be variable depending on local conditions but are generally characterized by Schoenoplectus pungens, Eleocharis parvula, and/or Spartina patens, Spartina pectinata, or Panicum virgatum. Where salinity is less Typha angustifolia can be common. Mud flat habitat can develop in lower areas that tend to be exposed later in the season with Eleocharis parvula, Eleocharis halophila, Eleocharis flavescens, Schoenoplectus maritimus, Crassula aquatica, Spergularia salina (= Spergularia marina), Cyperus filicinus, or others. In higher zones, vegetation can be similar to high salt marsh habitat; Panicum virgatum, Spartina patens, or Spartina pectinata can be characteristic, plus Schoenoplectus smithii, Echinochloa walteri, Cladium mariscoides, Distichlis spicata, or Chenopodium spp. Species found farther south include Ptilimnium capillaceum, Pluchea odorata, Schoenoplectus americanus, Hibiscus moscheutos, plus scattered individuals of Iva frutescens or Baccharis halimifolia. Ponds often support aquatic plants that are tolerant of brackish/saline conditions, such as Ruppia maritima, Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus), Potamogeton perfoliatus, or Zannichellia palustris, plus some marine algal species. Several associations may be warranted in these highly variable systems; collection of further data will likely support the division of more associations.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.20846.SCHOENOPLECTUSP
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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