Name:
Thuja occidentalis - Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Acer pensylvanicum Woodland
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association is a northern white-cedar open-canopy woodland known only from scattered locations in northern New England. It occurs on gentle to moderately steep slopes over talus, glacial till, or bedrock, in settings that are not xeric and that may have areas where seepage emerges. Where the underlying bedrock is granitic, the near-coastal location may ameliorate the effects of the acidic substrate to some degree; substrates in other locations appear to have a circumneutral tendency. Canopy closure is variable from closed to quite open. The lower layers are typically sparse, although the herb layer may be locally extensive. The canopy is strongly dominated by Thuja occidentalis. Associated canopy trees include Betula papyrifera, Betula alleghaniensis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Picea rubens, Pinus strobus, Tsuga canadensis, Abies balsamea, or Acer saccharum. The shrub layer may include Abies balsamea, Acer pensylvanicum, Diervilla lonicera, or Amelanchier spp. The herbaceous layer includes Eurybia macrophylla (= Aster macrophyllus), Oclemena acuminata (= Aster acuminatus), Dryopteris marginalis, Maianthemum canadense, Trientalis borealis, Danthonia spicata, Carex pedunculata, Carex gracillima, and Carex laxiflora. Typical bryophytes include Dicranum spp., Leucobryum glaucum, Pleurozium schreberi, and Hylocomium splendens. This cedar woodland overstory of the association resembles that of Thuja occidentalis / Gaylussacia baccata - Vaccinium angustifolium Woodland (CEGL006411), but the mesic conditions, presence of Fraxinus spp. or Betula alleghaniensis, and lack of a heath layer distinguish this community.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.23216.THUJAOCCIDENTAL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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