Name:
Carex scirpoidea Alkaline Cliff Sparse Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This sparsely vegetated cliff association occurs in sub-boreal settings of northern New England and New York, and adjacent Canadian provinces, where weathering of calcium-bearing rock creates calcareous conditions. It is usually found above 1000 feet elevation. The vertical cliffs may be composed of alkaline bedrock such as limestone, but this vegetation can also be found on cliffs where the matrix rock is acidic (e.g., schists or even granite), either where local inclusions weather to more nutrient-rich conditions or where fractures conduct more nutrient-rich seepage waters. These cliffs are mostly dry, but may contain small areas of seepy conditions, with associated floristic variation. The patchy vegetation is restricted to cracks and crevices, and can vary from well-vegetated to barren across the cliff face. It is a mixture of scrubby trees and shrubs, herbaceous plants, and bryoids. Characteristic woody plants include Thuja occidentalis, Alnus viridis, Picea rubens, Acer spicatum, Betula papyrifera, Betula alleghaniensis, Ribes triste, Rubus odoratus, Sambucus racemosa (= Sambucus pubens), and Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda). Herbs include some assortment of Carex scirpoidea, Carex eburnea, Carex brunnescens, Trichophorum caespitosum (= Scirpus cespitosus), Aralia racemosa, Primula mistassinica, Primula laurentiana, Lobelia kalmii, Arabis lyrata, Saxifraga virginiensis, Saxifraga paniculata (= Saxifraga aizoon), Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga aizoides, Draba breweri var. cana (= Draba lanceolata), Pinguicula vulgaris, and Rhodiola rosea (= Sedum rosea). Characteristic ferns include Cryptogramma stelleri, Asplenium trichomanes, Asplenium trichomanes-ramosum, Dryopteris fragrans, Cystopteris bulbifera, Cystopteris fragilis, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Woodsia ilvensis, and Woodsia glabella. Dryopteris fragrans and Woodsia ilvensis are more constant than the other vascular species. The bryoid flora can be diverse but is little documented outside of New Hampshire. Noted in the New Hampshire study were the calciphiles Distichum capillaceum, Gymnostomum aeruginosum, and Tortella tortuosa, and the circumneutral indicators Amphidium mougeotii (the most frequent of the indicators), Diplophyllum apiculatum, Mnium thomsonii, Myurella sibirica, and Polytrichastrum alpinum (= Pogonatum alpinum). This association is differentiated from other northeastern cliff associations by the combination of a sub-boreal setting (as evidenced by the woody plants within and surrounding this vegetation: Picea rubens, Alnus viridis, Acer spicatum, etc.) and the presence of calciphiles such as Dryopteris fragrans, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, and Campanula rotundifolia.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.24330.CAREXSCIRPOIDEA
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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