Name:
NY Heritage: Pine barrens shrub swamp
Reference:
Ecological Communities of New York, 2nd Ed.
Description:
A shrub-dominated wetland that occurs in shallow depressions in the coastal plain, often as a linear transition zone between a coastal plain pond shore and either pitch pine-scrub oak barrens or pitch pine-oak forest.
Characteristic shrubs include highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), inkberry (Ilex glabra), male-berry (Lyonia ligustrina), fetterbush (Leucothoe racemosa), sweet pepper-bush (Clethra alnifolia), leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), dwarf huckleberry (Gaylussacia dumosa), sheep laurel (Kalmia angustifolia). Other shrubs include staggerbush (Lyonia mariana), red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum), large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), and dangleberry (Gaylussacia frondosa).
The herb layer is sparse and characteristic herbs include Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia virginica), cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris) and tussock sedge (Carex stricta). Sphagnum are characteristic mosses in the groundlayer.
The largest and most diverse examples of pine barrens shrub swamp are located on the Roanoke Point and Ronkonkama moraines within fire prone forests. Most occur as small isolated segments, and large examples are rare. This community is linear in shape, often very thin (about 5-10 m) and typically less than 26 acres in size. The major ecological factors influencing this community include hydrology and fire. Pine barrens shrub swamps are best developed along the upper edges of coastal plain ponds that have variable hydrology, and are embedded in a fire prone forest, such as a pitch pine-oak forest.
Communities on Long Island with similar vegetation (i.e., dominated by tall shrubs such as Vaccinium corymbosum, Leucothoe racemosa, Clethra alnifolia, and Chamaedaphne calyculata) with deep peat deposits (20 cm-3 m) are treated as a coastal plain variety of highbush blueberry bog thicket. The two natural communities are separated by the fact that highbush blueberry bog thicket maintains a persistent hydrological regime, supports peat development, and often lacks "edge species" that are found in pine barrens shrub swamp, such as Lyonia mariana, Ilex glabra, and Myrica pensylvanica. Pine barrens shrub swamp is essentially an edge community positioned between more persistent wetlands and a fire-prone upland. Consequently vegetation and soils reflect the constant tension between the contraction and expansion of adjacent wetlands and additional disturbances such as fire and frost. Peat develops only intermittently to a thin 5-10 centimeters layer, and vegetation consists of both wetland and upland species.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.29015.NYHERITAGEPINEB
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
1
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