Name:
Prunus serotina - Liriodendron tulipifera - Acer rubrum - Fraxinus americana - (Robinia pseudoacacia) Ruderal Forest
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This early-successional woody vegetation of the northeastern United States occurs on sites that are becoming reforested after having been cleared for agriculture or otherwise heavily modified in the past. Environmental setting varies, but generally sites are dry-mesic to mesic, with small seepage inclusions in some examples. Physiognomy of this vegetation is highly variable, ranging from closed forest, open forest, tall dense shrubland, to more open tall shrubland. Early-successional woody species dominate the canopy in a widely variable mix, depending on geographic location. In the Central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic Piedmont, many stands represent decadent forests that were once dominated by <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> but are now mixed with various mid-successional hardwoods; other stands in this region regenerated as mixed stands. Tree species often include some combination of <i>Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Robinia pseudoacacia</i>, and <i>Acer rubrum</i>. Other associates can include <i>Juglans nigra, Sassafras albidum, Betula populifolia, Juniperus virginiana, Acer negundo, Acer saccharinum, Ailanthus altissima, Ulmus americana, Quercus</i> spp., <i>Betula lenta, Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Pinus strobus</i>, and <i>Populus grandidentata</i>. Other woody species may contribute to the canopy or form a tall-shrub layer, including <i>Lindera benzoin</i> and <i>Carpinus caroliniana</i>. The low-shrub layer, if present, is usually characterized by the presence of <i>Rubus</i> spp. such as <i>Rubus flagellaris, Rubus allegheniensis, Rubus phoenicolasius</i>, or <i>Rubus hispidus</i>. This layer is often dominated by exotic species such as <i>Lonicera tatarica, Lonicera morrowii, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus</i> spp., <i>Rosa multiflora</i>, and <i>Berberis thunbergii</i>. The herbaceous layer is variable, often containing grasses and forbs of both native and exotic origin. Common species include <i>Ageratina altissima var. altissima, Polygonum persicaria, Impatiens capensis, Glechoma hederacea, Polystichum acrostichoides, Calystegia sepium ssp. sepium, Galium aparine, Oxalis stricta, Polygonum virginianum, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Arisaema triphyllum, Allium vineale</i>, and <i>Veronica officinalis</i>, among many others. The invasive species <i>Alliaria petiolata, Microstegium vimineum</i>, and <i>Polygonum caespitosum</i> can be abundant in this disturbed forest type. Vines can be absent or abundant. In stands with high vine cover, the vegetation structure can be altered by the weight of the vines pulling down trees and shrubs. Common vines include <i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vitis labrusca</i>, and the invasive vines <i>Celastrus orbiculata</i> and <i>Lonicera japonica</i>. These forests are often young and resulted from the colonization of old agricultural fields by woody species. Recent disturbance or abundant invasive species give these forest stands a weedy character. It is unlikely that these stands will succeed to a natural plant community dominated by native species.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.30907.CEGL006599
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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