Name:
(Morella cerifera) / Panicum virgatum - Spartina patens Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This association occurs in seasonally flooded basins, or interdunal swales, landward of maritime backdunes along the mid-Atlantic coast. The water table is at or close to the surface in the spring. Freshwater maintains these depressions as saturated or seasonally flooded and somewhat poorly drained. The community is generally strongly dominated by <i>Panicum virgatum</i> but can be variable in its expression. Associated species include <i>Spartina patens, Juncus canadensis, Solidago sempervirens, Eleocharis palustris, </i><i>Eleocharis albida, Eleocharis quadrangulata, Schoenoplectus pungens, Saccharum giganteum, Cladium mariscoides, Triadenum virginicum, Diodia virginiana, Toxicodendron radicans, Linum medium, Carex longii</i>, and <i>Euthamia caroliniana (= Euthamia</i><i> tenuifolia)</i>. This community is typically dominated by 40-85% cover of <i>Panicum virgatum</i> and occurs in larger interdunal depressions (up to one-half hectare). Variability occurs in the cover of <i>Panicum virgatum</i> and the richness of associated species. When <i>Panicum virgatum</i> is not as dense, it is most often associated with an even mixture of <i>Schoenoplectus pungens (= Scirpus </i><i>pungens)</i> or <i>Spartina patens</i>. In some cases, <i>Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera)</i> or <i>Baccharis halimifolia</i> constitute less than 10% shrub cover, but shrub cover is usually much less or absent, and other herbs codominate. Soils are characterized by a shallow organic layer (usually a few centimeters in depth) overlying loamy sand or sand. The range of this vegetation is poorly known due to the low confidence of the classification. The vegetation is similar in total floristic composition to ~<i>Morella cerifera - Vaccinium corymbosum</i> Shrubland (CEGL003906)$$, but shrubs are generally lacking or at very low cover, and grasses are much more abundant. The community apparently occurs in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and may extend to North Carolina, but the full range will require further study.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.30909.CEGL004129
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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