Name:
Solidago rugosa - Euthamia graminifolia Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This herbaceous tall-herb type occurs on moist to temporarily flooded floodplains in the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia, at elevations between 370 and 1220 m. It is a small-patch type that occupies flat to gently sloping land (0- 3-degree slopes) adjacent to small streams. Occasional flooding keeps this community open and prevents buildup of organic material in the substrate. Flooding can occur at any time of year. This type is common in beaver-influenced wetlands and on disturbed ground. It is likely to be present on the landscape as long as natural (beaver and flooding) and man-made disturbance regimes persist. Its present distribution is probably larger than its presettlement distribution, when disturbances were less widespread. Soil texture is variable and may include well-drained to poorly drained sandy loam, silt loam, or silty clay, with pH averaging 4.0, underlain by alluvial deposits including stratified sediments, cobbles, and woody debris. A few percent cover of trees and shrubs may be present, including <i>Acer rubrum, Cornus amomum, Crataegus</i> spp., <i>Hypericum densiflorum, Ilex montana, Picea rubens, Prunus serotina var. serotina, Salix sericea, Sambucus canadensis (= Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis)</i>, and <i>Spiraea alba</i>. The herbaceous layer has a number of species with fairly high constancy and cover, including <i>Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia, Solidago rugosa, Juncus effusus, Dichanthelium clandestinum, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Polygonum sagittatum, Clematis virginiana, Galium tinctorium, Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata, Dennstaedtia punctilobula</i>, and <i>Carex scoparia var. scoparia</i>. Other frequent or locally abundant herbaceous species include <i>Symphyotrichum lanceolatum var. lanceolatum (= Aster simplex), Oxypolis rigidior, Scirpus cyperinus, Agrostis perennans, Impatiens capensis, Galium aparine, Eupatorium fistulosum, Onoclea sensibilis, Lycopus uniflorus var. uniflorus, Rubus hispidus, Poa pratensis ssp. pratensis, Carex gynandra, Osmunda cinnamomea var. cinnamomea, Hypericum mutilum, Eleocharis tenuis, Carex atlantica, Dichanthelium dichotomum, Solidago canadensis, Vernonia noveboracensis, Verbesina alternifolia, Symphyotrichum praealtum, Aconitum uncinatum, Stellaria longifolia var. longifolia, Carex squarrosa</i>, and <i>Carex annectens</i>. Cover by nonvascular plants is minimal. Mean species richness of all vascular plants and any nonvascular plants with cover >1% is 28 taxa per 400 square meters for 20 plots in West Virginia.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.30980.CEGL006568
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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