Name:
Fraxinus pennsylvanica - (Juglans nigra, Platanus occidentalis) Forest
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This is a green ash - mixed hardwood floodplain forest of the northern Piedmont in the mid-Atlantic eastern United States. It occurs behind levees and on low terraces that are flooded annually for short durations (less than one week per year). Water table is high for the majority of the growing season. Soils are generally silts or clay loams but can have coarser substrates where flood water velocity is higher. The canopy is codominated by <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> with <i>Juglans nigra</i> and/or <i>Platanus occidentalis</i>. Additional associates include <i>Ulmus americana, Celtis occidentalis, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum</i>, and <i>Quercus palustris</i>. In some areas <i>Fraxinus americana</i> may be present in place of <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>. Subcanopy and shrub layers are sparse and generally comprised of canopy species regeneration plus <i>Carpinus caroliniana, Carya cordiformis, Lindera benzoin, Cornus amomum, Viburnum prunifolium</i>, and <i>Viburnum dentatum</i>. The invasive shrubs <i>Rosa multiflora, Lonicera morrowii, Berberis thunbergii</i>, and <i>Lonicera japonica</i> can be problematic. Herbaceous species, where exotics are not rampant, can include <i>Impatiens pallida, Impatiens capensis, Laportea canadensis, Verbesina alternifolia, Thalictrum pubescens, Hydrophyllum canadense, Podophyllum peltatum, Symplocarpus foetidus, Circaea lutetiana, Boehmeria cylindrica, Onoclea sensibilis, Arisaema triphyllum</i>, and <i>Viola</i> spp. Woody vines include <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i> and <i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i>. Exotic species tend to dominate the herb layer, including <i>Alliaria petiolata, Glechoma hederacea</i>, and <i>Microstegium vimineum</i>. Diagnostic features of this floodplain forest include the presence of <i>Juglans nigra</i> and rich herbs.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31060.CEGL006575
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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