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Acer saccharum - Fraxinus americana - Tilia americana / Acer spicatum / Caulophyllum thalictroides Forest | Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Acer saccharum - Fraxinus americana - Tilia americana / Acer spicatum / Caulophyllum thalictroides Forest Reference: Eastern Ecology Working Group of... Description: This rich sugar maple - white ash - basswood forest is found from the northeastern United States and Canada to the central Great Lakes area, south to the High Alleghenies of Virginia and West Virginia. Stands occur on nutrient-rich, mesic or wet-mesic settings on sloped to rolling terrain. Slope bottoms, where colluvium collects, are a common landscape position. The surface soils are deep sand, loamy sand, or loam and may be underlain by sandy clay loam to clay loam. The sites are somewhat poorly drained to well-drained and can have a water table 0.4-2 m below the surface. Small (&lt;1 ha) seep areas that may occur within these forests have soils that are usually saturated. This forest community has a well-developed tree canopy composed of deciduous species. Shrubs are scattered, but the herbaceous stratum is generally extensive. Bryoids are only a minor component of the ground layer, which is predominantly nitrogen-rich sugar maple leaves. <i>Acer saccharum</i> and <i>Fraxinus americana</i> are the dominant trees; <i>Tilia americana</i> is frequent but not necessarily abundant. <i>Ostrya virginiana</i> is very common as a small tree. <i>Acer rubrum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia</i>, and <i>Prunus serotina</i> are typical associates, in small amounts. <i>Ulmus rubra</i> and <i>Juglans cinerea</i> are occasional. Shrubs that may be found in this community include <i>Cornus alternifolia, Viburnum lantanoides (= Viburnum alnifolium), Hamamelis virginiana, Dirca palustris</i>, and <i>Lonicera canadensis</i>. The ground flora, including many spring ephemerals, is diverse and consists primarily of nutrient- and light-requiring species. Many of these flower and fruit early in the spring before the tree canopy has fully leafed out. Fern richness is often high. Various sedges are present (particularly the Laxiflorae). These forests are differentiated from less-rich northern hardwood forests, e.g., <i>~Acer saccharum - Betula alleghaniensis - Fagus grandifolia / Viburnum lantanoides</i> Forest (CEGL006252)$$, primarily by their abundant and diverse herbaceous layer, as well as by the greater prominence of sugar maple and ash in the canopy and reduced importance of beech.  Accession Code: VB.CC.31063.CEGL005008 Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 17-Nov-2014 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: association This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686280 NatureServe Explorer   Common: Sugar Maple - Ash - Basswood Northern Rich Mesic Forest   Translated: Sugar Maple - White Ash - American Basswood / Mountain Maple / Blue Cohosh Forest   Scientific: Acer saccharum - Fraxinus americana - Tilia americana / Acer spicatum / Caulophyllum thalictroides Forest   Code: CEGL005008