Name:
Acer saccharum - Tilia americana - Fraxinus americana / Ostrya virginiana / Geranium robertianum Woodland
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
These open, circumneutral woodlands range from the Great Lakes to the Northern Appalachians and Lower New England regions. They typically occur on talus and colluvial slopes where soils are derived from circumneutral to calcareous bedrock, and often extend upslope onto ridges and low summits. The elevation range is from about 150 to 610 m (500-2000 feet) with most occurrences below 365 m (1200 feet), and southerly exposure is common. Soils are thin, patchy and dry. The hardwood canopy is very patchy, with open talus interspersed with wooded areas. Even the wooded areas generally have an open canopy, and canopy closure overall is usually less than 50%, often with stunted trees. Shrubs and herbs are scattered where soil is available; vines are unusually well-represented. Herb cover may be locally extensive on stabilized areas. The bryoid layer is very minor and varies from patches of lichens on the open talus to sparse mosses in wooded areas. The ground cover is boulder talus and deciduous litter. Canopy dominants are typically <i>Acer saccharum</i> and <i>Quercus rubra</i>, with the characteristic but usually subordinate species <i>Ostrya virginiana, Fraxinus americana</i>, and <i>Tilia americana</i>. Where shrubs are even present, they are scattered and clumped and include <i>Cornus rugosa, Acer pensylvanicum, Acer spicatum, Rubus odoratus, Corylus cornuta, Viburnum acerifolium, Staphylea trifolia</i>, and <i>Ribes</i> spp. Vines are locally abundant on talus. Rich-site herbs indicative of these talus slopes include <i>Asplenium platyneuron, Polystichum braunii, Aralia racemosa, Saxifraga virginiensis, Geranium robertianum, Arabis drummondii, Asarum canadense, Carex rosea, Carex sprengelii, Carex platyphylla</i>, and <i>Piptatherum racemosum (= Oryzopsis racemosa)</i>. This association is distinguished from other deciduous talus and low summit woodlands by the presence of enriched-site species such as <i>Tilia americana</i> and <i>Juglans cinerea</i> in the canopy, and the characteristic rich-site herb species listed above. However, sites do occur that are intermediate between this type and the more acidic oak-birch talus woodland, <i>~Betula alleghaniensis - Quercus rubra / Polypodium virginianum</i> Woodland (CEGL006320)$$.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31416.CEGL005058
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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