Name:
Fraxinus nigra - Acer saccharinum Upper Great Lakes Floodplain Forest
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This black ash terrace floodplain forest is found in the northern midwestern United States and adjacent southern Canada. Stands occur primarily along higher terraces of river bottoms and floodplains and beside lakes and larger streams, where flooding is relatively brief. Soils are well-drained and moist. They are both organic and medium-textured to fine-textured mineral soils. The overstory is dominated by <i>Fraxinus nigra</i> and <i>Acer saccharinum</i>, and, at least prior to Dutch elm disease, <i>Ulmus americana</i>. Associates in parts of its range include <i>Acer negundo, Acer saccharinum, Acer rubrum, Celtis occidentalis</i> (rarely), and <i>Tilia americana</i>. The shrub/sapling layer, which is variable in structure and composition, may include <i>Cornus alternifolia, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus sericea</i>, and <i>Salix</i> spp. The herbaceous ground cover contains <i>Asclepias incarnata, Carex</i> spp., <i>Elymus virginicus, Eupatorium maculatum, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Impatiens capensis, Laportea canadensis, Rudbeckia laciniata, Toxicodendron radicans</i>, and a variety of ferns, including <i>Matteuccia struthiopteris, Osmunda claytoniana</i>, and <i>Osmunda cinnamomea</i>. Diagnostic features include the dominance of <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> and <i>Ulmus americana</i>, lack of more southern herb and tree species (e.g., <i>Carya cordiformis, Platanus occidentalis, Juglans cinerea, Juglans nigra, Quercus bicolor</i>), the infrequent and short flooding, and the presence of both upland and floodplain associates.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.36605.CEGL005488
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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