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Avicennia germinans / Spartina alterniflora Shrubland | Smith, L. 1999. Coastal marsh ty...
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Name: Avicennia germinans / Spartina alterniflora Shrubland
Reference: Smith, L. 1999. Coastal marsh ty...
Description: This distinctive salt marsh/shrubland community of coastal Louisiana, Texas, and Florida occurs in Gulf-fringing areas, mostly flanking large bays, on the protected sides of barrier islands, and on a few islands on the northern edge of the bays. In Louisiana this type reaches its northern range in limited areas in the Deltaic Plain where occasional hard freezes prevent <i>Avicennia</i> from ever attaining the stature of forests or swamps as it does at more southerly latitudes. This type is also very rare in north Florida for the same reason. This community type oscillates over time between an herbaceous-dominated marsh and tidal low shrubland in direct relationship to hard freezes in the coastal salt marsh, and possibly also due to effects of hurricanes. Although freezes top-kill <i>Avicennia</i>, it resprouts and, within a few freeze-free years, it comes to dominate substantial acreages in salt marsh, particularly on some coastal barrier islands (e.g. Raccoon Island, Charles Sasser pers. comm.) and in far southern salt marshes immediately adjacent to the Gulf or coastal bays. It may attain heights of 10 feet or more during long freeze-free intervals. Species richness is characteristically quite low. Common species in addition to the nominal species include <i>Batis maritima, Salicornia virginica, Iva frutescens, Borrichia frutescens</i>, and <i>Distichlis spicata</i>. 
Accession Code: VB.CC.37192.CEGL003801
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:   Common: Black Mangrove Shrubland
  Translated: Black Mangrove / Smooth Cordgrass Shrubland
  Scientific: Avicennia germinans / Spartina alterniflora Shrubland
  Code: CEGL003801
  UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685825 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo