Login | Datasets | Logout
 

View Community Concepts - Detail

Platanus occidentalis - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Acer negundo / Sanicula odorata - Elymus virginicus Forest | Lea, C. 2000. Plant communities ...
  click to update datacart
Name: Platanus occidentalis - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Acer negundo / Sanicula odorata - Elymus virginicus Forest
Reference: Lea, C. 2000. Plant communities ...
Description: This association is restricted to a 50-hectare, high-gradient floodplain in the lower portion of the Potomac Gorge in Maryland and the District of Columbia. It is likely strongly influenced by infrequent, but catastrophic, ice jams which occur in this narrow section. It differs from other floodplain forests of the gorge in that many of the canopy trees exhibit obvious evidence of past mechanical damage by ice or flood. In addition, soils are shallower and there are scattered bedrock exposures. The vegetation is a somewhat open, even-aged forest codominated by <i>Platanus occidentalis</i> and <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>. <i>Acer saccharinum, Juglans nigra</i>, and <i>Populus deltoides</i> are usually present but not dominant. The subcanopy is comprised of <i>Acer negundo</i>, with <i>Ulmus americana</i> at lower cover. The shrub layer cover ranges from 5-40% and is comprised primarily of <i>Lindera benzoin</i> and small <i>Acer negundo</i>. Vine cover is generally greater than 8%. The most constant (&#8805; native herbs in 10 plot samples are <i>Elymus virginicus, Sanicula odorata, Viola sororia, Verbesina alternifolia, Hydrophyllum canadense, Carex blanda, Arisaema triphyllum, Poa pratensis, Geum canadense, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Festuca subverticillata, Carex jamesii</i>, and <i>Polygonum virginianum</i>. However, the exotics <i>Ranunculus ficaria</i> and <i>Microstegium vimineum</i> are rampant, each averaging 25-50% cover in these plots, and many additional exotics are present at lower constancy and mean cover. 
Accession Code: VB.CC.37256.CEGL006475
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 17-Nov-2014 to: 01-May-2019
     
  • status: Provisional
  • This Community's Level: association
  • This Community's Children: [none]
Names:   Common: Potomac Gorge Ice-Scour Floodplain Forest
  Translated: American Sycamore - Green Ash - Box-elder / Clustered Black-snakeroot - Virginia Wildrye Forest
  Scientific: Platanus occidentalis - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Acer negundo / Sanicula odorata - Elymus virginicus Forest
  Code: CEGL006475
  UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.802106 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo