Name:
Carex scabrata - Viola cucullata / Plagiomnium ciliare Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Description:
°This linear, sloping forested seep occurs on saturated, temporarily flooded, and semipermanently flooded soils in headwater basins of the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia, at elevations between 780 and 1300 m. It occupies gently to steeply sloping drainages (1.5-20°) in upland forest, typically occurring as small, discontinuous patches that repeat across a mountainside. It is fed primarily by seepage and springs from the adjacent upland forest. Microtopography is characterized by a complex of tip-up mounds, buttressed roots, and downed wood over large and small rocks. Bedrock is typically shale or sometimes sandstone. Soils are moderately to poorly drained and stony, with variable texture ranging from muck to silt loam to sandy loam. The canopy is open and dominated by <i>Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis</i> with an herbaceous layer dominated by <i>Carex scabrata, Viola cucullata</i>, and the characteristic bryophyte <i>Plagiomnium ciliare</i>. The canopy often includes low cover by <i>Acer saccharum var. saccharum, Picea rubens</i>, and <i>Fagus grandifolia</i>. Most trees are not rooted in the seep, but rather overhang and shade the seep from the edges. The subcanopy and shrub layers are sparse. The herbaceous layer is dominated by <i>Carex scabrata, Viola cucullata, Laportea canadensis, Tiarella cordifolia</i>, and <i>Glyceria melicaria</i>. Other herbaceous species with high constancy include <i>Dryopteris intermedia, Saxifraga micranthidifolia, Cardamine diphylla, Chrysosplenium americanum, Poa alsodes, Symphyotrichum prenanthoides, Packera aurea, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Cardamine pensylvanica, Arisaema triphyllum, Monarda didyma</i>, and <i>Oxalis montana</i>. Nonvascular plants are dominated by <i>Plagiomnium ciliare</i> with lesser amounts of <i>Brachythecium rivulare, Thuidium delicatulum</i>, and <i>Rhizomnium appalachianum</i>. The indicator species that help to distinguish this community from others within the forested seep physiognomy in West Virginia are <i>Carex scabrata, Laportea canadensis, Tiarella cordifolia, Acer saccharum var. saccharum, Brachythecium rivulare, Cardamine diphylla, Carex leptonervia</i>, and <i>Plagiomnium ciliare</i>. Mean species richness of all vascular plants and any nonvascular plants with cover >1% is 32 taxa per 400 square meters, with about 15% of the diversity in the bryophyte layer.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.37498.CEGL006597
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
7
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