Name:
Alnus serrulata - Kalmia carolina - Rhododendron catawbiense - Spiraea alba / Carex folliculata - Lilium grayi Shrubland
Reference:
Description:
This community can occur on flat areas in valley bottoms, on portions where wet conditions are maintained hydrologically by rainwater and a high water table rather than by flooding, or in the upper portions of stream watersheds, on slight slopes, hydrologically maintained by very nutrient-poor to fairly nutrient-rich seepage. This community occurs at elevations from 900-1250 m (3000-4200 feet) in the northern part of its range and, in the southern part of the range, at elevations from 1000-1800 m (3300-5800 feet). This wetland community is dominated by shrubs, occurring over graminoids, forbs, and <i>Sphagnum</i> spp. It has a strong component of species of northern phytogeography occurring in combination with species endemic to the Southern Appalachians, and in association with felsic gneisses or schists and acidic, nutrient-poor seepage. Shrub cover ranges from 25-100%, and trees may be scattered throughout or dominate in patches or on the edges. <i>Ilex verticillata, Salix sericea, Spiraea alba</i>, and <i>Spiraea tomentosa</i> are often dominant, occurring with <i>Alnus serrulata, Rosa palustris, Photinia pyrifolia (= Aronia arbutifolia), Photinia melanocarpa (= Aronia melanocarpa), Rhododendron maximum, Rhododendron viscosum, Rhododendron catawbiense, Kalmia latifolia, Kalmia carolina, Hypericum densiflorum, Lyonia ligustrina var. ligustrina</i>, and <i>Menziesia pilosa</i>. Typical tree species are <i>Pinus strobus, Tsuga canadensis, Pinus rigida</i>, and <i>Picea rubens</i>. Herbaceous cover may be sparse to dense and typically includes <i>Carex atlantica, Carex intumescens, Carex folliculata, Schoenoplectus</i> spp. (= <i>Scirpus</i> spp.), and <i>Osmunda cinnamomea</i>. <i>Sphagnum</i> spp. include <i>Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum affine (= Sphagnum imbricatum), Sphagnum bartlettianum, Sphagnum recurvum</i>, and, rarely, northern disjuncts such as <i>Sphagnum fallax</i>. Other characteristic species include <i>Poa paludigena, Lilium grayi, Platanthera grandiflora, Melanthium virginicum, Stenanthium gramineum var. robustum, Arethusa bulbosa, Calopogon tuberosus, Chelone cuthbertii, Thelypteris simulata, Carex trisperma, Rhizomnium appalachianum, Polytrichum commune, Aulacomnium palustre</i>, and <i>Bazzania trilobata</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.37582.CEGL003915
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
13
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