Name:
Acer negundo / Prunus virginiana Floodplain Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This box-elder riparian forest is found on floodplains at warm elevations in the western Great Plains of the United States, as well as in the Black Hills region and the Colorado Plateau. This is an early-successional community dominated by <i>Acer negundo</i>. Stands occur on level to gently sloping sites between 1067 and 1800 m (3500-5900 feet) elevation. Aspect is not important, but in northwestern Colorado, stands are limited to narrow drainages that are oriented north-south. Soils are poorly developed and derived from alluvium or colluvium. Tree cover may be somewhat sparse to high; stands typically have 10-25% cover but may have cover as high as 60% in narrow canyons. Other tree species may be present to codominant, including <i>Ulmus americana, Quercus macrocarpa, Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>, and <i>Populus deltoides</i>. The shrub understory is well-developed and may be more than 2 m high; exact composition will vary by region. <i>Prunus virginiana, Rhus trilobata, Cornus sericea, Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Ribes aureum, Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, Mahonia repens</i>, and <i>Toxicodendron pubescens</i> are common, although at Wind Cave National Park <i>Prunus virginiana</i> may be absent. Total shrub cover (tall and short shrubs) is often greater than 50%. Herbaceous cover is variable but usually less than 50% and often is diverse. Species composition also varies, although graminoids tend to be dominant; common species include <i>Poa pratensis, Piptatheropsis micrantha, Poa fendleriana, Elymus lanceolatus, Bromus tectorum, Heterotheca villosa, Clematis ligusticifolia, Achillea millefolium, Monarda fistulosa</i>, and <i>Apocynum cannabinum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:29537-{75F1F6E1-5005-4993-9EC3-FE10BA5F4EDC}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
19
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