Name:
Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana - (Acer negundo, Tilia americana) Great Plains Floodplain Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This ash - elm floodplain forest is found in the northern Great Plains states and adjacent prairie provinces of west-central Canada. Stands occur primarily along higher terraces of river bottoms and floodplains and beside lakes and larger streams, where flooding is relatively brief. Soils are well-drained and moist. They are both organic and medium-textured to fine-textured mineral soils. The overstory is dominated by <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> and, at least prior to Dutch elm disease, <i>Ulmus americana</i>. Associates in parts of its range include <i>Acer negundo, Acer saccharinum, Acer rubrum, Celtis occidentalis</i> (rarely), and <i>Tilia americana</i>. The shrub/sapling layer, which is variable in structure and composition, may include <i>Cornus alternifolia, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus sericea</i>, and <i>Salix</i> spp. The herbaceous ground cover contains <i>Asclepias incarnata, Carex</i> spp., <i>Elymus virginicus, Eutrochium maculatum, Eupatorium perfoliatum, Impatiens capensis, Laportea canadensis, Rudbeckia laciniata, Toxicodendron radicans</i>, and a variety of ferns, including <i>Matteuccia struthiopteris, Osmunda claytoniana</i>, and <i>Osmunda cinnamomea</i>. Diagnostic features include the dominance of <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> and <i>Ulmus americana</i>, lack of more eastern herbs (e.g., <i>Osmunda claytoniana</i> and <i>Osmunda cinnamomea</i>) and tree species (e.g., <i>Fraxinus nigra, Juglans cinerea, Juglans nigra, Quercus bicolor</i>), the infrequent and short flooding, and the presence of both upland and floodplain associates.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34160-{DB540F48-7A9A-46C2-A67E-726F1059F17F}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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