Name:
Acer saccharum - (Fraxinus americana) / Arisaema triphyllum Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These are northern hardwood forests of slightly enriched soils in the northern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent northeastern United States and Canada. They occur at moderate elevations of 245 to 610 m (800-2000 feet) on slightly enriched soils, often silt loams derived from pelite or other subacidic bedrock. Ridgetops and slight concavities on hillslopes are both typical settings. They may occur as inclusions within typical northern hardwood forests or may occur over larger areas and be the locally dominant northern hardwood forest. The closed-canopy forest has sparse to moderate shrub cover, moderate herb cover, and may have local carpets of <i>Acer saccharum</i> seedlings in the ground vegetation. Bryoids are a minor component of the forest floor. The canopy is dominated by <i>Acer saccharum</i>, frequently with <i>Fraxinus americana</i> as an associate or even canopy codominant. Other associated hardwood species include <i>Betula alleghaniensis</i> and <i>Betula lenta</i>. <i>Fagus grandifolia</i> is often present but less abundant than in matrix northern hardwood forests. <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> may occur in southern New England. Conifers are usually sparse. Shrubs can include <i>Cornus alternifolia, Lindera benzoin, Sambucus racemosa, Acer pensylvanicum</i>, and <i>Ostrya virginiana</i>. Typical herbs of this semi-rich type, which are scarce or absent from standard beech-birch-maple forests, include <i>Arisaema triphyllum, Viola rotundifolia, Tiarella cordifolia, Actaea pachypoda, Osmunda claytoniana, Osmunda cinnamomea, Carex laxiculmis, Carex platyphylla, Carex pedunculata, Eurybia divaricata, Botrychium</i> spp., and <i>Solidago flexicaulis</i>. These forests are intermediate in nutrient regime and composition between ~<i>Acer saccharum - Fraxinus americana / Acer spicatum / Caulophyllum thalictroides</i> Forest (CEGL006636)$$, ~<i>Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Acer pensylvanicum / Caulophyllum thalictroides</i> Forest (CEGL006637)$$, ~<i>Acer saccharum - Betula alleghaniensis - Fagus grandifolia / Viburnum lantanoides</i> Forest (CEGL006631)$$, and ~<i>Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Fraxinus americana / Arisaema triphyllum</i> Forest (CEGL006632)$$. They are more depauperate than other communities of this alliance, for example lacking rich-soil indicators such as <i>Adiantum pedatum, Caulophyllum thalictroides</i>, and <i>Tilia americana</i> that are typical of CEGL006636 and/or CEGL006637.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34858-{308BA642-7DB4-4D2F-AA69-065E88EF2868}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
16
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