Name:
Liriodendron tulipifera - Platanus occidentalis - Betula lenta / Lindera benzoin / Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis Floodplain Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community type occupies montane alluvial floodplains along more-or-less high-gradient streams and small rivers at the foot of the Blue Ridge in Virginia and Maryland. It appears to be confined to floodplains with relatively fertile alluvial deposits derived from metabasalt (greenstone), pyroxene-rich granites, or metasiltstone/phyllite. These habitats are typically narrow, nearly flat, and have complex, coarse, bouldery or cobbly microtopography and rocky streambeds. Soils are well-drained and moderately fertile. Most of the lower streamside terraces are probably flooded briefly at least annually. Larger floods are rare. However, periodic catastrophic floods associated with hurricanes or exceptionally large rainfall events may be very destructive to stream channels and vegetation. Many of these sites were probably cleared and/or subjected to multiple historical disturbances, including grazing and cultivation . This forest is composed primarily of mesophytic upland species with some admixture of species characteristic of alluvial and wetland habitats. Vegetation is generally species-rich and heterogeneous, with composition frequently shifting in association with microhabitat conditions and disturbance histories. The overstory typically contains many tree species. However, <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> is generally a constant codominant, while <i>Platanus occidentalis</i> is usually scattered and occasionally abundant. Other species that are important in some stands include <i>Acer negundo, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula lenta, Betula nigra, Carya cordiformis, Carya ovata, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Juglans nigra, Nyssa sylvatica, Quercus alba, Quercus montana, Quercus rubra, Tilia americana, Tsuga canadensis, Ulmus americana</i>, and <i>Ulmus rubra</i>. The understory contains saplings of the overstory species, along with <i>Asimina triloba, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus florida, Corylus</i> spp., <i>Hamamelis virginiana, Lindera benzoin, Ostrya virginiana</i>, and <i>Viburnum prunifolium</i>. The herb layer is very diverse and dominated by numerous upland mesophytic species. Wet microhabitats typically support <i>Impatiens capensis, Carex intumescens, Carex tribuloides, Glyceria striata, Thalictrum pubescens, Viola cucullata</i>, and few other wetland plants.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34902-{5785B3AB-CE31-4B34-A1A2-A1653833AE57}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
31
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