Name:
Abies balsamea - Picea rubens / Ilex verticillata / Sphagnum spp. Swamp Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This acidic conifer woodland swamp occurs on temporarily to semipermanently flooded soils in frost-pocket headwater basins in the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia, at elevations between 980 and 1120 m. It is a small-patch community fed by seepage, occasional overflow from low-gradient headwater streams, and rainfall. It occupies flat to very gently sloping land (0-3° slopes) along small headwater streams, often in mixed wetland mosaics. Microtopography is characterized by interfingering of wetter and drier areas, with irregular hummocks formed over tree roots, tip-up mounds, nurse logs, and decaying wood. The community is influenced by beaver activity, and there is evidence of migration of the balsam fir populations, possibly in response to fluctuating hydrology. Soils are poorly to very poorly drained clayey or mucky soils with mottling in the upper 20 cm and occasional gleyed horizons. The canopy is open and dominated by stunted, inundation-stressed <i>Abies balsamea</i> and <i>Picea rubens</i>, with occasional presence of <i>Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis</i> and <i>Acer rubrum</i>. The subcanopy is dominated by <i>Abies balsamea</i> and <i>Tsuga canadensis</i> with smaller amounts of <i>Picea rubens</i> and <i>Acer rubrum</i>. <i>Amelanchier</i> spp. may be present with very low cover in the subcanopy. The shrub layer is dominated by <i>Ilex verticillata</i>, the regenerating canopy species, and <i>Alnus incana ssp. rugosa</i>. Low cover of <i>Rhododendron maximum, Hypericum densiflorum</i>, and <i>Vaccinium myrtilloides</i> may be present. The herbaceous ground layer is dense and fairly diverse, typically including 30-40 species. The most abundant species are <i>Carex gynandra, Carex folliculata</i>, and <i>Rubus hispidus</i>. Other herbaceous species with high constancy include regenerating woody species and <i>Polygonum sagittatum, Osmunda cinnamomea var. cinnamomea, Galium tinctorium, Dryopteris cristata, Carex trisperma var. trisperma, Impatiens capensis, Viola cucullata, Triadenum fraseri, Juncus effusus, Carex stipata, Glyceria striata, Polygonum punctatum, Glyceria grandis var. grandis, Oxalis montana, Dryopteris intermedia</i>, and <i>Maianthemum canadense</i>. Nonvascular plants are dominated by <i>Sphagnum</i> spp. Indicator species that help to distinguish this community from others within the forest/woodland physiognomy for high-elevation wetlands of the Allegheny Mountains region include <i>Carex canescens, Carex folliculata, Carex gynandra, Glyceria grandis var. grandis</i>, and <i>Triadenum fraseri</i>. Mean species richness of all vascular plants and any nonvascular plants with cover >1% ranges from 31-66 (mean = 48) taxa per 400 m2.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35212-{60C42D35-4089-41B7-8EC7-21727AE6098D}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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