Name:
Chamaedaphne calyculata - Vaccinium macrocarpon / Rhynchospora alba / Sphagnum spp. Acidic Peatland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This early-successional community type is a small, groundwater-fed acidic fen characterized by dwarf-shrubs and mucky peats. It occupies small seepage zones with abundant groundwater discharge along toeslopes bordering small stream floodplains of Maryland's Inner Coastal Plain. Historical remnants of this community type can also be found bordering former millponds that have filled in or along drainages impounded by road crossings. Stands (n=6) are very small, ranging from 0.2 to 8.7 acres in size. Substrates are extremely acidic (mean pH= 4.3) and consist of deep, mucky peats. The vegetation is characterized as a patchy mosaic of shrubs and herbs growing on moss-covered (<i>Sphagnum</i> spp.) hummocks that give way to hollows of standing water and deep, mucky peats. Prominent shrubs are <i>Clethra alnifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Vaccinium macrocarpon</i>, and <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i>. Other characteristic shrubs include <i>Triadenum virginicum, Aronia arbutifolia, Rhododendron viscosum, Decodon verticillatus</i>, and <i>Rubus hispidus</i>. Small trees of <i>Acer rubrum, Pinus rigida, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ilex opaca</i>, and <i>Magnolia virginiana</i> may be scattered on hummocks or occupy drier edges of the fen. The most characteristic herbs are <i>Rhynchospora alba, Dichanthelium dichotomum var. dichotomum, Sarracenia purpurea, Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Osmunda cinnamomea</i>. Less frequent herbs reported include <i>Rhexia virginica, Drosera intermedia, Arundinaria gigantea, Carex exilis, Rhynchospora capillacea</i>, and <i>Eriophorum virginicum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35281-{EB799140-590A-412B-AC44-B6A4139739C3}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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