Name:
Pinus rigida / Osmunda cinnamomea - Carex stricta - Eriophorum virginicum / Sphagnum spp. Swamp Woodland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This association occurs in saturated, acidic wetlands of valley floors and headwaters basins in the Ridge and Valley region of Virginia and West Virginia. Sites lie in an elevational range from about 600 to 950 m (2000-3100 feet), and are underlain by Devonian, Silurian, or Mississippian sandstones or acidic shales. Stands occur along the borders of large montane stream valleys and in headwater drainages, where abundant nutrient-poor groundwater is discharged from the base of adjacent slopes and peat has accumulated. Sites typically have complex microtopography, with numerous hummocks, hollows, and braided channels, and typically have high surface cover of sphagnum mosses. Peat deposits vary from superficial to deep (about 1 m), quaking mats that overlie large groundwater pores. Soils are usually poorly drained, organic or organic-rich sandy loams with very low base status. Vegetation physiognomy is variable, ranging from herbaceous with a sparse tree layer, to shrubland, to open savanna-like woodland, to nearly closed-canopy forest along upland edges. <i>Pinus rigida</i> is the typical overstory dominant (5-60% cover), but occasional trees of <i>Acer rubrum, Nyssa sylvatica</i>, and a few other species also occur. Shrub cover and density often vary greatly within sites, and shrubs often form a patch-mosaic with herb-dominated areas. <i>Alnus serrulata, Gaylussacia baccata, Hypericum densiflorum, Ilex verticillata, Kalmia latifolia, Lyonia ligustrina var. ligustrina, Menziesia pilosa, Photinia</i> spp., <i>Rhododendron maximum</i>, and <i>Spiraea tomentosa</i> are characteristic shrubs that occur in various aggregations. Except under dense shrubs, the herb layer is well-developed and dense, containing running vines of <i>Rubus hispidus</i>, high graminoid and fern cover, and moderate cover of forbs. Characteristic herbs, in rough decreasing order of constancy, include <i>Osmunda cinnamomea, Carex stricta, Gaultheria procumbens, Eriophorum virginicum, Carex atlantica ssp. atlantica, Drosera rotundifolia, Dulichium arundinaceum, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Parnassia asarifolia, Carex folliculata, Maianthemum canadense, Viola macloskeyi ssp. pallens, Glyceria canadensis, Glyceria laxa, Juncus brevicaudatus, Rhynchospora capitellata, Triadenum fraseri</i>, and <i>Calamagrostis coarctata</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35372-{54FC7145-3C8B-46E9-BA3F-5F218EFEE1A9}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
20
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