Name:
Liquidambar styraciflua - (Quercus alba, Acer saccharum) / Carpinus caroliniana / Lindera benzoin Floodplain Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community includes hardwood forests associated with small or intermittent streams in the Ouachita Mountains and Ozarks of Arkansas and Oklahoma. These forests develop on small alluvial flats, terraces, and levees, often on or adjacent to cobble bars. In contrast to forests found on larger rivers (broader floodplains) in the region, vegetation zonation in this community is absent or poorly defined. Examples of this community may have ambiguous hydrology and are often described as being on the conceptual border between upland and temporarily flooded, a fact reflected in the species composition. Canopy composition is variable from site to site but always includes <i>Liquidambar styraciflua</i>, often as the main canopy dominant. Other species that may have high coverage in the canopy are <i>Quercus alba, Acer saccharum, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>, and <i>Tilia americana var. caroliniana</i>. Other typical canopy associates are <i>Betula nigra, Juglans nigra, Platanus occidentalis, Carya cordiformis, Celtis laevigata, Nyssa sylvatica, Quercus nigra, Quercus rubra</i>, and <i>Ulmus americana</i>. <i>Carpinus caroliniana</i> is a typical subcanopy dominant, which can also include <i>Ostrya virginiana, Magnolia acuminata, Cercis canadensis</i>, and <i>Acer negundo</i>. The shrub layer varies in density and composition from site to site. Characteristic shrubs are <i>Lindera benzoin, Arundinaria gigantea, Alnus serrulata, Callicarpa americana, Dirca palustris</i>, and <i>Hypericum prolificum</i>. <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i> and <i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i> are common vines. The herbaceous strata can be species-rich on some sites, but other examples have sparse, species-poor herb layers. Typical species include <i>Boehmeria cylindrica, Brachyelytrum erectum, Carex</i> sp., <i>Chasmanthium latifolium, Dioscorea oppositifolia, Iris cristata, Pedicularis canadensis, Polygonum virginianum</i>, and <i>Verbesina alternifolia</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:36013-{6E1848F4-C720-4692-B0EC-6FA084271223}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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