Name:
Magnolia virginiana - Nyssa biflora - Quercus laurifolia Swamp Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
Canopies are diverse, but various combinations of <i>Magnolia virginiana, Nyssa biflora</i>, and <i>Quercus laurifolia</i> often strongly dominate the canopy stratum. In the East Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Mississippi, this alliance includes <i>Quercus laurifolia</i> bayheads over sticky clay soils, which are less acidic and shrubby than most other bayhead types, as well as small ravine-bottom bayheads with seepage. In the former, the canopy is dominated by <i>Quercus laurifolia, Nyssa biflora, Magnolia virginiana</i>, and <i>Acer rubrum var. rubrum</i>. In the southern parts of the alliance's range, some stands may contain <i>Pinus elliottii var. elliottii</i> and/or <i>Taxodium ascendens</i>. In addition, the subcanopy contains <i>Fraxinus caroliniana</i>. The open shrub stratum may contain <i>Chionanthus virginicus, Cyrilla racemiflora, Eubotrys racemosa, Lyonia lucida, Rhododendron viscosum, Toxicodendron radicans, Vaccinium elliottii</i>, and <i>Viburnum nudum var. nudum</i>. In the latter case, the canopy is dominated by <i>Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia virginiana</i>, and <i>Nyssa biflora</i>. The shrub layer is dominated by <i>Ilex coriacea</i> and <i>Viburnum nudum var. nudum</i>, as well as <i>Illicium floridanum, Eubotrys racemosa, Lyonia lucida, Morella caroliniensis</i>, and <i>Morella cerifera</i>. In the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Texas (and possibly Arkansas and Oklahoma), this alliance is expressed in at least two broad types which vary geographically along a north-south gradient. These broad-leaved mixed evergreen-deciduous forests are dominated by <i>Magnolia virginiana</i> and <i>Nyssa biflora</i>, with <i>Liquidambar styraciflua</i> codominant in some occurrences. Associated canopy species may include <i>Fagus grandifolia, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus palustris, Pinus taeda, Quercus alba, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus nigra</i>, and <i>Taxodium distichum</i>. The subcanopy may include <i>Acer rubrum, Ilex opaca var. opaca, Persea palustris</i>, and occasionally <i>Chionanthus virginicus</i> and <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>. Tall shrubs include <i>Alnus serrulata, Ilex coriacea, Morella caroliniensis, Morella cerifera, Persea palustris, Aronia arbutifolia, Rhododendron canescens, Rhododendron oblongifolium, Styrax americanus</i>, and <i>Viburnum nudum var. nudum</i>. The short-shrub stratum includes seedlings of overstory and tall-shrub species, plus <i>Berchemia scandens, Hypericum</i> spp., <i>Itea virginica</i>, and <i>Rubus</i> spp. This alliance comprises forests of floodplain flats and small blackwater stream headwaters, primarily in the southern coastal plains from Georgia and the northern Florida peninsula west to Texas. In the West Gulf Coastal Plain, this alliance occurs on deep, very acidic silt loams, fine sandy loam, and loamy fine sand soils with high organic content, primarily on floodplain flats and along small blackwater streams of low velocity.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38057-{2F3E3EDF-2806-4884-971C-0097FE9D936B}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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