Name:
Populus deltoides Floodplain Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This alliance, found throughout the Great Plains, contains riverfront floodplain forests. The tree canopy height varies with time since last major disturbance and can reach as much as 30 m, though it is usually shorter. The canopy is nearly always dominated by <i>Populus deltoides</i>, often with few other abundant associates. <i>Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i> can be codominant, particularly in the northern part of this alliance's range. <i>Platanus occidentalis</i> and <i>Celtis laevigata</i> can be codominant to dominant in the southern part of this alliance's range. Other common associates are <i>Acer negundo</i> and <i>Ulmus americana</i>. Tree diversity is limited due to the dynamics of flooding and deposition/scouring of sediments. The shrub layer is sparse to dense, with species such as <i>Cornus drummondii, Cornus sericea, Prunus virginiana, Salix exigua</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos occidentalis</i>. Herbaceous growth can be thick and lush but is often patchy and sparse due to frequent inundation. Herbaceous species found throughout the range of this alliance are not well known, but in parts of the range, species can include <i>Pascopyrum smithii</i> and <i>Panicum virgatum</i> (throughout the range), <i>Carex</i> spp., <i>Juncus</i> spp., <i>Leymus cinereus</i>, and <i>Elymus canadensis</i> (common in the northern Great Plains), and <i>Amphicarpaea bracteata, Carex blanda, Geum canadense, Parietaria pensylvanica</i>, and others in the central Great Plains. Due to the frequent disturbance, weedy species are almost ubiquitous in the understory, especially <i>Poa pratensis, Bromus inermis, Melilotus officinalis, Ambrosia</i> spp., and <i>Urtica</i> spp. Stands are found primarily along riverfronts, where they develop on bare, moist soil on newly made sandbars, front-land ridges, and well-drained flats. Soils are formed in alluvium, are deep, medium-textured, and with adequate or excessive moisture available for vegetation during the growing season.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38709-{430F64B9-E105-4238-A57F-A11ECFD523E2}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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