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CEGL002421 Taxodium distichum - (Nyssa aquatica) / Forestiera acuminata - Planera aquatica Floodplain Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Bald-cypress - (Water Tupelo) / Eastern Swamp-privet - Planertree Floodplain Forest
Colloquial Name: Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo Floodplain Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This type represents bald-cypress - water tupelo swamp forests found in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain and adjacent areas of the Gulf Coastal Plain of the southern United States, apparently extending northeast to the Interior Low Plateau. Stands are characterized by the presence of shallow standing water all or most of the year. The vegetation contains mixed dominants of Taxodium distichum and Nyssa aquatica. Taxodium is often emergent in the overstory above shorter individuals of Nyssa aquatica. In some instances Carya aquatica and (rarely) Quercus lyrata may also be present. Dominant trees exhibit tall, straight growth and swelled buttresses. The subcanopy is sparse, consisting primarily of Forestiera acuminata, Cephalanthus occidentalis, and Planera aquatica. Shrubs may include Cephalanthus occidentalis and Itea virginica with a variety of other species, such as Acer rubrum var. drummondii, Acer negundo, Cornus obliqua, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ilex decidua, and Liquidambar styraciflua, mostly occurring around the slough margins. Woody vines are uncommon but may include Nekemias arborea and Berchemia scandens. The herbaceous layer is also very sparse, being restricted to rotting logs, buttresses of trees, and small mounds and ridges which remain dry most of the growing season.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Generally, semipermanently flooded bald-cypress - water tupelo swamps are found across the entire southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain. The type described here is intended to represent only the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain examples and those occurring immediately westward into the Gulf Coastal Plains of Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana and eastward into the Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain and the adjacent Interior Low Plateau. The eastern equivalent of this type along the outer coastal plains of the Atlantic and East Gulf is represented by ~Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica / Fraxinus caroliniana Floodplain Forest (CEGL007431)$$. Dominance of bald-cypress and water tupelo varies considerably among coastal plain swamps, and it is not always clear how to best distinguish this community from ~Nyssa aquatica Swamp Forest (CEGL002419)$$ and ~Taxodium distichum / Lemna minor Floodplain Forest (CEGL002420)$$. Both bald-cypress and water tupelo trees live to be very old, and successional stages may last hundreds of years. Where swamp forest stands are very open with lots of Cephalanthus occidentalis, the distinction between forest and shrubland may be unclear.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This type tends to be dominated by Taxodium distichum and Nyssa aquatica with Taxodium often emergent in the overstory above shorter individuals of Nyssa aquatica. In some instances Carya aquatica and (rarely) Quercus lyrata may also be present. Dominant trees exhibit tall, straight growth and swelled buttresses. The canopy can be closed but is more commonly partially open. Water depth is highly correlated with canopy dominance, with Taxodium distichum dominating deeper, more permanent water, small Taxodium distichum and mature Nyssa aquatica in shallower zones, and mixed bottomland species in expansive shallower zones (Faircloth 1971). The subcanopy is sparse, consisting primarily of Forestiera acuminata, Cephalanthus occidentalis, and Planera aquatica. Shrubs and herbs tend to occur sporadically, most often growing on old stumps, tree buttresses, fallen logs, or along slough margins. Shrubs may include Cephalanthus occidentalis and Itea virginica with a variety of other species, such as Acer rubrum var. drummondii, Acer negundo, Cornus obliqua (= Cornus amomum ssp. obliqua), Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ilex decidua, and Liquidambar styraciflua, mostly occurring around the slough margins. Woody vines are uncommon but may include Nekemias arborea (= Ampelopsis arborea) and Berchemia scandens. Common herbaceous species may include Asclepias perennis, Bidens aristosa, Bignonia capreolata, Boehmeria cylindrica, Carex lupulina, Carex joorii, Commelina virginica, Cyperus sp., Erechtites hieraciifolius, Leersia oryzoides, Lemna minor, Onoclea sensibilis, Pilea pumila, Polygonum hydropiperoides, Saururus cernuus, and Triadenum tubulosum. This community exhibits shifts in dominance largely governed by water fluctuations, windthrows, beaver predation, senescence and fire. Summer low-water periods exhibit increased herbaceous growth, woody regeneration, and high primary productivity. Fall and spring high water levels contribute to woody mortality and associated canopy openings.
Dynamics: Flooding and drought effects are seasonal, of variable duration, and subject to local weather patterns. Inundation is continuous, fluctuating seasonally with high water occurring during spring and fall. Extensive beaver predation on water tupelo may severely impact community composition. Beavers may alter vegetative composition, hydrologic conditions, and sedimentation rates by removing trees and pooling water. Prolonged flooding increases senescence of mature trees, subcanopy and herbaceous vegetation which may create openings and encourage gap-phase regeneration during normal hydrologic periods. Drought encourages woody regeneration which is typically absent in bald-cypress - water tupelo swamp communities. Typical swamps consist of a few large, very old trees, numerous medium-aged trees, and few saplings or seedlings.
Environmental Description: Stands occur in semipermanently flooded back sloughs, abandoned tributaries, and floodplain depressions. They are often linear in shape and range in size from less than one acre to hundreds of acres. All examples are characterized by shallow standing water all or most of the year. Soils are poorly drained and tend to be organic. Bedrock of deeply buried Paleozoic rock, exhibits little or no effect on plant communities. Deep accumulation of duff and litter can occur where not scoured by floodwaters. This community can be found adjacent to all other floodplain forests. Hydroperiod determines bald-cypress regeneration and understory layer composition. Poor bald-cypress regeneration in individual stands suggests that hydrology has changed since stand establishment and that different hydrologic conditions may be required for future regeneration of bald-cypress and water tupelo.
Soils are deep and nearly level on broad flats and narrow depressions or sloughs on the floodplains of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Soils are difficult to till with silty clay surface and subsurface layers, high shrink-swell capacity, and slow permeability, with ponding of water common. Inundated soils are anaerobic. Inundation is continuous, fluctuating seasonally with high water occurring during spring and fall.
Soils are deep and nearly level on broad flats and narrow depressions or sloughs on the floodplains of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. Soils are difficult to till with silty clay surface and subsurface layers, high shrink-swell capacity, and slow permeability, with ponding of water common. Inundated soils are anaerobic. Inundation is continuous, fluctuating seasonally with high water occurring during spring and fall.
Geographic Range: This community occurs primarily in the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain and adjacent ecoregions. The type occurs in the southern United States, from Louisiana and Mississippi northward to southeastern Missouri, extreme southern Illinois, and southern Indiana. Remnant bald-cypress and bald-cypress - water tupelo swamps still exist in southern Illinois, with the most significant occurrences found in the Cache River Basin. Northernmost bald-cypress and water tupelo swamps are found in the Ozark Highlands Section within the Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands Division. High-quality examples are known from Big Cypress Unique Area, Moro Bottoms Natural Area (without Nyssa aquatica) and Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas. This community is also known from Cleveland and Jefferson counties, Arkansas. This community is found in the Arkansas River Valley and is likely extant throughout the Ouachita River Basin in Arkansas.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, IL, IN?, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683873
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G5
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.3 Temperate Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F026 | 1.B.3 |
| Division | 1.B.3.Nb Southeastern North American Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D062 | 1.B.3.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nb.4 Swamp Chestnut Oak - Bald-cypress - Pecan Southern Floodplain Forest Macrogroup | M031 | 1.B.3.Nb.4 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo Floodplain Forest Group | G033 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
| Alliance | A3594 Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo - Swamp Tupelo Floodplain Forest Alliance | A3594 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
| Association | CEGL002421 Bald-cypress - (Water Tupelo) / Eastern Swamp-privet - Planertree Floodplain Forest | CEGL002421 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
Concept Lineage: This OC-type merged into this association
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Taxodium distichum - (Nyssa aquatica) / Forestiera acuminata - Planera aquatica Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
< Baldcypress - Tupelo: 102 (Eyre 1980)
< Cypress - Tupelo Swamp (TNC 1995a)
>< Cypress -Gum Swamps (Penfound and Hathaway 1938)
? Cypress-Water Elm (Van Kley and Hine 1998)
< Eastern Broadleaf and Needleleaf Forests: 113: Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium) (Küchler 1964)
< Baldcypress - Tupelo: 102 (Eyre 1980)
< Cypress - Tupelo Swamp (TNC 1995a)
>< Cypress -Gum Swamps (Penfound and Hathaway 1938)
? Cypress-Water Elm (Van Kley and Hine 1998)
< Eastern Broadleaf and Needleleaf Forests: 113: Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium) (Küchler 1964)
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