Print Report
CEGL006129 Tsuga canadensis - (Betula alleghaniensis) - Picea rubens / Cornus canadensis Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Eastern Hemlock - (Yellow Birch) - Red Spruce / Bunchberry Dogwood Forest
Colloquial Name: Hemlock - Spruce - Hardwood Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This mesic coniferous to mixed hemlock forest of northern and central New England and New York occurs on somewhat sheltered slopes at moderate elevations (30-610 m [100-2000 feet]). Hillslopes, stream valleys, ravines, and river or kame terraces are typical settings. The soils are mesic, well-drained sands or loams, often derived from till, acidic and typically shallow (<50 cm to obstruction). Canopy cover is typically dense, resulting in low light levels near the forest floor and correspondingly sparse lower layers. The canopy is dominated by Tsuga canadensis, and may be either almost entirely coniferous or a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees. Northern hardwoods are characteristic associates, including Betula alleghaniensis, Betula papyrifera, Fagus grandifolia, and Acer saccharum. Picea rubens is a common conifer associate, and may approach codominance with hemlock at some sites. Scattered subcanopy and shrub layers may feature Acer pensylvanicum and Viburnum lantanoides. Herb richness and cover are very low; typical species include Aralia nudicaulis, Cornus canadensis, Dryopteris intermedia, Gaultheria procumbens, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, Mitchella repens, Thelypteris noveboracensis, and Trientalis borealis. In northern settings (e.g., where red spruce is common), the herb layer may contain more boreal species such as Dryopteris campyloptera, Huperzia lucidula, Oxalis montana, and Trillium undulatum. This association differs from other upland hemlock forest associations in the presence of red spruce and/or yellow birch and the more generally boreal species affinities, lacking plants such as Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron maximum, Betula lenta, and Quercus spp.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Canopy cover is typically dense, resulting in low light levels near the forest floor and correspondingly sparse lower layers. The canopy is dominated by Tsuga canadensis, and may be either almost entirely coniferous or a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees. Northern hardwoods are characteristic associates, including Betula alleghaniensis, Betula papyrifera, Fagus grandifolia, and Acer saccharum. Picea rubens is a common conifer associate, and may approach codominance with hemlock at some sites. Scattered subcanopy and shrub layers may feature Acer pensylvanicum and Viburnum lantanoides (= Viburnum alnifolium). Herb richness and cover are very low; typical species include Aralia nudicaulis, Cornus canadensis, Dryopteris intermedia, Gaultheria procumbens, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, Mitchella repens, Thelypteris noveboracensis, and Trientalis borealis. In northern settings (e.g., where red spruce is common), the herb layer may contain more boreal species such as Dryopteris campyloptera, Huperzia lucidula, Oxalis montana, and Trillium undulatum.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This mesic coniferous to mixed hemlock forest of northern and central New England and New York occurs on somewhat sheltered slopes at moderate elevations (30-610 m [100-2000 feet]). Hillslopes, stream valleys, ravines, and river or kame terraces are typical settings. The soils are mesic, well-drained sands or loams, often derived from till, acidic and typically shallow (<50 cm to obstruction).
Geographic Range: This mesic hemlock forest occurs in northern and central New England and adjacent Canada.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: MA, ME, NB, NH, NS, NY, ON?, VT
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684082
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Na Eastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D008 | 1.B.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Na.7 Sugar Maple - Yellow Birch - Eastern Hemlock Forest Macrogroup | M014 | 1.B.2.Na.7 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.7.g <i>Tsuga canadensis - Picea rubens - Betula alleghaniensis</i> Forest Group | G920 | 1.B.2.Na.7.g |
| Alliance | A4453 <i>Tsuga canadensis - Betula alleghaniensis - Picea rubens</i> Forest Alliance | A4453 | 1.B.2.Na.7.g |
| Association | CEGL006129 Eastern Hemlock - (Yellow Birch) - Red Spruce / Bunchberry Dogwood Forest | CEGL006129 | 1.B.2.Na.7.g |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? CNE dry conifer forest on acidic bedrock or till (Rawinski 1984a)
< CNE mesic conifer [transition] forest on acidic bedrock/till (Rawinski 1984a)
? CNE mesic conifer forest on acidic bedrock/till (Rawinski 1984a)
< Eastern Hemlock: 23 (Eyre 1980)
< Hemlock - Yellow Birch: 24 (Eyre 1980)
< CNE mesic conifer [transition] forest on acidic bedrock/till (Rawinski 1984a)
? CNE mesic conifer forest on acidic bedrock/till (Rawinski 1984a)
< Eastern Hemlock: 23 (Eyre 1980)
< Hemlock - Yellow Birch: 24 (Eyre 1980)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
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