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CEGL005004 Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Betula spp. / Maianthemum canadense Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sugar Maple - American Beech - Birch species / Canada Mayflower Forest
Colloquial Name: Sugar Maple - Beech - Northern Hardwood Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This northern hardwoods forest is found in the central Great Lakes area of the United States and Canada. Stands occur on flat to moderately sloping terrain on glacial features such as till or moraines. Soil textures range from sands to loams and are mesic, nutrient-rich, and deep. A relatively thick layer of fallen leaves covers the forest floor. The tree canopy is dense and, after the trees leaf-out, the forest floor is under heavy shade. This community is dominated by two hardwood species, Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia. Common associates include Acer rubrum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Tilia americana. Shrubs are widely scattered, and include Lonicera canadensis, Ribes spp., Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa, and Viburnum acerifolium. Many of the herbaceous species are spring ephemerals which bloom before the tree leaves are fully formed. Among the common herbaceous species are Adiantum pedatum, Arisaema triphyllum, Botrychium virginianum, Lycopodium spp., Maianthemum canadense, Maianthemum stellatum, Polygonatum pubescens, Trillium grandiflorum, and Viola spp.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Fraxinus americana can occur in this type. Burning can deflect this type to ~Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum - (Betula alleghaniensis) Forest (CEGL002461)$$ (D. Albert pers. comm. 1996, Michigan site at Colonial Point). Host and Pregitzer (1991) distinguish this community from ~Acer saccharum - Betula alleghaniensis - Tilia americana Forest (CEGL002457)$$ based the abundance of Lycopodium spp., Maianthemum canadense, and Polygonatum pubescens in this type. Some stands can have a scattered supercanopy of Pinus strobus (less than 25% cover), and although floristically such stands are very similar to this type, there may be some value in recognizing a separate type, ~Acer saccharum - Pinus strobus / Acer pensylvanicum Forest (CEGL005005)$$. Further review of this issue is needed.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The tree canopy is dense, and after the trees leaf out, the forest floor is under dense shade. This community is dominated by two hardwood species, Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia. Acer rubrum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Tilia americana are common associates. Shrubs are widely scattered and include Lonicera canadensis, Ribes spp., Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (= Sambucus pubens), and Viburnum acerifolium. Many of the herbaceous species are spring ephemerals which bloom before the tree leaves are fully formed (Thompson 1984). Among the common herbaceous species are Adiantum pedatum, Arisaema triphyllum, Botrychium virginianum, Lycopodium spp., Maianthemum canadense, Maianthemum stellatum, Polygonatum pubescens, Trillium grandiflorum, and Viola spp.
Dynamics: Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia are the most abundant species in the sapling and seedling layers. Other tree species cannot persist under the dense shade cast by the fully developed canopy characteristic of most stands and can only invade when the canopy is broken by the death of overstory trees.
Environmental Description: Stands occur on flat to moderately sloping terrain on glacial features such as till or moraines. Soil textures range from sandy loams to loams in Wisconsin (Kotar and Burger 1989) to sandy soils in northern Lower Michigan (Cleland et al. 1994). The soils are usually mesic, nutrient-rich, and deep. A relatively thick layer of fallen leaves covers the forest floor (Kotar and Burger 1989, Host and Pregitzer 1991).
Geographic Range: This northern hardwoods forest community type is found in the central Great Lakes area of the United States and Canada, ranging from Wisconsin and Michigan east to Ontario.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: MI, ON, QC?, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684266
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4G5
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.h <i>Acer saccharum - Tilia americana - Fagus grandifolia</i> Forest Group | G921 | 1.B.2.Na.7.h |
| Alliance | A4446 Sugar Maple - American Basswood Laurentian Forest Alliance | A4446 | 1.B.2.Na.7.h |
| Association | CEGL005004 Sugar Maple - American Beech - Birch species / Canada Mayflower Forest | CEGL005004 | 1.B.2.Na.7.h |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Acer - Fagus / Adiantum Habitat Type (Kotar and Burger 1989)
> Acer - Fagus / Viburnum Habitat Type (Kotar and Burger 1989)
= Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Betula spp. / Maianthemum canadense Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Southern Mesic Forest Beech-Maple Subtype]
= Maianthemum Group (Host and Pregitzer 1991)
= Beech - Maple Hardwood Forest (Thompson 1984)
> ELTP 40 - Sugar maple-beech-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
> ELTP 42 - Sugar maple-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
> ELTP 43 - Sugar maple-red oak-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
> Acer - Fagus / Viburnum Habitat Type (Kotar and Burger 1989)
= Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Betula spp. / Maianthemum canadense Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Southern Mesic Forest Beech-Maple Subtype]
= Maianthemum Group (Host and Pregitzer 1991)
= Beech - Maple Hardwood Forest (Thompson 1984)
> ELTP 40 - Sugar maple-beech-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
> ELTP 42 - Sugar maple-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
> ELTP 43 - Sugar maple-red oak-Maianthemum plant association (Cleland et al. 1994)
- CDPNQ [Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec]. No date. Unpublished data. Centre de données sur le patrimoine naturel du Québec, Québec.
- Cleland, D. T., J. B. Hart, G. E. Host, K. S. Pregitzer, and C. W. Ramm. 1994. Field guide to the ecological classification and inventory system of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. USDA Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., editor. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. plus appendix (705 pp.).
- Host, G. E., and K. S. Pregitzer. 1991. Ecological species groups for upland forest ecosystems of northwestern Lower Michigan. Forest Ecology and Management 43:87-102.
- Kost, M. A., D. A. Albert, J. G. Cohen, B. S. Slaughter, R. K. Schillo, C. R. Weber, and K. A. Chapman. 2007. Natural communities of Michigan: Classification and description. Report No. 2007-21, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing. 314 pp. [http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/reports/2007-21_Natural_Communites_of_Michigan_Classification_and_Description.pdf]
- Kotar, J., and T. L. Burger. 1989. Forest habitat type classification for the Menominee Indian Reservation. Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 90 pp.
- Lee, H., W. Bakowsky, J. Riley, J. Bowles, M. Puddister, P. Uhlig, and S. McMurray. 1998. Ecological land classification for southern Ontario: First approximation and its application. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southcentral Science Section, Science Development and Transfer Branch. SCSS Field Guide FG-02.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- ONHIC [Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre]. 2018. Unpublished data. Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, Canada.
- Thompson, P. W. 1984. Vegetation and common plants of Sleeping Bear. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 52, 1967. Cranbrook Press, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 48 pp.
- WDNR [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]. 2015. The ecological landscapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management. PUB-SS-1131 2015. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. [http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/Book.html]