Environmental Description:  This vegetation occurs in Piedmont and mountain floodplains, as well as broad flat floodplains of the Coastal Plain of Delaware and New Jersey. These depressions are usually abandoned channel segments or swales behind natural levees in which water is ponded for all or much of the year. These alluvial landforms are located at the bottom of upland gorge slopes behind larger floodplains, typically on point bars on the inside bends of river meanders. These positions may be flooded by forward-flowing water during larger floods and by back-flowing water during smaller floods. They also receive water inputs from seepage and rain. Patches of this vegetation type can be highly ephemeral but are likely to develop again on the same site following their destruction by large floods. As these habitats dry out, bare substrate is exposed which is colonized in a zonal pattern by a high diversity of weedy and flood-adapted species. There are usually some more-or-less permanent pools which provide important habitat for aquatic animals, including fish and amphibians. Soils are moderately well- to very poorly drained sand, clay loam, and muck. Slopes range from level to moderate but are typically gentle Water may be supplied primarily by stream flooding or by rainfall. Stands are usually partially shaded by overhanging trees from adjacent forests.