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CEGL004722 Magnolia virginiana - Nyssa biflora / Carpinus caroliniana / Thelypteris noveboracensis - Athyrium filix-femina Swamp Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sweetbay - Swamp Tupelo / American Hornbeam / New York Fern - Common Ladyfern Swamp Forest
Colloquial Name: Atlantic & East Gulf Coastal Plain Sweetbay - Tupelo Streamhead Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This saturated streamhead forest community occurs in the East Gulf Coastal Plain and South Atlantic Coastal Plain in streamheads and downstream along the margins of small acidic streams, where groundwater seepage rather than overbank flooding controls the vegetation. The canopy is dominated by the nominal species, Magnolia virginiana and Nyssa biflora; Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Acer rubrum var. trilobum are often also prominent. Other canopy species can include Pinus taeda, Quercus nigra, and Quercus laurifolia. Stands in Florida may contain Nyssa ogeche. The subcanopy typically contains canopy species (especially Magnolia virginiana and Acer rubrum var. trilobum) and Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Persea palustris, Cyrilla racemiflora, and Ilex opaca var. opaca. These species may also occur in the shrub stratum, along with Arundinaria tecta, Decumaria barbara, Illicium floridanum, Itea virginica, Ditrysinia fruticosa, Smilax laurifolia, Smilax rotundifolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium formosum, Viburnum nudum, and Vitis rotundifolia. Within its range, Pieris phillyreifolia may be found climbing on the bark of trees. Herbs are generally fairly sparse, consisting primarily of Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Boehmeria cylindrica, Carex leptalea, Carex venusta, Chasmanthium laxum, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Elephantopus carolinianus, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Peltandra virginica, Thelypteris noveboracensis, and Woodwardia areolata. Sphagnum spp. may be patchily common.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: At Fort Benning, Georgia, there seems to be one seepage forest type with varying dominance among Nyssa biflora, Acer rubrum, and Magnolia virginiana. It is simpler to place these in ~Nyssa biflora - Acer rubrum var. trilobum - Liriodendron tulipifera / Ilex coriacea - Lyonia lucida Swamp Forest (CEGL004645)$$, but this calls into question the relationship between these two types (CEGL004645 and CEGL004722).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy is dominated by the nominal species, Magnolia virginiana and Nyssa biflora; Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Acer rubrum var. trilobum are often also prominent. Other canopy species can include Pinus taeda, Quercus nigra, and Quercus laurifolia. The subcanopy typically contains canopy species (especially Magnolia virginiana and Acer rubrum var. trilobum) and Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Persea palustris, Cyrilla racemiflora, and Ilex opaca var. opaca. These species may also occur in the shrub stratum, along with Arundinaria tecta (= Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta), Decumaria barbara, Illicium floridanum, Itea virginica, Ditrysinia fruticosa (= Sebastiania fruticosa), Smilax laurifolia, Smilax rotundifolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium formosum, and Vitis rotundifolia. Within its range, Pieris phillyreifolia may be found climbing on the bark of trees. Herbs are generally fairly sparse, consisting primarily of Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Boehmeria cylindrica, Carex leptalea, Carex venusta, Chasmanthium laxum, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Elephantopus carolinianus, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Peltandra virginica, Thelypteris noveboracensis, and Woodwardia areolata. Sphagnum spp. may be patchily common.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This saturated streamhead forest community occurs in the East Gulf Coastal Plain and South Atlantic Coastal Plain in streamheads and downstream along the margins of small acidic streams. Some of these stands occur in floodplains of small creeks, but their flora is primarily influenced by seepage hydrology, not by overbank flooding, even though this may occur. They are assigned to saturated rather than seasonally flooded because of their floristics and operative hydrology.
Geographic Range: This community is found across various parts of the South Atlantic and East Gulf coastal plains of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684693
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.3 Sweetbay - Swamp Bay - Pond Pine Swamp Forest Macrogroup | M032 | 1.B.3.Nb.3 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.3.a Sweetbay - Loblolly-bay - Pond Pine Swamp Forest Group | G037 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.a |
| Alliance | A0378 <i>Magnolia virginiana - Nyssa biflora - Quercus laurifolia</i> Southeast Swamp Forest Alliance | A0378 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.a |
| Association | CEGL004722 Sweetbay - Swamp Tupelo / American Hornbeam / New York Fern - Common Ladyfern Swamp Forest | CEGL004722 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IIA2a. Bay Forest (Allard 1990)
- ALNHP [Alabama Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data on file. Alabama Natural Heritage Program, Auburn University.
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- Hillestad, H. O., J. R. Bozeman, A. S. Johnson, C. W. Berisford, and J. I. Richardson. 1975. The ecology of the Cumberland Island National Seashore, Camden County, Georgia. Technical Report Series No. 75-5. Georgia Marine Sciences Center, Skidway Island, GA.
- McManamay, R. H. 2017a. Vegetation mapping at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Natural Resource Report NPS/SECN/NRR--2017/1511. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 422 pp.
- NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Central Databases. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.