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CEGL005083 Cornus spp. - Salix spp. - Vaccinium corymbosum - Rhamnus alnifolia - Toxicodendron vernix Fen

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Dogwood species - Willow species - Highbush Blueberry - Alderleaf Buckthorn - Poison-sumac Fen

Colloquial Name: Dogwood - Willow - Blueberry Fen

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This tall-shrub swamp or poor fen type is found in kettle lake areas from southern parts of the Great Lake states and northern parts of adjacent central states of the midwestern United States. Stands are found in kettle lakes associated with kettle-kame-end moraine topography. Soils are saturated peat. The tall-shrub zone occupies the most consolidated peat. The vegetation is dominated by tall shrubs, with at least 25% cover, and a fairly continuous covering of sphagnum moss. Herbaceous cover is variable, and tree cover is less than 10%. The dominant shrubs are Aronia melanocarpa, Cornus sericea, Gaylussacia baccata, Ilex verticillata, Ilex mucronata, Toxicodendron vernix, and Vaccinium corymbosum. A sphagnum mat is fairly continuous. The herbaceous layer is not well characterized. The exotic shrub Frangula alnus can be problematic.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This is the tall-shrub counterpart to the low-shrub bog in kettle lakes, ~Chamaedaphne calyculata / Carex oligosperma - Eriophorum virginicum Acidic Peatland (CEGL005092)$$. It is distinguished from the Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry) bogs, ~Vaccinium corymbosum - Gaylussacia baccata - Aronia melanocarpa / Calla palustris Acidic Peatland (CEGL005085)$$, by the more diverse shrub layer and less than 25% (?) cover of Vaccinium corymbosum. However, this distinction needs to be further studied. In addition, this tall-shrub zone is not always tracked by state Heritage programs, being too small a zone or too transitional a type. It also overlaps in concept with ~Cornus amomum - Salix spp. - Toxicodendron vernix - Rhamnus lanceolata Fen (CEGL005087)$$; however, that type is typically associated with calcareous fens.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The vegetation is dominated by tall shrubs, with at least 25% cover, and a fairly continuous covering of sphagnum moss. Herbaceous cover is variable, and tree cover is less than 10%. The dominant shrubs are Aronia melanocarpa, Cornus sericea (= Cornus stolonifera), Gaylussacia baccata, Ilex verticillata, Ilex mucronata (= Nemopanthus mucronatus), Toxicodendron vernix (= Rhus vernix), and Vaccinium corymbosum. A sphagnum mat is fairly continuous. The herbaceous layer is not well-characterized. The exotic shrub Frangula alnus (= Rhamnus frangula) can be problematic (White and Madany 1978, Anderson 1982, Homoya et al. 1985).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Stands are found in kettle lakes associated with kettle-kame-end moraine topography. Soils are saturated peat. The tall-shrub zone occupies the most consolidated peat (White and Madany 1978, Anderson 1982, Homoya et al. 1985).
Geographic Range: This tall-shrub swamp or poor fen type is found in kettle lake areas from southern parts of the Great Lake states and northern parts of adjacent central states of the midwestern United States. Stands range from the southern parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario to northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  NY, OH, ON, QC?


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.2 Temperate to Polar Bog & Fen Formation F016 2.C.2
Division 2.C.2.Na North American Bog & Fen Division D029 2.C.2.Na
Macrogroup 2.C.2.Na.1 Leatherleaf - Small Cranberry - Few-seed Sedge Bog & Acidic Fen Macrogroup M876 2.C.2.Na.1
Group 2.C.2.Na.1.a Leatherleaf - Few-seed Sedge - Bog Laurel Boreal Bog & Acidic Fen Group G748 2.C.2.Na.1.a
Alliance A1018 Highbush Blueberry Peat Shrubland Alliance A1018 2.C.2.Na.1.a
Association CEGL005083 Dogwood species - Willow species - Highbush Blueberry - Alderleaf Buckthorn - Poison-sumac Fen CEGL005083 2.C.2.Na.1.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Cornus spp. - Salix spp. - Vaccinium corymbosum - Rhamnus alnifolia - Toxicodendron vernix Shrubland (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Southern Tall Shrub Swamp]
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-01-99
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