Print Report

CEGL006069 Cephalanthus occidentalis - Decodon verticillatus Shrub Swamp

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Common Buttonbush - Swamp-loosestrife Shrub Swamp

Colloquial Name: Northeastern Buttonbush Shrub Swamp

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This buttonbush swamp occurs in the northeastern United States. These swamps experience prolonged or semipermanent flooding for much of the growing season, with water tables receding below the soil surface only during drought or very late in the growing season. They occur in a variety of environmental settings, including backwater sloughs or oxbow ponds, wet swales in floodplains, pond and lake borders, and small, isolated depressions where water levels recede very slowly, such as those with perched water tables. The substrate is typically loose muck. Cephalanthus occidentalis is dominant and often monotypic. Occasional associates depend on the environmental setting and most often occur in drier areas. They include Vaccinium corymbosum, Rhododendron viscosum, Acer rubrum, Cornus spp. closer to upland borders, or Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Viburnum dentatum where adjacent to floodplains, or Decodon verticillatus, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Spiraea alba var. latifolia in more stagnant basins. Herbaceous species tend to be sparse but can include Glyceria canadensis, Dulichium arundinaceum, Carex stricta, Scirpus cyperinus, Thelypteris palustris, Leersia oryzoides, Acorus calamus, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Polygonum spp., Sparganium spp., and floating or submerged aquatic species such as Lemna minor, Potamogeton natans, and Nuphar variegata. Bryophytes, if present, cling to shrub bases and include Warnstorfia fluitans, Drepanocladus aduncus, or Sphagnum fallax. In disturbed areas, these wetland may be invaded by Lythrum salicaria.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type is analogous to ~Cephalanthus occidentalis / Carex spp. Midwest Shrub Swamp (CEGL002190)$$, which ranges south of the glaciation boundary in the east. CEGL002190 is distributed from the Western Allegheny Plateau (TNC Ecoregion 49) and Great Lakes (TNC Ecoregion 48) west to the Central Tallgrass Prairie (TNC Ecoregion 36), while this type occurs from the Central Appalachian Forest (TNC Ecoregion 59) and High Allegheny Plateau (TNC Ecoregion 60) east.

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

Floristics: This association includes buttonbush swamps of the eastern and northeastern United States. These swamps experience prolonged or semipermanent flooding for much of the growing season with water tables receding below the soil surface only during drought or very late in the growing season. They occur in a variety of environmental settings including backwater sloughs or oxbow ponds, wet swales in floodplains, pond and lake borders, and small isolated depressions where water levels recede very slowly, such as those with perched water tables. Cephalanthus occidentalis is dominant and often monotypic. Scattered Acer rubrum trees may be present in the wetland. Occasional associates depend on the environmental setting, and some only occur in drier areas. They include Vaccinium corymbosum, Rhododendron viscosum, Acer rubrum, Salix spp., Cornus amomum or Cornus sericea closer to upland borders, or Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, or Viburnum dentatum where adjacent to floodplains, or Decodon verticillatus, Chamaedaphne calyculata, and Spiraea alba var. latifolia in more stagnant basins. Herbaceous species tend to be sparse but can include Glyceria canadensis, Dulichium arundinaceum, Carex stricta, Scirpus cyperinus, Osmunda regalis, Thelypteris palustris, Bidens spp., Sium suave, Scutellaria lateriflora, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Polygonum spp., Sparganium spp., and floating or submerged aquatic species such as Lemna minor, Potamogeton natans, and Nuphar variegata (= Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata). Bryophytes, if present, cling to shrub bases and include Warnstorfia fluitans (= Drepanocladus fluitans), Drepanocladus aduncus, or Sphagnum fallax.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This association includes buttonbush swamps that experience prolonged or semipermanent flooding for much of the growing season with water tables receding below the soil surface only during drought or very late in the growing season. They occur in a variety of environmental settings including backwater sloughs or oxbow ponds, wet swales in floodplains, pond and lake borders, and small, isolated depressions where water levels recede very slowly, such as those with perched water tables. Soils are often organic mucks or silt loams.
Geographic Range: This association is found throughout the northeastern United States (an estimated 450,000 square km based on subsection attribution).

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, ON, PA, QC?, RI, VA, VT


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4G5

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.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation F013 2.C.4
Division 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D323 2.C.4.Nd
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nd.2 Broadleaf Cattail - White Snakeroot - Rush species Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M069 2.C.4.Nd.2
Group 2.C.4.Nd.2.d Appalachian-Northeast Wet Meadow & Shrub Swamp Group G903 2.C.4.Nd.2.d
Alliance A3670 Common Buttonbush - Swamp-loosestrife Shrub Swamp Alliance A3670 2.C.4.Nd.2.d
Association CEGL006069 Common Buttonbush - Swamp-loosestrife Shrub Swamp CEGL006069 2.C.4.Nd.2.d
Concept Lineage: Replaces placeholder. CEGL006138 merged with CEGL003908 which was subsequently merged into CEGL006069.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Cephalanthus occidentalis / Glyceria canadensis community (Metzler and Barrett 2006)
? Buttonbush semipermanently flooded shrub swamp (CAP pers. comm. 1998)
Concept Author(s): S.L. Neid

Author of Description: S.L. Neid, E. Southgate, L.A. Sneddon, S.C. Gawler, E. Largay

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 06-21-06
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