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CEGL006201 Acer saccharum - Liriodendron tulipifera - Fraxinus americana / Staphylea trifolia Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sugar Maple - Tuliptree - White Ash / American Bladdernut Forest
Colloquial Name: Ridge & Valley Calcareous Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This rich, closed-canopy forest type is described from the southern Ridge and Valley in Tennessee, where it is found on steep to very steep north-facing, rocky-bottomed ephemeral and intermittent creeks, over soils weathered from calcareous shale and calcareous sandstone. This community is dominated by some combination of Acer saccharum, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Fraxinus americana. Canopy associates can include Carya ovata, Carya glabra, Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Fagus grandifolia, Juglans nigra, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Aesculus flava, and Asimina triloba. Quercus montana, Quercus muehlenbergii, Celtis occidentalis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ulmus rubra, and Quercus velutina may also be present. The relatively dense tall-shrub stratum includes Staphylea trifolia, Lindera benzoin, Carpinus caroliniana, Hamamelis virginiana, Cercis canadensis, and Asimina triloba. The sparse to moderately dense herbaceous stratum includes Asarum canadense, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Sanguinaria canadensis, Actaea racemosa, Viola spp., Impatiens pallida, Impatiens capensis, Arundinaria gigantea, Polystichum acrostichoides, and Podophyllum peltatum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type was initially described from Tellico Pilot Project (Ridge and Valley of Tennessee, northeast Monroe County, 9 stands sampled), where these forests occur along steep, ephemeral and intermittent streams, to 365 m (1200 feet), over soils derived from calcareous sandstone and shales. This association seems to be transitional in composition to Southern Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests in ~Liriodendron tulipifera - Tilia americana var. heterophylla - Aesculus flava Forest Alliance (A0235)$$ but lacks the rich herbaceous flora of those forests. More work is needed to resolve this and clarify the floristic, geographic, and environmental relationship of this association to others in this alliance.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy of stands of this community is dominated by some combination of Acer saccharum, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Fraxinus americana. Canopy associates can include Carya ovata, Carya glabra, Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Fagus grandifolia, Juglans nigra, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Aesculus flava, and Asimina triloba. Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), Quercus muehlenbergii, Celtis occidentalis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ulmus rubra, and Quercus velutina may also be present. Exotic Ailanthus altissima is infrequently found in the canopy. The relatively dense tall-shrub stratum includes Staphylea trifolia, Lindera benzoin, Carpinus caroliniana, Hamamelis virginiana, Cercis canadensis, and Asimina triloba. The sparse to moderately dense herbaceous stratum includes Asarum canadense, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Sanguinaria canadensis, Actaea racemosa, Viola spp., Impatiens pallida, Impatiens capensis, Arundinaria gigantea, Polystichum acrostichoides, and Podophyllum peltatum (Campbell 2001).
Dynamics: This type may occupy small disturbed areas within mature forests or it may occur in more uniform stands after large-scale disturbances caused by human activity (Campbell 2001). Damage from mudslides was observed in these stands. These communities are particularly susceptible to mudslides because of their location on steep-very steep concave slopes near the headwaters of creeks.
Environmental Description: This forest type is known from the southern Ridge and Valley of Tennessee, on steep to very steep north-facing, rocky-bottomed ephemeral and intermittent creeks, over soils weathered from calcareous shale and calcareous sandstone. Elevation ranges between 250-305 m (820-1000 feet). Because of their location in "upland" draws, soils underlying these stands likely contain a high fraction of colluvium that has washed downslope over time. In general, the Tellico area is dominated by soils weathered from calcareous shale and calcareous sandstone of the Middle Ordovician. Common soil series on which this community occurs include Dandridge (Lithic Ruptic-Alfic Eutrochrepts), Tellico (Typic Rhododults). These soils are slightly to very acidic and well-drained.
Geographic Range: This forest was described from the southern Ridge and Valley in Tennessee. Its full range is not known. It is attributed to states as far north as Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: GA?, KY, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685243
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?
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.3 Appalachian-Interior-Northeastern Mesic Forest Macrogroup | M883 | 1.B.2.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.3.a American Beech - Tuliptree - Yellow Buckeye Forest Group | G020 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Alliance | A0235 Tuliptree - Appalachian Basswood - Yellow Buckeye Forest Alliance | A0235 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Association | CEGL006201 Sugar Maple - Tuliptree - White Ash / American Bladdernut Forest | CEGL006201 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
Concept Lineage: merged
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer saccharum - Liriodendron tulipifera - Fraxinus americana Community (Andreu and Tukman 1995)
< IA5d. Typic Mesophytic Forest (Allard 1990)
< Sugar Maple: 27 (Eyre 1980)
< IA5d. Typic Mesophytic Forest (Allard 1990)
< Sugar Maple: 27 (Eyre 1980)
- 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.
- Andreu, M. G., and M. L. Tukman. 1995. Forest communities of the Tellico Lake Area, East Tennessee. M.F. project report, Duke University, School of the Environment. Durham, NC. 66 pp. plus appendices.
- Campbell, J. 2001. Native vegetation types of Appalachian Kentucky. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Lexington, KY. 210 pp.
- Evans, M., B. Yahn, and M. Hines. 2009. Natural communities of Kentucky 2009. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Frankfort, KY. 22 pp.
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
- Fike, J. 1999. Terrestrial and palustrine plant communities of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bureau of Forestry, Harrisburg, PA. 86 pp.
- Fleming, G. P. 1999. Plant communities of limestone, dolomite, and other calcareous substrates in the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 99-4. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. Unpublished report submitted to the USDA Forest Service. 218 pp. plus appendices.
- Metzler, K. J., and J. P. Barrett. 2001. Vegetation classification for Connecticut. Draft 5/21/2001. Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Center, Natural Diversity Database, Hartford.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.