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CEGL007371 Quercus phellos / Chasmanthium laxum - Carex (flaccosperma, intumescens) - Hymenocallis liriosme Wet Flatwoods Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Willow Oak / Slender Woodoats - (Thin-fruit Sedge, Greater Bladder Sedge) - Spring Spiderlily Wet Flatwoods Forest
Colloquial Name: Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain Willow Oak Flatwoods Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This willow oak flatwoods community occurs on broad, poorly drained flats of the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain and Mississippi River Alluvial Plain. It is found in southern Arkansas, adjacent Louisiana, and eastern Texas, and may range into southeastern Oklahoma. This forest is typified by a closed, yet not densely forested, canopy. Quercus phellos may comprise 80-90% of the canopy in most examples. However, a variety of other woody species may also occur both as occasional canopy components and understory saplings. These species include Acer rubrum, Ilex opaca, Carya aquatica, Celtis laevigata, Fraxinus caroliniana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Diospyros virginiana, Gleditsia triacanthos, Nyssa sylvatica, Liquidambar styraciflua, Platanus occidentalis, Planera aquatica, Quercus lyrata, Quercus nigra, Quercus texana, Taxodium distichum, and Ulmus americana. Shrubs are uncommon in this association. Much filtered light reaches the forest floor contributing to a fairly diverse herbaceous layer, the density of which may vary considerably among examples depending upon duration of standing water and amount of leaf litter build-up. Chasmanthium laxum may be common in many examples, along with a number of sedges, including Carex flaccosperma, Carex albolutescens, Carex caroliniana, Carex debilis, Carex complanata, Carex debilis, Carex frankii, Carex intumescens, Carex joorii, Carex tribuloides, Carex typhina, and other herbaceous species.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: They are distinguished from the drier Quercus nigra - Quercus phellos - Liquidambar styraciflua - (Pinus taeda) / Crataegus marshallii / Smilax smallii / Galium obtusum ssp. obtusum Temporarily Saturated Overflow Bottom Forest (not in USNVC) by the lack of any Pinus taeda, longer duration of soil saturation, and complete dominance of Quercus phellos.
Possibly the best expression of this type in Arkansas is found in Dallas County. It is also known from Cleveland, Saline, and Sevier counties in Arkansas. At Pond Creek Bottoms, this type occurs in "many areas, totaling 100s of acres, but mostly only average [C] quality"; some sections near the Cossatot River and the "west-central" slough may be of higher quality.(Campbell et al. 1996). This community likely occurs throughout the Upper West Gulf Coastal and Mississippi Valley Alluvial Plains. Good quality examples with diverse herbaceous layers are uncommon.
Alliance placement is questionable and needs analysis.
Possibly the best expression of this type in Arkansas is found in Dallas County. It is also known from Cleveland, Saline, and Sevier counties in Arkansas. At Pond Creek Bottoms, this type occurs in "many areas, totaling 100s of acres, but mostly only average [C] quality"; some sections near the Cossatot River and the "west-central" slough may be of higher quality.(Campbell et al. 1996). This community likely occurs throughout the Upper West Gulf Coastal and Mississippi Valley Alluvial Plains. Good quality examples with diverse herbaceous layers are uncommon.
Alliance placement is questionable and needs analysis.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This forest is typified by a closed, yet not dense forested, canopy. Quercus phellos may comprise 80-90% of the canopy in most examples. However, a variety of other woody species may also occur both as occasional canopy components and understory saplings. These species include Acer rubrum, Ilex opaca, Carya aquatica, Celtis laevigata, Fraxinus caroliniana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Diospyros virginiana, Gleditsia triacanthos, Nyssa sylvatica, Liquidambar styraciflua, Platanus occidentalis, Planera aquatica, Quercus lyrata, Quercus nigra, Quercus texana, Taxodium distichum, and Ulmus americana, these occurring in slightly wetter or drier locations as appropriate. The dominant understory tree in Arkansas examples may be Cornus obliqua (= Cornus amomum ssp. obliqua), although this species is not found in either Louisiana or Texas. Shrubs are uncommon in this association, but may include occasional Amorpha fruticosa, Cephalanthus occidentalis, Crataegus marshallii, Ilex decidua, Sabal minor (rare), and Vaccinium virgatum. Common woody vines are Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Smilax bona-nox, Smilax rotundifolia, Toxicodendron radicans, and Smilax smallii. Much filtered light reaches the forest floor contributing to a fairly diverse herbaceous layer, the density of which may vary considerably among examples depending upon duration of standing water and amount of leaf litter build-up. Chasmanthium laxum may be common in many examples, along with a number of sedges, including Carex flaccosperma, Carex albolutescens, Carex caroliniana, Carex debilis, Carex complanata, Carex debilis, Carex frankii, Carex intumescens, Carex joorii, Carex tribuloides, and Carex typhina. Other herbaceous species may include Arundinaria gigantea, Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (= Aster lanceolatus), Bidens sp., Boehmeria cylindrica, Brunnichia ovata, Campsis radicans, Chasmanthium latifolium, Commelina virginica, Eupatorium semiserratum (= Eupatorium cuneifolium var. semiserratum), Galium obtusum ssp. obtusum, Glyceria striata, Hymenocallis liriosme, Impatiens sp., Iris virginica, Juncus effusus, Leersia virginica, Penstemon digitalis, Solidago rugosa, Pluchea camphorata, Polygonum hydropiperoides, Stachys tenuifolia (= var. tenuifolia), Trachelospermum difforme, Triadenum tubulosum, Viola missouriensis, and Viola sororia. Sphagnum sp. is a common ground cover.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This forest occurs on broad, nearly level flats adjacent to, but not influenced by, streams and slough channels. The alluvium may be largely old, silty slackwater deposits. These areas are annually flooded, and often have shallow standing water from late winter, but dry slowly through early summer, and may be fairly dry during the late summer months. Soils are poorly drained, low-fertility, acidic silt-loams of the Guyton Series. This is a characteristic community of overflow bottoms on the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain in Arkansas.
Geographic Range: This community occurs in the West Gulf Coastal Plain and Mississippi River Alluvial Plain of Arkansas and Louisiana and may range into the Coastal Plain of Oklahoma and Texas.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, LA, OK, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685739
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.2 Swamp Tupelo - Swamp Chestnut Oak - Bald-cypress Basin Swamp & Flatwoods Macrogroup | M033 | 1.B.3.Nb.2 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.2.b Laurel Oak - Willow Oak - Loblolly Pine Wet Flatwoods Group | G130 | 1.B.3.Nb.2.b |
| Alliance | A4190 Loblolly Pine - Laurel Oak - Willow Oak West Gulf Coastal Plain Wet Flatwoods Forest Alliance | A4190 | 1.B.3.Nb.2.b |
| Association | CEGL007371 Willow Oak / Slender Woodoats - (Thin-fruit Sedge, Greater Bladder Sedge) - Spring Spiderlily Wet Flatwoods Forest | CEGL007371 | 1.B.3.Nb.2.b |
Concept Lineage: The Louisiana portion of CEGL002102 was merged into this type
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Quercus phellos (nigra, pagoda) - (Liquidambar) forest (Campbell et al. 1996)
- Campbell, J. J. N., S. Walker, and D. Zollner. 1996. Technical assessment to: An ecological assessment of forest lands in Arkansas and Oklahoma proposed for inclusion into the Ouachita National Forest and Cossatot National Wildlife Refuge. Unpublished report by The Nature Conservancy. 114 pp.
- Hoagland, B. 2000. The vegetation of Oklahoma: A classification for landscape mapping and conservation planning. The Southwestern Naturalist 45(4):385-420.
- Hoagland, B. W., L. R. Sorrels, and S. M. Glenn. 1996. Woody species composition of floodplain forests of the Little River, McCurtain and LeFlore counties, Oklahoma. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 76:23-26.
- LNHP [Louisiana Natural Heritage Program]. 2009. Natural communities of Louisiana. Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 46 pp. [http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/page_wildlife/6776-Rare%20Natural%20Communities/LA_NAT_COM.pdf]
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Turner, R. L., J. E. Van Kley, L. S. Smith, and R. E. Evans. No date. Unpublished data from the national forests and adjacent areas of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. The Nature Conservancy, Nacogdoches, TX.