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CEGL004628 Eleocharis fallax - Eleocharis rostellata - Schoenoplectus americanus - Sagittaria lancifolia Tidal Marsh
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Creeping Spikerush - Beaked Spikerush - Chairmaker''s Bulrush - Bull-tongue Arrowhead Tidal Marsh
Colloquial Name: Atlantic Coast Tidal Oligohaline Spikerush Marsh
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This oligohaline to freshwater tidal marsh of Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina occurs on the interior of extensive marshes, well away from tidal channels or guts. It is inundated primarily by wind tides and, less commonly, lunar tides. The substrate is fibric, moderately to poorly decomposed peat. The vegetation is characterized by Eleocharis fallax, with Eleocharis rostellata a common associate. Other frequently occurring species include Galium obtusum, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hydrocotyle umbellata, Juncus canadensis, Pontederia cordata, Proserpinaca palustris, Schoenoplectus americanus, and Sagittaria lancifolia. Additional associates may include Mikania scandens, Peltandra virginica, Ptilimnium capillaceum, Ludwigia alata, Osmunda regalis, and Triadenum virginicum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Coulling (2002) describes three vegetation types attributed to this association: (1) Eleocharis fallax - Sagittaria lancifolia - Polygonum punctatum Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation, characterized by the same setting but differentiated by the relative importance of Amaranthus cannabinus, Phyla lanceolata, and Polygonum punctatum in addition to the aforementioned characteristic species; (2) Eleocharis rostellata - Eleocharis fallax) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation, which supports Juncus roemerianus and Polygonum punctatum at relatively high frequencies; and (3) Sagittaria lancifolia - Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis - Cladium (mariscoides, jamaicense) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation, which is perhaps the most distinctive of the three, supporting Boehmeria cylindrica, Rosa palustris, Scirpus cyperinus, Symphyotrichum novi-belgii, Ludwigia palustris, Polygonum arifolium, Polygonum setaceum, and lacks Polygonum punctatum. Scattered, presumably stunted trees or saplings, such as Acer rubrum, Taxodium distichum, and Liquidambar styraciflua, are also present in this type. The Oligohaline Variant of Freshwater Tidal Marsh (Schafale and Weakley 1990) appears to be synonymous with this third type. All three types are regarded as variants of this association, although further analysis of data from North Carolina may support the creation of a distinct association from the third variant.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is characterized by Eleocharis fallax, with Eleocharis rostellata a common associate. Most patches are mixed and relatively diverse, but small, nearly monospecific patches of Eleocharis rostellata are frequent. Other frequently occurring species include Galium obtusum, Hibiscus moscheutos, Hydrocotyle umbellata, Juncus canadensis, Pontederia cordata, Proserpinaca palustris, Schoenoplectus americanus, and Sagittaria lancifolia. Other associates may include Carex hormathodes, Centella erecta, Cladium mariscoides, Cyperus haspan, Eriocaulon decangulare, Eryngium aquaticum, Mikania scandens, Peltandra virginica, Ptilimnium capillaceum, Ludwigia alata, Osmunda regalis, Sabatia dodecandra, and Triadenum virginicum. In Maryland examples, Distichlis spicata may also occur, while Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense (= Cladium jamaicense) is associated in Virginia and North Carolina. North Carolina examples may also support Zizaniopsis miliacea and Centella asiatica.
Dynamics: The predominant dynamic is frequent flooding by wind tides or, less commonly, lunar tides. Standing water may persist for much of the growing season. Although typically the water is fresh or oligohaline, the slower flushing of accumulated salts may increase the salinity to mesohaline conditions periodically (Coulling 2002).
Environmental Description: This vegetation occurs on the interior of freshwater tidal marshes, well away from channels or tidal guts. Soils are generally fibric peats that are moderately to poorly decomposed overlying mucky peat. Hummock-and-hollow microtopography is not pronounced; substrate surface is generally flat. In the main portion of the range, in the mid-Atlantic embayed region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, the type occurs in marshes that have been cut off from lunar tidal flooding but are still influenced by wind-driven tides up to about 1.0 m in amplitude. The Maryland and Virginia eastern shore occurrences are in lunar-tidal estuaries.
Geographic Range: This community is known from the North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland Atlantic Coast.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: DE?, MD, NC, VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685945
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1G2
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.Ne Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D322 | 2.C.4.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Ne.1 Annual Wild Rice - Saltmeadow Cordgrass - Pickerelweed Fresh-Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Macrogroup | M066 | 2.C.4.Ne.1 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Ne.1.c <i>Zizania aquatica - Spartina patens - Amaranthus cannabinus</i> Freshwater Tidal Marsh Group | G914 | 2.C.4.Ne.1.c |
| Alliance | A4016 Creeping Spikerush - Royal Fern Oligohaline Tidal Marsh Alliance | A4016 | 2.C.4.Ne.1.c |
| Association | CEGL004628 Creeping Spikerush - Beaked Spikerush - Chairmaker''s Bulrush - Bull-tongue Arrowhead Tidal Marsh | CEGL004628 | 2.C.4.Ne.1.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Eleocharis (fallax, rostellata) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Bartgis 1986)
> Eleocharis fallax - Sagittaria lancifolia - Polygonum punctatum Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
> Eleocharis fallax - Sagittaria lancifolia - Polygonum punctatum Tidally Flooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
> Eleocharis rostellata - (Eleocharis fallax) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
> Eleocharis rostellata - Eleocharis fallax - Cladium mariscoides Tidally Flooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
= Eleocharis rostellata Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Clancy 1996)
> Sagittaria lancifolia - Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis - Cladium (mariscoides, jamaicense) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
> Eleocharis fallax - Sagittaria lancifolia - Polygonum punctatum Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
> Eleocharis fallax - Sagittaria lancifolia - Polygonum punctatum Tidally Flooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
> Eleocharis rostellata - (Eleocharis fallax) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
> Eleocharis rostellata - Eleocharis fallax - Cladium mariscoides Tidally Flooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
= Eleocharis rostellata Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Clancy 1996)
> Sagittaria lancifolia - Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis - Cladium (mariscoides, jamaicense) Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation (Coulling 2002)
- Bartgis, R. 1986. Natural community descriptions. Unpublished draft. Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis.
- Clancy, K. 1996. Natural communities of Delaware. Unpublished review draft. Delaware Natural Heritage Program, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Delaware Division of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Smyrna, DE. 52 pp.
- Coulling, P. P. 2002. A preliminary classification of tidal marsh, shrub swamp, and hardwood swamp vegetation and assorted non-tidal, chiefly non-maritime, herbaceous wetland communities of the Virginia Coastal Plain. October 2002. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. Natural Heritage Technical Report 02-18. 30 pp.
- Coxe, R. 2009. Guide to Delaware vegetation communities. Spring 2009 edition. State of Delaware, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Delaware Natural Heritage Program, Smyrna.
- Fleming, G. P., K. D. Patterson, and K. Taverna. 2017. The natural communities of Virginia: A classification of ecological community groups and community types. Third approximation. Version 3.0. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/]
- Fleming, G. P., K. Taverna, and P. P. Coulling. 2007b. Vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks, eastern region. Regional (VA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2007. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Fleming, G. P., and W. H. Moorhead, III. 1998. Comparative wetlands ecology study of the Great Dismal Swamp, Northwest River, and North Landing River in Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 98-9. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. Unpublished report submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 181 pp. plus appendices.
- Frost, C. C., H. E. LeGrand, Jr., and R. E. Schneider. 1990. Regional inventory for critical natural areas, wetland ecosystems, and endangered species habitats of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine region: Phase 1. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh, NC. 454 pp.
- Harrison, J. W. 2001. Herbaceous tidal wetland communities of Maryland''s eastern shore: Identification, assessment and monitoring. Report submitted to the U.S. EPA (Clean Water Act 1998 State Wetlands Protection Development Grant Program). Biodiversity Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Division. 30 June 2001. [U.S. EPA Reference Wetland Natural communities of Maryland''s Herbaceous Tidal Wetlands Grant #CD993724].
- Harrison, J. W. 2011. The natural communities of Maryland: 2011 working list of ecological community groups and community types. Unpublished report. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis. 33 pp.
- Harrison, J. W., compiler. 2004. Classification of vegetation communities of Maryland: First iteration. A subset of the International Classification of Ecological Communities: Terrestrial Vegetation of the United States, NatureServe. Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis. 243 pp.
- Schafale, M. P. 2012. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina, 4th Approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.