Print Report
CEGL006421 Picea mariana - Picea rubens / Rhododendron canadense / Cladonia spp. Swamp Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Spruce - Red Spruce / Rhodora / Cup Lichen species Swamp Woodland
Colloquial Name: Northern Spruce / Heath Barrens
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These undulating barrens are found on cold lowland flats of glacially-derived materials at near-boreal latitudes in northern New England and may extend into adjacent Canada. The soils are highly acidic and nutrient-poor. The sandy to clay soils over till can vary with the microtopography from well-drained to very poorly drained, often within the same site. The wetter pockets may have a shallow peat layer (ca. 25 cm or less) over the mineral soil. The canopy is usually open (25-60% closure), occasionally with areas of more closed canopy. The shrub-sapling layer is usually at least 25% and may be locally dense. Dwarf-shrubs, herbs, and tree regeneration cover the ground layer. The bryoid layer is usually well-developed and often essentially continuous. Dominant trees are Picea mariana, Picea rubens, and often hybrids of the two. Less common, but frequent, are Acer rubrum, Abies balsamea, Pinus strobus, and Populus grandidentata. Shrub cover is usually dominated by small spruce and fir, sometimes with Betula populifolia, Pinus strobus, and Sorbus decora or Sorbus americana. Ilex mucronata is a typical shrub. Ericaceous dwarf-shrubs are almost always present, with Rhododendron canadense, Kalmia angustifolia, and Vaccinium angustifolium (and possibly Vaccinium myrtilloides) the most abundant. Herbs are rarely abundant; frequent species include Pteridium aquilinum, Cornus canadensis, Maianthemum canadense, Coptis trifolia, and Aralia nudicaulis. Local moisture appears to influence the distribution of bryoids, with Dicranum and Polytrichum mosses in the more moist portions and Cladonia spp. lichens in the drier areas. These barrens appear to be fire-maintained.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy is usually open (25-60% closure), occasionally with areas of more closed canopy. The shrub-sapling layer is usually at least 25% and may be locally dense. Dwarf-shrubs, herbs, and tree regeneration cover the ground layer. The bryoid layer is usually well-developed and often essentially continuous. Dominant trees are Picea mariana, Picea rubens, and often hybrids of the two. Less common, but frequent, are Acer rubrum, Abies balsamea, Pinus strobus, and Populus grandidentata. Shrub cover is usually dominated by small spruce and fir, sometimes with Betula populifolia, Pinus strobus, and Sorbus decora or Sorbus americana. Ilex mucronata (= Nemopanthus mucronatus) is a typical shrub. Ericaceous dwarf-shrubs are almost always present, with Rhododendron canadense, Kalmia angustifolia, and Vaccinium angustifolium (and possibly Vaccinium myrtilloides) the most abundant. Herbs are rarely abundant; frequent species include Pteridium aquilinum, Cornus canadensis, Maianthemum canadense, Coptis trifolia, and Aralia nudicaulis. Local moisture appears to influence the distribution of bryoids, with Dicranum and Polytrichum mosses in the more moist portions and Cladonia spp. (= Cladina spp.). lichens in the drier areas.
Dynamics: These barrens appear to be fire-maintained.
Environmental Description: This type occurs on cold lowland flats of glacially-derived materials at near-boreal latitudes. The soils are highly acidic and nutrient-poor. The sandy to clay soils over till can vary with the microtopography from well-drained to very poorly drained, often within the same site. The wetter pockets may have a shallow peat layer (ca. 25 cm or less) over the mineral soil. Sites on kames or eskers lack wet depressions and have well-drained to very well-drained soils.
Geographic Range: Documented from across far-northern New England, extending into Canada.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: ME, NB
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686890
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.6 Eastern White Pine - Jack Pine - Northern Pin Oak Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M159 | 1.B.2.Na.6 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.6.c Jack Pine - Red Pine - Black Spruce Subboreal Forest Group | G047 | 1.B.2.Na.6.c |
| Alliance | A3838 Jack Pine - Black Spruce / Blueberry species Subboreal Forest Alliance | A3838 | 1.B.2.Na.6.c |
| Association | CEGL006421 Black Spruce - Red Spruce / Rhodora / Cup Lichen species Swamp Woodland | CEGL006421 | 1.B.2.Na.6.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Spruce - Heath Barren (Gawler 2002)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- Gawler, S. C. 2002. Natural landscapes of Maine: A guide to vegetated natural communities and ecosystems. Maine Natural Areas Program, Department of Conservation, Augusta, ME.
- Gawler, S. C., and A. Cutko. 2010. Natural landscapes of Maine: A classification of vegetated natural communities and ecosystems. Maine Natural Areas Program, Department of Conservation, Augusta.
- Sperduto, D. D., and C. V. Cogbill. 1999. Alpine and subalpine vegetation of the White Mountains, New Hampshire. New Hampshire Natural Heritage Inventory, Concord, NH. 25 pp. plus figures.
- Sperduto, D. D., and W. F. Nichols. 2004. Natural communities of New Hampshire: A guide and classification. New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau, DRED Division of Forests and Lands, Concord. 242 pp.
- Thompson, E. H., and E. R. Sorenson. 2005. Wetland, woodland, wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont. The Nature Conservancy and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. University Press of New England, Hanover, NH. 456 pp.