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CEGL002597 Tsuga canadensis - Acer saccharum / (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta) Driftless Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Eastern Hemlock - Sugar Maple / Sharp-lobe Liverleaf Driftless Forest
Colloquial Name: Hemlock - Sugar Maple Relict Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This hemlock forest type occurs in the "Driftless Area" of southern Wisconsin, of the United States. Stands occur on steep north-facing, thin soil slopes and cool protected ravines that are associated with cliffs in the unglaciated part of Wisconsin. The tree canopy is tall and dominated by Acer saccharum and Tsuga canadensis, with Betula alleghaniensis always present. Other associates may include Carya cordiformis, Fraxinus americana, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, and Tilia americana. The shrub/sapling layer is not well-developed and contains Acer spicatum, Hamamelis virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa, and occasional Acer rubrum. The herbaceous layer contains a mix of southern and northern species; southern species include Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis, Hepatica nobilis var. acuta, Hydrophyllum virginianum, Osmorhiza claytonii, and Podophyllum peltatum; the characteristic northern species include Eurybia macrophylla, Clintonia borealis, Huperzia lucidula, Maianthemum canadense, Mitchella repens, Streptopus lanceolatus var. longipes and Trientalis borealis. Other common herbs include Arisaema triphyllum, Athyrium filix-femina, and Polygonatum pubescens.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type may be similar to ~Pinus strobus - Abies balsamea - Betula alleghaniensis Driftless Forest (CEGL002111)$$, which occurs in the Minnesota portion of the Driftless area, except that Wisconsin has virtually no Abies balsamea in the Driftless Area, and Minnesota has no Tsuga canadensis. See also ~Pinus strobus - (Pinus resinosa) Driftless Bluff Forest (CEGL002378)$$, a dry Pinus strobus type in the Driftless region. It is unclear how distinctive these stands are from northern hemlock-hardwood stands, ~Tsuga canadensis - Acer saccharum - Betula alleghaniensis Forest (CEGL005044)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The tree canopy is tall and dominated by Acer saccharum and Tsuga canadensis, with Betula alleghaniensis always present. Other associates may include Carya cordiformis, Fraxinus americana, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, and Tilia americana. The shrub/sapling layer is not well-developed and contains Acer spicatum, Hamamelis virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (= Sambucus pubens), and occasional Acer rubrum. The herbaceous layer contains a mix of southern and northern species; southern species include Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis (= Circaea quadrisulcata), Hepatica nobilis var. acuta (= Hepatica acutiloba), Hydrophyllum virginianum, Osmorhiza claytonii, and Podophyllum peltatum; the characteristic northern species include Eurybia macrophylla (= Aster macrophyllus), Clintonia borealis, Huperzia lucidula (= Lycopodium lucidulum), Maianthemum canadense, Mitchella repens, Streptopus lanceolatus var. longipes (= Streptopus roseus), and Trientalis borealis. Other common herbs include Arisaema triphyllum (= Arisaema atrorubens), Athyrium filix-femina, and Polygonatum pubescens (Kotar and Burger 1996, E. Epstein pers. comm. 1999).
Dynamics: According to Kotar and Burger (1996), it is uncertain what kind of disturbance favors regeneration of Tsuga canadensis in this type. It is not reproducing well in these stands, whereas Acer saccharum and Betula alleghaniensis are. They suggest that tip-up mounds created by infrequent severe windstorms or periodic fire are needed. High white-tail deer populations have also been suggested as a possible cause for lack of hemlock regeneration. In some stands regeneration is excellent, such as in gaps or edges of stands.
Environmental Description: Stands occur on steep north- or east-facing, thin soil slopes and in cool protected ravines that are associated with cliffs in the unglaciated part of Wisconsin (Curtis 1959, Kotar and Burger 1996).
Geographic Range: This hemlock forest type occurs in the "Driftless Area" of southern Wisconsin, the United States.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687168
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2
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.4 White Oak - Bur Oak - Shagbark Hickory Forest, Woodland & Savanna Macrogroup | M012 | 1.B.2.Na.4 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.4.b North-Central Oak - Hickory Forest & Woodland Group | G649 | 1.B.2.Na.4.b |
| Alliance | A3237 Eastern White Pine - Oak species Driftless Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3237 | 1.B.2.Na.4.b |
| Association | CEGL002597 Eastern Hemlock - Sugar Maple / Sharp-lobe Liverleaf Driftless Forest | CEGL002597 | 1.B.2.Na.4.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer saccharum -Tsuga / Trientalis habitat type (Kotar and Burger 1996)
= Tsuga canadensis - Acer saccharum / (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta) Driftless Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Northern Mesic Forest Hemlock Driftless Subtype]
= Tsuga canadensis - Acer saccharum / (Hepatica nobilis var. acuta) Driftless Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Northern Mesic Forest Hemlock Driftless Subtype]
- Curtis, J. T. 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin: An ordination of plant communities. Reprinted in 1987. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 657 pp.
- Epstein, Eric. Personal communication. Community Ecologist, Wisconsin Natural Heritage Program, Madison, WI.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., editor. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. plus appendix (705 pp.).
- Kotar, J., and T. L. Burger. 1996. A guide to forest communities and habitat types of central and southern Wisconsin. Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- WDNR [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]. 2015. The ecological landscapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management. PUB-SS-1131 2015. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. [http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/Book.html]