Print Report
CEGL002060 Acer (saccharum, floridanum) - Quercus rubra - Carya cordiformis / Asimina triloba Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: (Sugar Maple, Southern Sugar Maple) - Northern Red Oak - Bitternut Hickory / Pawpaw Forest
Colloquial Name: Sugar Maple - Oak - Bitternut Hickory Mesic Bottomland Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This dry-mesic to mesic bottomland forest is found in the south-central United States, especially in the Ozark/Ouachita regions. Stands are largely restricted to narrow valleys and floodplains of small to medium-sized, high-energy streams in hilly topography. Soils are well-drained to moderately drained, somewhat deep (40-100 cm) to very deep (>100 cm). Parent material in dry-mesic bottomlands is alluvium, often with massive, but scattered, deposits of gravel and boulders. Overstory canopy is generally open because of flash flooding, but on more mesic sites it may be closed. The understory is open and weakly structured in dry-mesic sites, but more closed in mesic ones. The tree layer is dominated by Acer saccharum, Carya cordiformis, Celtis occidentalis, Fraxinus americana, Quercus alba, and Quercus rubra. Associates include Juglans nigra, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Platanus occidentalis. Stands in the Ouachita Mountains contain Acer floridanum as a codominant instead of Acer saccharum. Subcanopy trees include Aesculus glabra, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus florida, Diospyros virginiana, and Ostrya virginiana. The shrub layer includes Asimina triloba, Corylus americana, Dirca palustris, Hypericum prolificum, and Lindera benzoin. Vines such as Vitis riparia may be present. The herbaceous layer, which ranges from more open in dry-mesic sites to more closed in mesic ones, is quite diverse. Species present, as described from Missouri, include Anemone canadensis, Aplectrum hyemale, Arundinaria gigantea, Campanulastrum americanum, Carex davisii, Carex jamesii, Cystopteris fragilis, Elephantopus carolinianus, Erythronium albidum, Enemion biternatum, Mertensia virginica, Nothoscordum bivalve, Phacelia ranunculacea, Scrophularia marilandica, Silene nivea, Tradescantia subaspera and Viola striata. In Oklahoma, other characteristic species are Celtis laevigata, Elymus virginicus, Euonymus atropurpureus, Ilex decidua, Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii, and Staphylea trifolia.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The concept of this type is derived from Missouri''s Dry-mesic and Mesic bottomland forest types (Nelson 1985). Dry-mesic stands are more oak-dominated (and may need their own type), mesic stands are more maple-oak-hickory-dominated. See floodplain equivalent ~Acer saccharum - Carya cordiformis / Asimina triloba Floodplain Forest (CEGL005035)$$. This association needs to be distinguished from other western mesophytic forests (M. Evans pers. comm. 1997). Compare to ~Acer (nigrum, saccharum) - Carya cordiformis Forest (CEGL004411)$$. According to Hoagland (1997), this community occurs on mesic slopes and floodplains in the eastern tier of Oklahoma counties (Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, LeFlore, Mayes, McCurtain, Muskogee, Ottawa, and Sequoyah). Compare also to ~Liquidambar styraciflua - (Quercus alba, Acer saccharum) / Carpinus caroliniana / Lindera benzoin Floodplain Forest (CEGL007826)$$. In Arkansas, this vegetation is closely related to ~Quercus alba - Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum - Carya cordiformis / Lindera benzoin Forest (CEGL002058)$$. Douglas Zollner (pers. comm. 1997) suggests that fire frequency may account for the differences, since Acer saccharum is more susceptible to fire. Stands in the Ouachita Mountains contain Acer floridanum as a codominant instead of Acer saccharum (D. Zollner pers. comm.).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Overstory canopy is generally open because of flash flooding, but on more mesic sites it may be closed. The understory is open and weakly structured in dry-mesic sites, but more closed in mesic ones. The tree layer is dominated by Acer saccharum, Carya cordiformis, Celtis occidentalis, Quercus alba, and Quercus rubra. Associates include Juglans nigra, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Platanus occidentalis. Stands in the Ouachita Mountains contain Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum) as a codominant instead of Acer saccharum. Subcanopy trees include Aesculus glabra, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus florida, Diospyros virginiana, and Ostrya virginiana. The shrub layer includes Asimina triloba, Corylus americana, Dirca palustris, Hypericum prolificum (= Hypericum spathulatum), and Lindera benzoin. Vines, such as Vitis riparia, may be present. The herbaceous layer, which ranges from more open in dry-mesic sites to more closed in mesic ones, is quite diverse. Species present, as described from Missouri, include Anemone canadensis, Aplectrum hyemale, Arundinaria gigantea, Campanulastrum americanum (= Campanula americana), Carex davisii, Carex jamesii, Cystopteris fragilis, Elephantopus carolinianus, Erythronium albidum, Enemion biternatum (= Isopyrum biternatum), Mertensia virginica, Nothoscordum bivalve, Phacelia ranunculacea, Scrophularia marilandica, Silene nivea, Tradescantia subaspera, and Viola striata (Nelson 1985). In Oklahoma, other characteristic species are Celtis laevigata, Elymus virginicus, Euonymus atropurpureus, Ilex decidua, Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii, and Staphylea trifolia.
Dynamics: Flash floods often knock down, bend, or scar tree trunks (Nelson 1985).
Environmental Description: This type is largely restricted to narrow valleys and floodplains of small to medium-sized, high-energy streams in hilly topography. During heavy rainstorms, rapid watershed drainage results in high-velocity stream waters. Soils are well-drained to moderately drained, somewhat deep (40-100 cm) to very deep (>100 cm), with soils generally moist through much of the year. Parent material in dry-mesic bottomlands is alluvium, often with massive, but scattered, deposits of gravel and boulders (Nelson 1985).
Geographic Range: This dry-mesic to mesic bottomland forest is found in the south-central United States, especially in the Ozark/Ouachita regions.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, MO, OK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687837
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3
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.5 Central Midwest Mesic Forest Macrogroup | M882 | 1.B.2.Na.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.5.a Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory - White Ash Forest Group | G791 | 1.B.2.Na.5.a |
| Alliance | A3260 Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory - White Ash Ozark-Ouachita Forest Alliance | A3260 | 1.B.2.Na.5.a |
| Association | CEGL002060 (Sugar Maple, Southern Sugar Maple) - Northern Red Oak - Bitternut Hickory / Pawpaw Forest | CEGL002060 | 1.B.2.Na.5.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer saccharum - Quercus rubra - Carya cordiformis / Asimina triloba Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
> Dry-mesic bottomland forest (Nelson 1985)
> Mesic bottomland forest (Nelson 1985)
> Dry-mesic bottomland forest (Nelson 1985)
> Mesic bottomland forest (Nelson 1985)
- Blair, W. F. 1938. Ecological relationships of the mammals of the Bird Creek region, northeastern Oklahoma. The American Midland Naturalist 20:473-526.
- Chastain, R. A., M.A. Struckhoff, K. W. Grabner, E. D. Stroh, H. He, D. R. Larsen, T. A. Nigh, and J. Drake. 2006. Mapping vegetation communities in Ozark National Scenic Riverways: Final technical report to the National Park Service. Open-File Report 2006-1354. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA. 90 pp. plus appendices.
- Evans, Marc. Personal communication. Ecologist. Kentucky Natural Heritage Program, Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, Frankfort.
- 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.).
- Hoagland, B. 2000. The vegetation of Oklahoma: A classification for landscape mapping and conservation planning. The Southwestern Naturalist 45(4):385-420.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Nelson, P. 2010. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.
- Nelson, P. W. 1985. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Jefferson City. 197 pp. Revised edition, 1987.
- Nigh, T., C. Buck, J. Grabner, J. Kabrick, and D Meinert. 2000. An ecological classification system for the Current River Hills subsection. Missouri Ecological Classification System and Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership. 44 pp.
- Zollner, Douglas. Personal communication. Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Field Office, Little Rock.