Print Report
CEGL007380 Acer rubrum - Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Saururus cernuus - (Phanopyrum gymnocarpon) Swamp Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Red Maple - Green Ash / Lizard''s-tail - (Savanna Panicgrass) Swamp Forest
Colloquial Name: Red Maple - Green Ash Swamp Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These are temporarily to seasonally flooded bottomland or swamp forests found on somewhat poorly to very poorly drained muck or clay loam soil. Stands are dominated by Acer rubrum, or by a combination of Acer rubrum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Liquidambar styraciflua; Acer rubrum may be present in all woody strata. The canopy can range in density from 50 to 90% cover. Additional tree species include Acer negundo, Nyssa aquatica, Nyssa sylvatica, Quercus michauxii, and Ulmus americana, among others. The sparse to moderate tall-shrub and short-shrub layers may contain Acer rubrum, Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus foemina, Ilex decidua, Itea virginica, Lindera benzoin, Nyssa aquatica, and Quercus laurifolia. Also present are the vines Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Toxicodendron radicans, and Vitis rotundifolia. The herbaceous layer can be dominated by Arisaema dracontium, Boehmeria cylindrica, Impatiens capensis, Leersia virginica, Microstegium vimineum (invasive exotic), Onoclea sensibilis, Packera glabella, Penthorum sedoides, Phanopyrum gymnocarpon, Pilea pumila, and/or Saururus cernuus. Examples have been documented in the Piedmont of Georgia, the coastal plains of Mississippi, and the Interior Low Plateau of Tennessee.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type is no longer deemed to be "ruderal" and is therefore placed in ~Liquidambar styraciflua - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Acer rubrum Flooded & Swamp Forest Alliance (A3625)$$ in ~Oak - Sweetgum Floodplain Forest Group (G034)$$. An alternative placement would be ~Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Platanus occidentalis - Ulmus americana Coastal Plain Floodplain Forest Alliance (A3707)$$ in ~Southern Ash - Elm - Willow Floodplain Forest Group (G759)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stands are dominated by Acer rubrum, or by a combination of Acer rubrum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Liquidambar styraciflua; Acer rubrum may be present in all woody strata and may be Acer rubrum var. drummondii in some examples. The canopy can range in density from 50 to 90% cover. Additional tree species include Acer negundo, Nyssa aquatica, Nyssa sylvatica, and Ulmus americana, among others. The sparse to moderate (5-50%) tall-shrub (2-5 m) and short-shrub (0.5-1 m) layers may contain Acer rubrum, Carpinus caroliniana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Itea virginica, Lindera benzoin, Nyssa aquatica, and Quercus laurifolia. The herbaceous layer (60%) can be dominated by Microstegium vimineum (invasive exotic), Penthorum sedoides, Phanopyrum gymnocarpon, and/or Saururus cernuus. In addition, other herbs that may be present include Carex grayi, Laportea canadensis, and Leersia virginica (NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern U.S. unpubl. data 2015). Wharton (1978) describes a stand from the Alcovy River floodplain downstream of the Highway 278 bridge (Newton County, Georgia) as containing Acer rubrum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Quercus michauxii, with an understory of Cornus foemina (= Cornus stricta), Ilex decidua, and Lyonia ligustrina. Also present are the vines Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Toxicodendron radicans, and Vitis rotundifolia. Herbs and ferns include Arisaema dracontium, Boehmeria cylindrica, Impatiens capensis, Onoclea sensibilis, Packera glabella, Pilea pumila, and Saururus cernuus.
Dynamics: Heavy dominance by Acer rubrum may indicate a stand that has been disturbed or has been repeatedly logged.
Environmental Description: These are temporarily to seasonally flooded bottomland or swamp forests found on somewhat poorly to very poorly drained muck or clay loam soil. Wharton et al. (1982) cite the topographic setting for the "Red maple-green ash" type as wet flats and alluvial floodplains.
Geographic Range: This association has been documented from the East Gulf Coastal Plain and Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain of Mississippi and from the Interior Low Plateau of Tennessee. It is likely to occur in Alabama, and it has been reported from the Piedmont of Georgia (Wharton et al. 1982).
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, GA, MS, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688234
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?
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.4 Swamp Chestnut Oak - Bald-cypress - Pecan Southern Floodplain Forest Macrogroup | M031 | 1.B.3.Nb.4 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a Swamp Chestnut Oak - Laurel Oak - Sweetgum Floodplain Forest Group | G034 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Alliance | A3625 Sweetgum - Green Ash - Red Maple Flooded & Swamp Forest Alliance | A3625 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Association | CEGL007380 Red Maple - Green Ash / Lizard''s-tail - (Savanna Panicgrass) Swamp Forest | CEGL007380 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Red maple-green ash (Wharton et al. 1982)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- Nordman, C., M. Russo, and L. Smart. 2011. Vegetation types of the Natchez Trace Parkway, based on the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe Central Databases (International Ecological Classification Standard: Terrestrial Ecological Classifications). Arlington, VA. Data current as of 11 April 2011. 548 pp.
- Wharton, C. H. 1978. The natural environments of Georgia. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Atlanta. 227 pp.
- Wharton, C. H., W. M. Kitchens, E. C. Pendleton, and T. W. Sipe. 1982. The ecology of bottomland hardwood swamps of the Southeast: A community profile. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Biological Services. FWS/OBS-81/37. Washington, DC.