Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Red Maple / Catberry - Highbush Blueberry Swamp Forest

Colloquial Name: Northern Red Maple Swamp Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This forested red maple swamp of stream drainages and wetland borders occurs in northern to central New England and New York, extending sporadically south to New Jersey. The hydrologic regime is variable among occurrences, generally influenced by seasonal flooding and often limited groundwater seepage. This association may occur in basins with little drainage, or on stream floodplains that remain saturated throughout most of the growing season. Soils vary according to setting; generally the substrate is mineral soil, acidic to weakly minerotrophic, but in some settings organic soil may be well-developed. The deciduous canopy ranges from closed to patchy, but the overall cover is that of a closed-canopy forest. The shrub layer, particularly in openings, is generally well-developed. The herb layer is usually fairly well-developed and may be extensive. The canopy is characteristically dominated by Acer rubrum with associates of Fraxinus nigra, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Betula alleghaniensis, and Ulmus americana. Tsuga canadensis, Picea rubens, and Abies balsamea, while not abundant, characterize this association as one of cooler climates. (The Picea and Abies drop out in the southernmost occurrences of this type.) Typical shrubs include Vaccinium corymbosum (often dominant), Ilex verticillata, Ilex mucronata, Lindera benzoin, Rosa palustris, Alnus incana, Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides, and Viburnum recognitum. There is north-to-south variability in the shrub component as well, with Ilex mucronata characteristic of all but the southernmost occurrences, and Lindera absent from more northerly occurrences. The herbaceous layer is often dominated by ferns, including Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis, and Osmunda claytoniana. Onoclea sensibilis, Dryopteris cristata, and Thelypteris palustris are often present, though less abundant. Carex stricta may be locally dominant. Other species frequent in the herbaceous layer include Impatiens capensis, Caltha palustris, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex intumescens, Carex trisperma, and Arisaema triphyllum. The bryophyte flora is not well documented; Sphagnum spp. and Mnium spp. are frequent, although not necessarily abundant. ~Acer rubrum - Fraxinus (pennsylvanica, americana) / Lindera benzoin / Symplocarpus foetidus Swamp Forest (CEGL006406)$$ is distinguished by its greater abundance and extent of seepage indicators and its lacks lack of northern species such as Picea rubens, Abies balsamea, and Ilex mucronata. ~Acer rubrum / Carex stricta - Onoclea sensibilis Wet Woodland (CEGL006119)$$ is also similar but has a more open canopy and typically a graminoid-dominated herbaceous layer. This association is also related to ~Acer rubrum - Prunus serotina / Cornus amomum Floodplain Forest (CEGL006503)$$, which occurs along floodplains of major streams and minor rivers. While both can be dominated by red maple in the canopy, the understory vegetation differs somewhat, with species more typical of floodplains (Carpinus caroliniana, Cornus amomum, Prunus serotina) in that type, and species typical of more constantly saturated conditions in this type.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: A continuum of Northern Appalachian acidic swamps, with very similar floristics, is expressed through three associations: the coniferous ~Picea rubens - Abies balsamea / Gaultheria hispidula / Osmunda cinnamomea / Sphagnum spp. Swamp Forest (CEGL006312)$$, the mixed ~Picea rubens - Acer rubrum / Ilex mucronata Swamp Forest (CEGL006198)$$, and the present type (deciduous), with all gradations of coniferous to deciduous evident.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available