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CEGL003530 (Magnolia virginiana) / Ilex coriacea - Morella caroliniensis Seepage Bog

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: (Sweetbay) / Large Gallberry - Southern Bayberry Seepage Bog

Colloquial Name: West Gulf Coastal Plain Seepage Slope Shrub Thicket

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This community is a broad-leaved evergreen shrubland, sometimes with scattered emergent small trees (sometimes approaching woodland physiognomy). It occurs as small shrub-dominated thickets of less than one acre to several acres in size, in a matrix of hillside bog and longleaf pine woodlands in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Texas. Scattered trees, including Magnolia virginiana, Nyssa biflora, and Acer rubrum may be present. The tall-shrub stratum is dense and supports a variety of evergreen shrubs. Dominant and typical species include Ilex coriacea, Morella cerifera, Morella caroliniensis, Persea palustris, Alnus serrulata, Toxicodendron vernix, Vaccinium fuscatum, Viburnum nudum var. nudum, Aronia arbutifolia, Lyonia lucida, and Rhododendron oblongifolium. Smilax laurifolia is often an abundant, entangling vine. The herbaceous stratum is sparse to moderately dense, depending on the overstory cover. This stratum is dominated by pteridophytes. Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Woodwardia areolata, Onoclea sensibilis, and Woodwardia virginica are typical. Scattered forbs and graminoids typical of open herbaceous seeps, such as Rudbeckia scabrifolia, Solidago patula var. strictula, Carex spp., Dichanthelium spp., may occur in more open examples of this woodland. Sphagnum spp. are generally an abundant ground cover in this community.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Ilex coriacea is uncommon as far north as the Sparta Formation in Texas (R. Turner pers. comm.).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands are dense and generally dominated by tall shrubs, such as Ilex coriacea, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Morella caroliniensis (= Myrica heterophylla), Persea palustris, Alnus serrulata, Toxicodendron vernix, Vaccinium fuscatum, Viburnum nudum var. nudum, Aronia arbutifolia, Lyonia lucida, and Rhododendron oblongifolium. Scattered trees, including Magnolia virginiana, Nyssa biflora, and Acer rubrum may be present. Smilax laurifolia is often an abundant, entangling vine. The herbaceous stratum is sparse to moderately dense, depending on the overstory cover. This stratum is dominated by pteridophytes. Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Woodwardia areolata, Onoclea sensibilis, and Woodwardia virginica are typical. Scattered forbs and graminoids typical of open herbaceous seeps, such as Rudbeckia scabrifolia, Solidago patula var. strictula, Carex spp., Dichanthelium spp., may occur in more open examples of this woodland. Sphagnum spp. are generally an abundant ground cover in this community.

Dynamics:  According to Grace and Smith (1995) the degree of development of this type is dynamically related to fire frequency. These wooded seeps can only develop in areas that do not burn with great frequency or in areas that have been fire-suppressed for at least a few years. Unburned hillside bogs may succeed into wooded seeps; correspondingly, wooded seeps may revert to hillside bogs when subjected to increased fire frequency.

Occurrences within a Pinus palustris matrix are fire-suppressed seepage slope communities. Historically, growing-season fires likely burned into this community from the surrounding Pinus palustris woodlands and flatwoods, and regulated the successional status of this community. Occurrences on seepage slopes in some Pinus echinata - Pinus taeda forests were likely always wooded due to the less frequent historical fire frequencies.
Environmental Description:  This community is known from the Western Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and eastern Texas (Bridges and Orzell 1989a, Martin and Smith 1991, 1993, Grace and Smith 1995). It occurs on mid to lower slopes within or along narrow drains in the sandy hills of western Louisiana and eastern Texas, and receives enough seepage to possess permanently to semipermanently saturated conditions. The deep, poorly drained, strongly acidic, loamy fine sand soils have a high organic matter content and may be mapped as Osier loamy fine sand (Typic Psammaquent). The sandy soils overtop an impermeable layer, generally clay. This seepage community is known from the Sparta, Catahoula, Fleming (Blounts Creek Member), and Pleistocene High Terraces (Willis and Bentley in Texas; Williana, Citronelle, and Bentley in Louisiana) formations. Occurrences are never extensive, typically less than 0.4 hectare.
Geographic Range: This shrubland is restricted to the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  LA, TX


Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3?

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.2 Temperate to Polar Bog & Fen Formation F016 2.C.2
Division 2.C.2.Nb Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plain Pocosin Division D324 2.C.2.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.2.Nb.1 Shining Fetterbush - Inkberry - Swamp Titi Bog & Fen Macrogroup M065 2.C.2.Nb.1
Group 2.C.2.Nb.1.a Shining Fetterbush - Inkberry - Swamp Titi Pocosin & Shrub Bog Group G186 2.C.2.Nb.1.a
Alliance A3442 Large Gallberry - Inkberry - Mountain Laurel Hillside Seepage Shrub Bog Alliance A3442 2.C.2.Nb.1.a
Association CEGL003530 (Sweetbay) / Large Gallberry - Southern Bayberry Seepage Bog CEGL003530 2.C.2.Nb.1.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IIA2a. Bay Forest (Allard 1990)
< IIC3a. Coastal Plain Seepage Shrub Slope (Allard 1990)
? Sweet Bay - Swamp Tupelo - Red Bay (68) (USFS 1988)
< Sweetbay - Swamp Tupelo - Redbay: 104 (Eyre 1980)
< Sweetbay - Swamp Tupelo / Osmunda Loamy Wet Forested Seeps (Turner et al. 1999)
? Wooded Seep (Martin and Smith 1991)
? Wooded Seep (Martin and Smith 1993)
? Wooded Seep (Grace and Smith 1995)
Concept Author(s): L.M. Smith

Author of Description: R.E. Evans

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 07-29-02
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  • Bridges, E. L., and S. L. Orzell. 1989a. Longleaf pine communities of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. Natural Areas Journal 9:246-263.
  • Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 pp.
  • Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
  • Grace, S. L., and L. M. Smith. 1995. A survey and description of the natural plant communities of the Kisatchie National Forest, Vernon District. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 192 pp.
  • Groat, C. G. 1990. Generalized geologic map of Louisiana. Louisiana Geologic Survey. 1 p.
  • LNHP [Louisiana Natural Heritage Program]. 2009. Natural communities of Louisiana. Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 46 pp. [http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/page_wildlife/6776-Rare%20Natural%20Communities/LA_NAT_COM.pdf]
  • Martin, D. L., and L. M. Smith. 1991. A survey and description of the natural plant communities of the Kisatchie National Forest, Winn and Kisatchie districts. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA. 372 pp.
  • Martin, D. L., and L. M. Smith. 1993. A survey and description of the natural plant communities of the Kisatchie National Forest, Evangeline and Catahoula districts. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 274 pp.
  • Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
  • Turner, R. L., J. E. Van Kley, L. S. Smith, and R. E. Evans. 1999. Ecological classification system for the national forests and adjacent areas of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. The Nature Conservancy, Nacogdoches, TX. 95 pp. plus appendices.
  • USFS [U.S. Forest Service]. 1988. Silvicultural examination and prescription field book. USDA Forest Service, Southern Region. Atlanta, GA. 35 pp.