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CEGL004651 Pinus taeda - Nyssa biflora - Taxodium distichum / Morella cerifera / Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis Tidal Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Loblolly Pine - Swamp Tupelo - Bald-cypress / Wax-myrtle / Royal Fern Tidal Forest
Colloquial Name: Wind-Tidal Bald-cypress - Tupelo Swamp Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community occurs on relatively firm, poorly decomposed, fibrous and root-rich peat, which usually overlies soupy, well-decomposed peat at depths of about 0.5-1.0 m. Microtopography frequently exhibits a strong hummock-and-hollow pattern, with hollows retaining standing water through much of the year. Flooding by wind tides is frequent, and habitats may be inundated to depths of 0.5 m or more by occasional powerful wind tide events. This community may have complex long-term dynamics, related to inlet closing and opening. Nyssa biflora and Taxodium distichum dominate the canopy in variable proportions. Pinus taeda is also present and is diagnostic of this type in Virginia. Acer rubrum and Liquidambar styraciflua may also be important, especially in the subcanopy stratum. Morella cerifera is characteristically dominant in the shrub layer, sometimes reaching subcanopy heights (6-10 m). Other small tree and shrub components include Persea palustris, Itea virginica, Clethra alnifolia, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rosa palustris, and Magnolia virginiana. Smilax laurifolia and Smilax rotundifolia are common vines, and Toxicodendron radicans ssp. radicans also occurs. Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis is often the strong dominant of the herbaceous stratum, but also occurs in a more mixed condition with Carex spp., Osmunda cinnamomea, Polygonum spp., and Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens. In some areas, Carex hyalinolepis forms dense swards in this community.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Excellent and large examples occur along the Northwest River and North Landing River in southeastern Virginia and may occur as well in northeastern North Carolina. An additional occurrence is also known from the Pocomoke River in Delaware.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Nyssa biflora and Taxodium distichum dominate the canopy in variable proportions. Pinus taeda is also present and is diagnostic of this type in Virginia. Acer rubrum and Liquidambar styraciflua may also be important, especially in the subcanopy stratum. Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera var. cerifera) is characteristically dominant in the shrub layer, sometimes reaching subcanopy heights (6-10 m). Other small tree and shrub components include Persea palustris, Itea virginica, Clethra alnifolia, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rosa palustris, and Magnolia virginiana. Smilax laurifolia and Smilax rotundifolia are common vines, and Toxicodendron radicans ssp. radicans also occurs. Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis is often the strong dominant of the herbaceous stratum, but also occurs in a more mixed condition with Carex spp., Osmunda cinnamomea, Polygonum spp., and Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens. In some areas, Carex hyalinolepis forms dense swards in this community.
Dynamics: This community may have complex long-term dynamics, related to inlet closing and opening. This association may represent succession of former more extensive marshes along the Northwest and North Landing rivers in Virginia which have undergone large-scale Holocene changes caused by rising sea-level and shifting inlets on the Outer Banks (G.P. Fleming pers. comm. 2005).
Environmental Description: This community occurs on relatively firm, poorly decomposed, fibrous and root-rich peat, which usually overlies soupy, well-decomposed peat at depths of about 0.5-1.0 m. Microtopography frequently exhibits a strong hummock-and-hollow pattern, with hollows retaining standing water through much of the year. Flooding by wind tides is frequent, and habitats may be inundated to depths of 0.5 m or more by occasional powerful wind-tide events.
Geographic Range: This community is found In Delaware and Virginia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: DE, VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688542
Confidence Level: Low
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.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.c Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo Floodplain Forest Group | G033 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
| Alliance | A3595 Bald-cypress - Swamp Tupelo Tidal Swamp Forest Alliance | A3595 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
| Association | CEGL004651 Loblolly Pine - Swamp Tupelo - Bald-cypress / Wax-myrtle / Royal Fern Tidal Forest | CEGL004651 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
Concept Lineage: CEGL007743 merged partly into CEGL004651 and partly into CEGL007054.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Taxodium distichum - Nyssa biflora - Pinus taeda / Myrica cerifera / Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis Tidally Flooded Forest (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
- Bowman, P. 1999. Great Cypress Swamp communities. Unpublished report. Delaware Natural Heritage Program, Smyrna, DE. 5 pp.
- Coulling, P. P. 2007. Unpublished data. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Coxe, R. 2009. Guide to Delaware vegetation communities. Spring 2009 edition. State of Delaware, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Delaware Natural Heritage Program, Smyrna.
- Fleming, G. P., K. D. Patterson, and K. Taverna. 2017. The natural communities of Virginia: A classification of ecological community groups and community types. Third approximation. Version 3.0. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/]
- Fleming, G. P., K. Taverna, and P. P. Coulling. 2007b. Vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks, eastern region. Regional (VA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2007. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2003. Preliminary vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks. Regional (VA-WVA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2003. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2011b. Analysis of Coastal Plain / Outer Piedmont bottomlands and non-alluvial wetlands in Virginia, 400 plots. In-house analysis, January 2011. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Fleming, G. P., and W. H. Moorhead, III. 1998. Comparative wetlands ecology study of the Great Dismal Swamp, Northwest River, and North Landing River in Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 98-9. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. Unpublished report submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 181 pp. plus appendices.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Walton, D. P., P. P. Coulling, J. Weber, A. Belden, Jr., and A. C. Chazal. 2001. A plant community classification and natural heritage inventory of the Pamunkey River floodplain. Unpublished report submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Natural Heritage Technical Report 01-19. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. 200 pp. plus appendices.