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CEGL007432 Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica - Nyssa biflora / Fraxinus caroliniana / Itea virginica Floodplain Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo - Swamp Tupelo / Carolina Ash / Virginia Sweetspire Floodplain Forest
Colloquial Name: Atlantic Coastal Plain Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo Blackwater Small Stream Swamp Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is one of several small blackwater stream swamp forests of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, characteristically associated with ambiguously blackwater rivers. This type covers very wet forests that are flooded by river overbank flow for long periods and are dominated by combinations of Nyssa aquatica, Nyssa biflora, Taxodium distichum, and Taxodium ascendens. This type covers examples along Coastal Plain streams in regions of fine-textured soils and examples in somewhat isolated basins of brownwater floodplains, where Nyssa aquatica and Nyssa biflora are both important components of the canopy. This forest is common along small rivers that arise in the Atlantic Coastal Plain (blackwater rivers) from Virginia to northern Florida. Dominant species, which account for at least 75% of the canopy cover, are Taxodium distichum, Nyssa aquatica, and Nyssa biflora. Other bottomland species often found in this community include Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Quercus laurifolia. The shrub layer generally is open, and Itea virginica is common. The herbaceous layer is very sparse and limited to higher areas and tree bases. The dominant species in this stratum is Phanopyrum gymnocarpon; other typical species include Boehmeria cylindrica, Saururus cernuus, Justicia ovata, Carex lupulina, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Mikania scandens, Spiranthes cernua, Asclepias perennis, Commelina virginica, Leersia lenticularis, and others. Some stands may have a distinctive understory of Arundinaria gigantea. Soils are semipermanently flooded, and probability of annual flooding is 100%. More work needs to be done to understand the geographic variation in the type.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although not included in the distribution of this type, vegetation with these nominals as dominants occurs in Arkansas (D. Zollner pers. comm.).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This type is dominated by combinations of Nyssa aquatica, Nyssa biflora, Taxodium distichum, and Taxodium ascendens; Nyssa aquatica and Nyssa biflora are both important components of the canopy. Dominant species, which account for at least 75% of the canopy cover, are Taxodium distichum, Nyssa aquatica, and Nyssa biflora. Other bottomland species often found in this community include Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Quercus laurifolia. The shrub layer generally is open, and Itea virginica is common. The herbaceous layer is very sparse and limited to higher areas and tree bases. The dominant species in this stratum is Phanopyrum gymnocarpon; other typical species include Boehmeria cylindrica, Saururus cernuus, Justicia ovata, Carex lupulina, Hydrocotyle verticillata, Mikania scandens, Spiranthes cernua, Asclepias perennis, Commelina virginica, Leersia lenticularis, and others. Some stands may have a distinctive understory of Arundinaria gigantea. The NC and SC crosswalked communities are broader and some of the above-listed species may not be appropriate.
Dynamics: The community experiences annual flooding. Exact successional dynamics of the community are not known, but with significant sediment deposition, bottomland hardwood communities possibly may develop.
Environmental Description: This association is one type of small blackwater stream swamp forest of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and is characteristically associated with ambiguously blackwater rivers. This type covers very wet forests that are flooded by river overbank flow for long periods. This type covers examples along Coastal Plain streams in regions of fine-textured soils and examples in somewhat isolated basins of brownwater floodplains. The soils are semipermanently flooded, and the probability of annual flooding is 100%. An occurrence is known from the Pungo soil series. More work needs to be done to understand the geographic variation in the type.
Geographic Range: Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica - Nyssa biflora / Fraxinus caroliniana / Itea virginica Forest is common along small rivers that arise in the Atlantic Coastal Plain (blackwater rivers) from Virginia to northern Florida.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: FL, GA, NC, SC, VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689198
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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 | A3594 Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo - Swamp Tupelo Floodplain Forest Alliance | A3594 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
| Association | CEGL007432 Bald-cypress - Water Tupelo - Swamp Tupelo / Carolina Ash / Virginia Sweetspire Floodplain Forest | CEGL007432 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.c |
Concept Lineage: CEGL007742 merged into the concept of "Taxodium distichum - Nyssa (biflora, aquatica) / Itea virginica / Saururus cernuus Forest," which is crosswalked to CEGL007432.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Nyssa aquatica - Taxodium distichum / Fraxinus caroliniana / Triadenum walteri Semipermanently Flooded Forest (Fleming and Moorhead 1998)
= Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica - Nyssa biflora / Fraxinus caroliniana / Itea virginica Forest (Landaal et al. 1998) [Plots 2-01; 2-14; 2-19; 2-41]
< Baldcypress - Tupelo: 102 (Eyre 1980)
< IIA4c. Bald Cypress - Swamp Black Gum Swamp (Allard 1990)
< Mesotrophic Semipermanently Flooded Forest (Rawinski 1992)
= Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica - Nyssa biflora / Fraxinus caroliniana / Itea virginica Forest (Landaal et al. 1998) [Plots 2-01; 2-14; 2-19; 2-41]
< Baldcypress - Tupelo: 102 (Eyre 1980)
< IIA4c. Bald Cypress - Swamp Black Gum Swamp (Allard 1990)
< Mesotrophic Semipermanently Flooded Forest (Rawinski 1992)
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