Print Report
CEGL006156 Acer rubrum / Rhododendron viscosum - Clethra alnifolia Swamp Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Red Maple / Swamp Azalea - Coastal Sweet-pepperbush Swamp Forest
Colloquial Name: Lower New England Red Maple Swamp Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This red maple swamp occurs in poorly drained depressions containing acidic, tannic water without substantial nutrient input from overland flow. The core of distribution is the North Atlantic Coast and adjacent Lower New England / Northern Piedmont ecoregions. Soils are organic and hummock-hollow microtopography is evident. Acer rubrum dominates the canopy often with abundant Nyssa sylvatica. The subcanopy varies from sparse to fairly well-developed and may feature Ulmus americana or occasionally Quercus bicolor, along with additional Acer rubrum. The shrub layer is characterized by Vaccinium corymbosum, Clethra alnifolia, Ilex verticillata, Rhododendron viscosum, Leucothoe racemosa, and on the Atlantic Coastal Plain Ilex glabra may also be present. The herbaceous layer is not particularly diverse, characterized by Osmunda cinnamomea, Symplocarpus foetidus, Carex intumescens, Osmunda regalis, Arisaema triphyllum, and Onoclea sensibilis. Sphagnum mosses make up the bryophyte layer. This community is differentiated from ~Acer rubrum - Nyssa sylvatica - Betula alleghaniensis / Sphagnum spp. Swamp Forest (CEGL006014)$$ by the absence or infrequent occurrence of Tsuga canadensis, Betula alleghaniensis, Nemopanthus mucronatus, Carex trisperma, Clintonia borealis, and by the presence of species with more southern affinities such as Clethra alnifolia, Ilex glabra, and Rhododendron viscosum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This type includes red maple basin swamp of Lower New England and adjacent areas. These swamps occur in poorly drained depressions characterized by acidic, tannic water that does not receive substantial nutrient input from overland flow or groundwater seepage. Acer rubrum dominates the canopy. Other common species that generally occur in low abundance include Betula alleghaniensis, Fraxinus spp., Ulmus americana, Nyssa sylvatica, Tsuga canadensis, or Pinus strobus. The shrub layer is well-developed and often dense. Vaccinium corymbosum and Ilex verticillata are common and abundant. Clethra alnifolia, Alnus incana, Lindera benzoin, Viburnum dentatum, Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides (= Viburnum cassinoides), Spiraea alba var. latifolia (= Spiraea latifolia), Rosa palustris, Nemopanthus mucronatus, and Rhododendron viscosum are frequent but less abundant, and on the Atlantic Coastal Plain Ilex glabra, Rhododendron maximum, and Leucothoe racemosa may also be present. The herbaceous layer has scattered herbs and commonly includes Osmunda cinnamomea, Symplocarpus foetidus, Veratrum viride, Thelypteris palustris, Dryopteris cristata, Lycopus uniflorus, Impatiens capensis, Calla palustris, Carex folliculata, Carex stricta, Carex intumescens, Osmunda regalis, and Onoclea sensibilis. Hummock-and-hollow microtopography is evident, and tree seedlings and upland species occur on the hummocks, such as Coptis trifolia, Aralia nudicaulis, Trientalis borealis, and Gaultheria procumbens. Sphagnum mosses are dominant or abundant in hollows and at the bases of hummocks.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: These are poorly drained basins with acidic, nutrient-poor, peat soils. There is little overland flow or groundwater contribution to the water budget.
Geographic Range: The core of distribution of this association is the North Atlantic Coast and adjacent Lower New England / Northern Piedmont ecoregions. It ranges from New Hampshire south to New Jersey.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CT, MA, NJ, NY, RI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689957
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.3 Sweetbay - Swamp Bay - Pond Pine Swamp Forest Macrogroup | M032 | 1.B.3.Nb.3 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.3.b Atlantic White-cedar - Pitch Pine Swamp Group | G039 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.b |
| Alliance | A2058 Red Maple - Blackgum Swamp Forest Alliance | A2058 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.b |
| Association | CEGL006156 Red Maple / Swamp Azalea - Coastal Sweet-pepperbush Swamp Forest | CEGL006156 | 1.B.3.Nb.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer rubrum - Nyssa sylvatica / Clethra alnifolia community (Metzler and Barrett 1996)
> Red Maple - (Black Gum) Swamp (AN3) (Windisch 2014a)
> Red Maple - (Black Gum) Swamp (AN3) (Windisch 2014a)
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