Print Report
CEGL006249 Spiraea alba var. latifolia - Cornus racemosa / Calamagrostis canadensis - Sanguisorba canadensis - Carex scoparia Seepage Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Broadleaf Meadowsweet - Gray Dogwood / Bluejoint - Canadian Burnet - Broom Sedge Seepage Shrubland
Colloquial Name: Northern Blue Ridge Mafic Fen
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This saturated wetland occurs on soils weathered from Catoctin metabasalt (greenstone), a mafic metamorphic rock. The type is associated with sublevel headwater seepages on a broad summit of the northern Blue Ridge in Page and Madison counties, Virginia (vicinity of Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park). Microtopography is typically irregular, and soils are strongly to slightly acidic, with high magnesium and iron levels and moderately low calcium content. The physiognomy of this vegetation type ranges from dense to open shrublands to wholly herbaceous but is usually a patch-mosaic of shrub thickets and herbaceous openings. Spiraea alba var. latifolia and Cornus racemosa are the typical woody dominants. In some areas, Betula populifolia forms a sparse tree layer 6-10 m tall. Other shrubs documented in the type are Ilex verticillata, Lyonia ligustrina var. ligustrina, Aronia melanocarpa, and sapling-sized Acer rubrum. Calamagrostis canadensis, Sanguisorba canadensis, and Carex scoparia are patch-dominant herbs common to all known occurrences of the type. Other characteristic herbaceous species are Carex buxbaumii, Carex lurida, Epilobium leptophyllum, Glyceria striata, Iris versicolor, Isoetes valida, Juncus effusus var. solutus, Juncus subcaudatus var. subcaudatus, Lycopus virginicus, Oxypolis rigidior, Packera aurea, Scirpus cyperinus, Solidago rugosa, and Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens. Herbs that are inconstant but locally abundant in the type include Caltha palustris, Carex conoidea, Carex echinata ssp. echinata, Carex gynandra, and Menyanthes trifoliata. The processes that maintain this vegetation in open condition are poorly understood. All of the documented occurrences are small and have been disturbed to some degree by grazing and/or adjacent clearing. Ditching and groundwater alterations from a large well serving the Big Meadows Campground, deer grazing, non-native weeds, woody succession, and probably fire exclusion are continuing threats to this naturally rare wetland.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Data have been collected from four plots.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The physiognomy of this vegetation type ranges from dense to open shrublands to wholly herbaceous but is usually a patch-mosaic of shrub thickets and herbaceous openings. Based on observations made over a 25-year period, shrub densities have increased greatly, probably because of fire exclusion (G. Fleming pers. obs.). Spiraea alba var. latifolia and Cornus racemosa are the typical woody dominants. In some areas, Betula populifolia forms a sparse tree layer 6-10 m tall. Other shrubs documented in the type are Ilex verticillata, Lyonia ligustrina var. ligustrina, Aronia melanocarpa (= Photinia melanocarpa), and sapling Acer rubrum. Calamagrostis canadensis, Sanguisorba canadensis, and Carex scoparia are patch-dominant herbs common to all known patches of the type. Other characteristic herbaceous species are Carex buxbaumii, Carex lurida, Epilobium leptophyllum, Glyceria striata, Iris versicolor, Isoetes valida, Juncus effusus var. solutus, Juncus subcaudatus var. subcaudatus, Lycopus virginicus, Oxypolis rigidior, Packera aurea (= Senecio aureus), Scirpus cyperinus, Solidago rugosa, and Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens. Herbs that are inconstant but locally abundant in the type include Caltha palustris, Carex conoidea, Carex echinata ssp. echinata, Carex gynandra, and Menyanthes trifoliata. The introduced weeds Agrostis capillaris, Holcus lanatus, and Poa pratensis are well-established in this community but have not become highly invasive to date.
Dynamics: The processes that maintain this vegetation in open condition are poorly understood. All of the documented occurrences are small and have been disturbed to some degree by grazing and/or adjacent clearing. Ditching and groundwater alterations from a large well serving the Big Meadows Campground, deer grazing, non-native weeds, woody succession, and probably fire exclusion are continuing threats to this naturally rare wetland. The National Park Service has recently mitigated some of the historical alterations to hydrology and initiated a program of prescribed burning in order to control increases in shrub density. However, excessive grazing from greatly overpopulous deer in the park continues to have major impacts to Sanguisorba canadensis, Epilobium leptophyllum, and other characteristic herbs.
Environmental Description: This saturated wetland is similar to a calcareous fen but occurs on soils weathered from Catoctin metabasalt (greenstone), a mafic metamorphic rock. This small-patch vegetation type is associated with sublevel headwater seepages on a broad summit of the northern Blue Ridge in Page and Madison counties, Virginia. Microtopography is typically irregular, with hummock-and-hollow development, braided streams, areas of coarse gravel and cobble deposition, muck-filled depressions, and superficial to substantial peat accumulations. Soils, derived from underlying metabasalt, are strongly to slightly acidic, with high magnesium and iron levels and moderately low calcium content.
Geographic Range: This community is known only from the vicinity of Big Meadows (Shenandoah National Park) on the northern Blue Ridge, in Page and Madison counties, Virginia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.738585
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1
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.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F013 | 2.C.4 |
| Division | 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D323 | 2.C.4.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Nd.1 Shrubby-cinquefoil - Canadian Burnet / Inland Sedge Seep Macrogroup | M061 | 2.C.4.Nd.1 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.1.a Catawba Rosebay / Tawny Cottongrass / Peatmoss species Shrub & Herb Seep Group | G184 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.a |
| Alliance | A3384 Canadian Burnet - Largeleaf Grass-of-Parnassus Seep Alliance | A3384 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.a |
| Association | CEGL006249 Broadleaf Meadowsweet - Gray Dogwood / Bluejoint - Canadian Burnet - Broom Sedge Seepage Shrubland | CEGL006249 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Spiraea alba var. latifolia - Cornus racemosa / Calamagrostis canadensis - Sanguisorba canadensis - Carex scoparia Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation (Fleming et al. 2004)
= Northern Blue Ridge Mafic Fen (Fleming et al. 2004)
= Northern Blue Ridge Mafic Fen (Fleming et al. 2004)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- 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., P. P. Coulling, K. D. Patterson, and K. M. McCoy. 2004. The natural communities of Virginia: Classification of ecological community groups. Second approximation. Natural Heritage Technical Report 04-01. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dnh/ncintro.htm]
- Young, J., G. Fleming, P. Townsend, and J. Foster. 2006. Vegetation of Shenandoah National Park in relation to environmental gradients. Final Report (v.1.1). Research technical report prepared for USDI, National Park Service. USGS/NPS Vegetation Mapping Program. 92 pp. plus appendices.
- Young, J., G. Fleming, W. Cass, and C. Lea. 2009. Vegetation of Shenandoah National Park in relation to environmental gradients, Version 2.0. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2009/142. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA. 389 pp.