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CEGL006217 Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Ageratina altissima - Laportea canadensis - (Elymus virginicus) Floodplain Forest
Type Concept Sentence: The silver maple floodplain forest is found on floodplains of major mid-Atlantic rivers in the Piedmont and Central Appalachians; examples are dominated by the trees Acer saccharinum, with Acer negundo, Populus deltoides, Celtis occidentalis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ulmus americana, and Juglans nigra.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Silver Maple - Box-elder / White Snakeroot - Canadian Woodnettle - (Virginia Wildrye) Floodplain Forest
Colloquial Name: Piedmont-Central Appalachian Silver Maple Floodplain Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is a forested community of large river floodplains in the Mid-Atlantic states of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These forests occupy banks and first bottoms of major rivers with nutrient-rich silt loams, sand loams, and sands that are temporarily inundated, annually or less often, in major flood events. Canopies are closed and dominated by Acer saccharinum, with Acer negundo dominating a subcanopy layer. Other minor overstory and understory associates include Populus deltoides, Platanus occidentalis, Celtis occidentalis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ulmus americana, and Juglans nigra. The shrub layer ranges from sparse to dense but is usually dominated by Lindera benzoin. Characteristic species of the herb layer are Ageratina altissima, Laportea canadensis, Impatiens pallida, Viola sororia, Leersia virginica, Verbesina alternifolia, Urtica dioica ssp. dioica, Elymus virginicus, Elymus riparius, Geum canadense, Pilea pumila, Rudbeckia laciniata, and Cryptotaenia canadensis. Vines of Toxicodendron radicans and Parthenocissus quinquefolia are common. Early-successional stands are usually strongly dominated by even-aged Acer saccharinum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type was defined through analysis of 41 plot samples from Virginia and Maryland and through consultation with ecologists from those states and West Virginia. It has also been confirmed for Pennsylvania by ecologists in that state. Data analysis supports the decision to split this unit from the more broadly defined USNVC unit ~Acer saccharinum - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana Floodplain Forest (CEGL002586)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is a closed forest typically dominated by Acer saccharinum, with Acer negundo dominating a subcanopy layer. Along the Potomac, particularly on sandier sites, Platanus occidentalis may codominate the canopy layer. Minor overstory and understory associates include Populus deltoides, Celtis occidentalis, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ulmus americana, and Juglans nigra. At topographically lower sites, the shrub layer is often sparse; on higher surfaces, it may be moderately dense, with Lindera benzoin usually the dominant species. Characteristic species of the herb layer are Ageratina altissima, Laportea canadensis, Impatiens pallida, Viola sororia, Leersia virginica, Verbesina alternifolia, Urtica dioica ssp. dioica, Elymus virginicus, Elymus riparius, Geum canadense, Pilea pumila, Rudbeckia laciniata, and Cryptotaenia canadensis. Vines of Toxicodendron radicans and Parthenocissus quinquefolia are common. Invasive introduced species such as Alliaria petiolata, Stellaria media, Microstegium vimineum, Glechoma hederacea, Urtica dioica ssp. dioica, and Humulus japonicus are often rampant in this vegetation type. Early-successional stands are assigned to the same type and are usually strongly dominated by even-aged Acer saccharinum.
Dynamics: Early-successional stands are usually strongly dominated by even-aged Acer saccharinum.
Environmental Description: This community is restricted to large river floodplains, where it occurs on first bottoms and banks immediately adjacent to the river. Sites are usually well-drained to moderately well-drained. Soils are nutrient-rich with textures ranging from silt loams to sandy loams and occasionally sands. Habitats are temporarily inundated, annually or less often, in major flood events. In the Potomac Gorge, the average flood-return interval was from about 0.5 to 2.5 years (Lea 2000).
Geographic Range: This community occurs on floodplains of major Mid-Atlantic rivers, including the Potomac, Shenandoah, James, Rappahannock, Monocacy, and Susquehanna, extending north to Massachusetts.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: DC, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.758635
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
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.Na Eastern North American-Great Plains Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D011 | 1.B.3.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Na.1 Silver Maple - American Sycamore - Hackberry species Floodplain Forest Macrogroup | M029 | 1.B.3.Na.1 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Na.1.b <i>Acer saccharinum - Platanus occidentalis - Liquidambar styraciflua</i> Floodplain Forest Group | G673 | 1.B.3.Na.1.b |
| Alliance | A3697 Silver Maple - Box-elder Appalachian-Piedmont Floodplain Forest Alliance | A3697 | 1.B.3.Na.1.b |
| Association | CEGL006217 Silver Maple - Box-elder / White Snakeroot - Canadian Woodnettle - (Virginia Wildrye) Floodplain Forest | CEGL006217 | 1.B.3.Na.1.b |
Concept Lineage: It was decided to split this unit (CEGL006217) off from the more broadly defined USNVC unit ~Acer saccharinum - Ulmus americana - (Populus deltoides) Forest (CEGL002586)$$.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo - Ulmus americana / Eupatorium rugosum Forest (Lea 2000)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Ageratina altissima - Laportea canadensis - (Elymus virginicus) Forest (Fleming and Patterson 2003)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Ageratina altissima - Laportea canadensis - (Elymus virginicus) Forest (Fleming and Taverna 2006)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Elymus virginicus - Laportea canadensis Forest (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
= Acer saccharinum - Ulmus americana - (Populus deltoides) Forest (Thomson et al. 1999)
= Acer saccharinum Floodplain Forest (Vanderhorst 2000b)
= Silver Maple Floodplain Forest (Podniesinski and Wagner 2002)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Ageratina altissima - Laportea canadensis - (Elymus virginicus) Forest (Fleming and Patterson 2003)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Ageratina altissima - Laportea canadensis - (Elymus virginicus) Forest (Fleming and Taverna 2006)
= Acer saccharinum - Acer negundo / Elymus virginicus - Laportea canadensis Forest (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
= Acer saccharinum - Ulmus americana - (Populus deltoides) Forest (Thomson et al. 1999)
= Acer saccharinum Floodplain Forest (Vanderhorst 2000b)
= Silver Maple Floodplain Forest (Podniesinski and Wagner 2002)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- Fleming, G. P. 2002b. Preliminary classification of Piedmont & Inner Coastal Plain vegetation types in Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 02-14. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. 29 pp.
- Fleming, G. P. 2007. Ecological communities of the Potomac Gorge in Virginia: Composition, floristics, and environmental dynamics. Natural Heritage Technical Report 07-12. Unpublished report submitted to the National Park Service. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. 341 pp. plus appendices.
- 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/]
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- Fleming, Gary P. Personal communication. Ecologist, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA.
- Fowells, H. A, compiler. 1965. Silvics of the forest trees of the United States. Agriculture Handbook No. 271. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. 762 pp.
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- Lea, C. 2000. Plant communities of the Potomac Gorge and their relationship to fluvial factors. M.S. thesis, George Mason University. Fairfax, VA. 219 pp.
- Lea, C. 2004. Draft vegetation types in National Capital Region Parks. Edited by S.C. Gawler and J. Teague. Working draft for review by NatureServe, Virginia Natural Heritage, West Virginia Natural Heritage, Maryland Natural Heritage, and National Park Service. July 2004. 157 pp.
- Patterson, K. D. 2008e. Vegetation classification and mapping at Petersburg National Battlefield, Virginia. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2008/127. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA. 235 pp.
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- Taverna, K. and K. D. Patterson. 2008. Vegetation classification and mapping at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Virginia. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR-2008/126. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA. 277 pp.
- Thomson, D., A. M. Gould, and M. A. Berdine. 1999. Identification and protection of reference wetland natural communities in Maryland: Potomac watershed floodplain forests. The Biodiversity Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Division. Annapolis. 119 pp.
- Vanderhorst, J. 2000b. Plant communities of Harper''s Ferry National Historical Park: Analysis, characterization, and mapping. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Elkins, WV. 37 pp.
- WVNHP [West Virginia Natural Heritage Program]. No date. Unpublished data. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Elkins.