Print Report

CEGL006447 Carex trichocarpa Rivershore Wet Meadow

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Hairy-fruit Sedge Rivershore Wet Meadow

Colloquial Name: Hairy-fruit Sedge Wetland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association occurs in small patches on floodplain edges, deposition bars, and islands where tree canopy is lacking, on medium- to large-sized rivers in the mid-Atlantic region and on third- or fourth-order streams above 800 m elevation in the Central Appalachians. This community is routinely flooded during most high-water events and commonly occurs on low flats associated with the active floodplain, either directly adjacent to the channel or in association with backwater depressions and sloughs. Ice-scour during high winter flows contributes to the open physiognomy of this community. Carex trichocarpa is the dominant species in this association. Shrubs may be present but at less than 25% cover, including Rosa multiflora, Cornus amomum, and Rubus allegheniensis. This type is susceptible to invasion by Phalaris arundinacea. Other common herbaceous species include Solidago gigantea, Boehmeria cylindrica, Dichanthelium clandestinum, Urtica dioica, Polygonum spp., Scirpus cyperinus, Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia, Verbena hastata var. hastata, Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata, Asclepias syriaca, Arisaema triphyllum, Onoclea sensibilis, and Lilium superbum. Vines may be present at low cover, including Polygonum convolvulus and Clematis virginiana.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This community is described from the Delaware Water Gap, where it is distinct although often narrow and linear, and from the Central Appalachians of West Virginia. In West Virginia, it is represented by 4 plots (2 occurrences), which cluster consistently and ordinate closely, near the high-elevation riverscour and tall-herb floodplain types. This is a provisional type in Virgina. It is found in a similar setting to the global type, but is more influenced by groundwater, rather than overland flooding and occurs as a wet meadow, marsh, fen, in a floodplain (not active) setting. Additionally, there is some question about the "naturalness" of this type, as the nominal species can be quite invasive and displaces rare native flora. Occurrence elsewhere in the northeastern U.S. needs to be documented.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This herbaceous floodplain prairie occurs in the mid-Atlantic region and Central Appalachians. The community is dominated by dense rhizomatous stands of Carex trichocarpa, which can tolerate annual sediment deposition and occasional high-energy ice-scour. Shrubs may be present but at less than 25% cover, including Rosa multiflora, Cornus amomum, and Rubus allegheniensis. This type is susceptible to invasion by Phalaris arundinacea. Other common herbaceous species include Solidago gigantea, Boehmeria cylindrica, Dichanthelium clandestinum, Urtica dioica, Polygonum spp., Scirpus cyperinus, Euthamia graminifolia var. graminifolia, Verbena hastata var. hastata, Doellingeria umbellata var. umbellata, Asclepias syriaca, Arisaema triphyllum, Onoclea sensibilis, Lilium superbum, Carex projecta, Thalictrum pubescens, Veratrum viride, Elymus riparius, and Solidago rugosa. Vines may be present at low cover, including Polygonum convolvulus and Clematis virginiana. Cover by nonvascular plants is insignificant. Mean species richness of vascular plants is 27 taxa per 400 m2 for 4 plots in West Virginia (Byers et al. 2007).

Dynamics:  This community is routinely flooded during most high-water events.
Environmental Description:  This association is found occasionally in small patches on floodplain edges, deposition bars, and islands where tree canopy is lacking. It occurs along medium- to large-sized rivers in the mid-Atlantic region and on third- or fourth-order streams above 800 m elevation in the Central Appalachians. This community is routinely flooded during most high-water events and commonly occurs on low flats associated with the active floodplain, either directly adjacent to the channel or in association with backwater depressions and sloughs. Ice-scour during high winter flows contributes to the open physiognomy of this community. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, typical soils include coarse loamy to sandy, somewhat poorly to very poorly drained glacio-fluvial deposits. In West Virginia, the community occurs on moderately poorly to well-drained sandy loam or silt loam with pH averaging 4.8 (n=4), underlain by fluvial deposits including stratified sediments, cobbles, and organic inclusions. Hydric soil indicators include alluvial depleted matrix and iron/manganese masses (Byers et al. 2007).
Geographic Range: This community occurs in northern New Jersey, northeastern Pennsylvania, southeastern New York, and the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?

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.3 Eastern North American Wet Shoreline Vegetation Macrogroup M880 2.C.4.Nd.3
Group 2.C.4.Nd.3.a Eastern North American Riverine Wetland Vegetation Group G755 2.C.4.Nd.3.a
Alliance A3648 Hairy-fruit Sedge Graminoid Rivershore Alliance A3648 2.C.4.Nd.3.a
Association CEGL006447 Hairy-fruit Sedge Rivershore Wet Meadow CEGL006447 2.C.4.Nd.3.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex trichocarpa - Scirpus spp. - Solidago gigantea Herbaceous Vegetation (Perles et al. 2007)
= Carex trichocarpa Floodplain Prairie (Byers et al. 2007)
Concept Author(s): G.S. Podniesinski et al. (2007)

Author of Description: S.C. Gawler and E.A. Byers

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-15-07
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  • Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
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  • Edinger, G. J., D. J. Evans, S. Gebauer, T. G. Howard, D. M. Hunt, and A. M. Olivero, editors. 2014a. Ecological communities of New York state. Second edition. A revised and expanded edition of Carol Reschke''s ecological communities of New York state. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY.
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  • NRCS [Natural Resources Conservation Service]. 2004a. Soil survey of Saratoga County, New York. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 590 pp.
  • PNHP [Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program]. 2004. Classification, assessment and protection of non-forested floodplain wetlands of the Susquehanna Drainage. U.S. EPA Wetlands Protection State Development Grant no. CD-98337501. Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Ecological Services Section, Harrisburg, PA.
  • Perles, S. J., G. S. Podniesinski, E. Eastman, L. A. Sneddon, and S. C. Gawler. 2007. Classification and mapping of vegetation and fire fuel models at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2007/076. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA. 2 volumes.
  • Perles, S. J., G. S. Podniesinski, M. Furedi, B. A. Eichelberger, A. Feldmann, G. Edinger, E. Eastman, and L. A. Sneddon. 2008. Vegetation classification and mapping at Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River. Technical Report NPS/NER/NRTR--2008/133. National Park Service, Philadelphia, PA. 370 pp.
  • Podniesinski, Greg. Personal communication. Community Ecologist, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP-East), Harrisburg.
  • WVNHP [West Virginia Natural Heritage Program]. No date. Unpublished data. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Elkins.
  • Zimmerman, E. A. 2011d. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program. Hairy-fruit Sedge (Carex trichocarpa) Floodplain Wetland Factsheet. [http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/Community.aspx?=30009] (accessed February 09, 2012)
  • Zimmerman, E. A., T. Davis, M. A. Furedi, B. Eichelberger, J. McPherson, S. Seymour, G. Podniesinski, N. Dewar, and J. Wagner, editors. 2012. Terrestrial and palustrine plant communities of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg. [http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/Communities.aspx]
  • Zimmerman, E., and G. Podniesinski. 2008. Classification, assessment and protection of floodplain wetlands of the Ohio Drainage. U.S. EPA Wetlands Protection State Development Grant no. CD-973081-01-0. Report submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Office of Conservation Science. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh, PA.