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CEGL004282 Betula nigra - Quercus laurifolia - Taxodium (distichum, ascendens) / Crataegus aestivalis Riparian Forest
Type Concept Sentence: This association is found in the Outer Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States and occurs on relatively young deposits of sand along blackwater rivers. The canopy is generally dominated by Betula nigra, Taxodium sp., and various bottomland oaks.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: River Birch - Laurel Oak - (Bald-cypress, Pond-cypress) / May Hawthorn Riparian Forest
Colloquial Name: Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Levee/Bar Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is found in southern North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in the Outer Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. It occurs on relatively young deposits of sand along blackwater rivers, generally on point bars, but sometimes as a poorly developed natural levee along other portions of the river. These substrates are older and more stable than those of the open sand bar communities but younger than those of other floodplain communities. Vegetation is of varying structure, ranging from forest to woodland, often with leaning trees and no clearly defined strata. The canopy is generally dominated by Betula nigra, Taxodium sp., and various bottomland oaks. Crataegus aestivalis, Fraxinus caroliniana, and in more southerly areas, Planera aquatica are often present. Shrubs are generally sparse, but patches of Cyrilla racemiflora, Alnus serrulata, Vaccinium elliottii, or other species of riverbanks or bottomland hardwoods may be present. Herbs are generally sparse. They most typically include species of open bars, such as Panicum rigidulum, and may also include species of swamps, such as Polygonum spp. and Hymenocallis spp.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community is a blackwater equivalent to ~Betula nigra - Platanus occidentalis / Alnus serrulata / Boehmeria cylindrica Floodplain Forest (CEGL007312)$$ of brownwater rivers. Because natural levees are not well-developed on blackwater rivers, it is also the closest equivalent to ~Platanus occidentalis - Celtis laevigata - Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Ilex decidua / Carex retroflexa Floodplain Forest (CEGL007730)$$, ~Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana / Carpinus caroliniana / Boehmeria cylindrica Floodplain Forest (CEGL007806)$$, and the other brownwater levee forest associations. Its structure ranges from forest to woodland, often within the same small patch. It is readily distinguished by Betula nigra, which is largely absent from other blackwater floodplain communities. Other characteristic levee or bar species, such as Platanus occidentalis, are generally absent on blackwater rivers.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Vegetation is of varying structure. Canopy density ranges from forest to woodland. Trees often lean toward the river, and trees rooted in this community may extend out over the channel. Trees may be a mix of recently established young individuals and a few large old individuals. There is generally not a well-defined overstory and subcanopy. The canopy is dominated by Betula nigra, Taxodium sp., Quercus laurifolia, and Quercus lyrata. Crataegus aestivalis, Fraxinus caroliniana, and in more southerly areas, Planera aquatica are often present. Shrubs are generally sparse, but patches of Cyrilla racemiflora, Alnus serrulata, Vaccinium elliottii, or other species of riverbanks or bottomland hardwoods may be present. Herbs are generally sparse. They most typical include species of open bars, such as Panicum rigidulum, and may also include species of swamps, such as Polygonum spp. (= Persicaria spp.) and Hymenocallis spp.
Dynamics: This community experiences greater flood scouring than other floodplain forests due to its limited ground cover and location near the river. This chronic disturbance, combined with limited soil fertility, likely produces slow growth of plants. It can be expected, over periods of many years, to develop into other floodplain forests.
Environmental Description: This association occurs on relatively young deposits of sand along blackwater rivers, generally on point bars, but sometimes as a poorly developed natural levee along other portions of the river. These substrates are older and more stable than those of the open sand bar communities but younger than those of other floodplain communities. They are thus midway in the primary succession of new river deposits, but often persist for some decades. They show little soil development and often substantial microrelief. While the substrate is not usually reworked by floods, these sites are often subject to strong scouring at high water.
Geographic Range: This association is found in southern North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia in the Outer Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: GA, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.820682
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
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.a Swamp Chestnut Oak - Laurel Oak - Sweetgum Floodplain Forest Group | G034 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Alliance | A3628 Laurel Oak - Willow Oak - Loblolly Pine Coastal Plain Riparian Forest Alliance | A3628 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Association | CEGL004282 River Birch - Laurel Oak - (Bald-cypress, Pond-cypress) / May Hawthorn Riparian Forest | CEGL004282 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Blackwater Levee/Bar Forest (Schafale 2012)
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- Nelson, J. B. 1986. The natural communities of South Carolina: Initial classification and description. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Columbia, SC. 55 pp.
- Schafale, M. P. 2012. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina, 4th Approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.