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G470 Caribbean Freshwater Marsh Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group includes freshwater marshes on islands in the Caribbean. These include floating aquatic, submerged and emergent-rooted vegetation of shallow freshwater lakes, ponds and boggy areas with muddy and peaty substrates, tall graminoid marshes along the shores of meandering streams and in (semi-) permanently flooded wetlands, and marshes in montane environments with ferns, lichens, mosses, bromeliads, and short shrubs under constantly saturated conditions on waterfalls, rapids, and streams.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Caribbean Freshwater Marsh Group
Colloquial Name: Caribbean Freshwater Marsh
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group includes freshwater marshes on islands in the Caribbean. These include floating aquatic, submerged and emergent rooted vegetation of shallow freshwater lakes, ponds and boggy areas with muddy and peaty substrates, tall graminoid marshes along the shores of meandering streams and in (semi-) permanently flooded wetlands, and marshes in montane environments with ferns, lichens, mosses, bromeliads, and short shrubs under constantly saturated conditions on waterfalls, rapids, and streams.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Freshwater marshes on islands in the Caribbean.
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: Dominated by herbaceous plants, including graminoids, and emergent plants.
Floristics: The submerged and emergent-rooted vegetation of shallow freshwater lakes, ponds and boggy areas have diagnostic species which include Brasenia schreberi, Eleocharis interstincta, Nymphaea ampla, Nymphaea odorata, Pistia stratiotes, Pontederia cordata (= Pontederia lanceolata), Potamogeton spp., Sagittaria lancifolia, and Utricularia spp. For the tall graminoid marshes, diagnostic species include Cladium mariscus ssp. jamaicense, Cyperus giganteus, Hymenachne amplexicaulis, Paspalidium geminatum (= Panicum geminatum), Sacciolepis striata (= Panicum aquaticum), Typha domingensis, and Vallisneria americana. Marshes in montane environments (waterfalls, rapids, and streams) with ferns, lichens, mosses, bromeliads, and short shrubs may also have the graminoid species Kyllinga squamulata, Isachne rigidifolia, and Eleocharis spp.
Dynamics: These sites are prone to flooding, or saturation.
Environmental Description: Climate: Occurs in subtropical areas of the Caribbean. Soil/substrate/hydrology: This freshwater marsh is found in shallow freshwater bodies, including lakes, ponds and boggy areas with muddy and peaty substrates, along the shores of meandering streams and in (semi-) permanently flooded wetlands, and marshes in montane environments under constantly saturated conditions on waterfalls, rapids, and streams.
Geographic Range: This group occurs in subtropical areas of the Caribbean.
Nations: BS,CU,DO,GD,GP,MQ,MS,PR,VC,VE,VG,XC,XD
States/Provinces: No Data Available
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.860863
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.3 Tropical Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F030 | 2.C.3 |
| Division | 2.C.3.Ef Caribbean-Mesoamerican Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D262 | 2.C.3.Ef |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.3.Ef.1 Swamp Sawgrass - Gulf Coast Spikerush - Maidencane Marsh Macrogroup | M710 | 2.C.3.Ef.1 |
| Group | 2.C.3.Ef.1.b Caribbean Freshwater Marsh Group | G470 | 2.C.3.Ef.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Lowland Rainforest Zone, Lake and river ecosystems (limnophytia) (Dansereau 1966)
< Lowland Rainforest Zone, Riparian ecosystems (helophytia) (Dansereau 1966)
< Puerto Rico land cover type 51, Emergent herbaceous nonsaline wetlands (Gould et al. 2008) [Perennially flooded nonsaline aquatic herbaceous vegetation.]
< Puerto Rico land cover type 53, Seasonally flooded herbaceous nonsaline wetlands (Gould et al. 2008) [Seasonally or temporarily flooded nonsaline subtropical grassland with a shrub layer.]
< Saturated grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Seasonally flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Semi-permanently flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Temporarily flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Lowland Rainforest Zone, Riparian ecosystems (helophytia) (Dansereau 1966)
< Puerto Rico land cover type 51, Emergent herbaceous nonsaline wetlands (Gould et al. 2008) [Perennially flooded nonsaline aquatic herbaceous vegetation.]
< Puerto Rico land cover type 53, Seasonally flooded herbaceous nonsaline wetlands (Gould et al. 2008) [Seasonally or temporarily flooded nonsaline subtropical grassland with a shrub layer.]
< Saturated grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Seasonally flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Semi-permanently flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
< Temporarily flooded grassland formation (Areces-Mallea et al. 1999)
- Areces-Mallea, A. E., A. S. Weakley, X. Li, R. G. Sayre, J. D. Parrish, C. V. Tipton, and T. Boucher. 1999. A guide to Caribbean vegetation types: Preliminary classification system and descriptions. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. 166 pp.
- Borhidi, A. 1991. Phytogeography and vegetation ecology of Cuba. Akademiai Kiado. Budapest, Hungary. 858 pp. plus color plates and map by A. Borhidi and O. Muniz (1970) inside of back cover.
- Dansereau, P. 1966. Studies on the vegetation of Puerto Rico. Part I. Description and integration of the plant-communities. University of Puerto Rico, Institute of Caribbean Sciences. Special Publication No. 1. Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. 287 pp.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Gould, W. A., C. Alarcón, B. Fevold, M. E. Jiménez, S. Martinuzzi, G. Potts, M. Quiñones, M. Solórzano, and E. Ventosa. 2008. The Puerto Rico Gap Analysis Project. Volume 1: Land cover, vertebrate species distributions, and land stewardship. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-39. USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Río Piedras, PR. 165 pp.
- Huber, O. y C. Alarcón. 1988. Mapa de la Vegetacion de Venezuela. 1:2000000. Min. del Ambiente y de los RR NN Renovables, The Nature Conservancy, Caracas, Venezuela.
- Josse, C., G. Navarro, P. Comer, R. Evans, D. Faber-Langendoen, M. Fellows, G. Kittel, S. Menard, M. Pyne, M. Reid, K. Schulz, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2003. Ecological systems of Latin America and the Caribbean: A working classification of terrestrial systems. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.