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G652 Acer saccharinum - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Platanus occidentalis Floodplain Forest Group

Type Concept Sentence: The group includes hardwood floodplain forests in the central and north-central U.S. and extreme southern Ontario in Canada, and is typically dominated by Acer saccharinum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Platanus occidentalis, or Acer rubrum.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Silver Maple - Green Ash - American Sycamore Floodplain Forest Group

Colloquial Name: Midwest Floodplain Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: This group includes floodplain forests in the central and eastern United States and into southern Ontario, Canada. Stands are dominated by broad-leaved deciduous trees with a closed to moderately open canopy. Typical dominants include a combination of Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum, Acer saccharum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Platanus occidentalis, Populus deltoides, and Quercus macrocarpa. This group occurs on sloping ridges, terraces, natural levees, or higher elevations that border rivers or streams. Examples occur on well-drained to poorly drained alluvial soils ranging from sands to clay. Sites are infrequently to frequently flooded.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Floodplain forests found across the central and eastern United States into southern Ontario and dominated by broad-leaved deciduous trees.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The separation of this group with others to the north or south was determined partially by biogeography, with those alliances in the Laurentian-Acadian region contained within ~Silver Maple - Green Ash - Black Ash Floodplain Forest Group (G653)$$ and those to the unglaciated south in ~Silver Maple - Sugarberry - Sweetgum Floodplain Forest Group (G673)$$. Further review is needed to ascertain if this is the correct way to separate these floodplain groups and alliances. Also, there are some alliances in this group that occur on mesic terraces in floodplains and may better be treated as uplands in a mesic group.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These floodplain forests are dominated by broad-leaved deciduous trees that vary from small-statured (5-15 m tall) stands to taller (15-25 m) mature stands.

Floristics: Stands are dominated by a combination of one or more of Acer rubrum, Acer saccharinum, Acer saccharum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Platanus occidentalis, Populus deltoides, and Quercus macrocarpa. Other common canopy species include Acer negundo, Betula nigra, Carya spp., Celtis spp., Fagus grandifolia, Quercus bicolor, and Ulmus americana. Commonly encountered understory species include Arisaema dracontium, Boehmeria cylindrica, Carex spp., Cinna spp., Impatiens capensis, Leersia spp., Pilea pumila, Saururus cernuus, Symphyotrichum ontarionis (= Aster ontarionis), Toxicodendron radicans, and Uvularia sessilifolia. Examples of this group can extend into and mix with adjacent communities, resulting in numerous transitional variants in understory species. Occurrences also may have a rather high percentage of standing dead trees, including remnant snags from earlier successional communities.

Dynamics:  Flooding ranges from infrequent, short-duration to frequently flooded or saturated for a significant portion of the growing season. In some examples, water may be ponded for most of the year in shallow depressions. Riparian vegetation is constantly impacted in areas subjected to higher rates of flooding. Forests are early-, mid- or late-seral, depending on the age class of the trees and the associated species of the stand. Over time, a healthy riparian area can support all stages of development. Many examples of this group have been impacted by excessive browsing, grazing, and agricultural conversion.
Environmental Description:  Stands of this group can occur on level to gently sloping ridges, terraces, natural levees, on newly formed sand bars, front-land ridges, low streambanks, overflow areas, and well-drained flats or higher elevations which border river floodplains or streams. They have level or nearly level soils that formed in water-deposited sandy, clayey or loamy sediments on floodplains of the rivers and streams. These soils are well-drained to poorly-drained.
Geographic Range: This group occurs across the central U.S., from north-central Minnesota to central Missouri and eastward to northwestern Pennsylvania (including the glaciated part of the Allegheny Plateau) and extreme southern Ontario. It possibly extends somewhat further northeastward. The core of its range is in Ecoprovinces 222 and 251 (Cleland et al. 2007).

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AL, AR, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MB, MI, MN, MO, MS, ND, NE, OH, OK, ON, PA, TN, WI


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR

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.a Silver Maple - Green Ash - American Sycamore Floodplain Forest Group G652 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Alliance A3708 Red Maple - Green Ash Floodplain Forest Alliance A3708 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Alliance A3711 Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory Mesic Floodplain Forest Alliance A3711 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Alliance A3712 American Sycamore - River Birch Floodplain Forest Alliance A3712 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Alliance A3713 Green Ash - American Basswood - oak spp. Mesic Floodplain Alliance A3713 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Alliance A4472 <i>Acer saccharinum - Populus deltoides</i> Midwest Floodplain Forest Alliance A4472 1.B.3.Na.1.a
Concept Lineage: G040 split into G673, G652 & G653 (DFL 7-23-12)

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
Concept Author(s): Faber-Langendoen et al.

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen and S.E. Menard

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-19-15
  • Cleland, D. T., J. A. Freeouf, J. E. Keys, Jr., G. J. Nowacki, C. Carpenter, and W. H. McNab. 2007. Ecological subregions: Sections and subsections for the conterminous United States. A. M. Sloan, cartographer. General Technical Report WO-76. USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC. [1:3,500,000] [CD-ROM].
  • 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]
  • Kost, M. A., D. A. Albert, J. G. Cohen, B. S. Slaughter, R. K. Schillo, C. R. Weber, and K. A. Chapman. 2007. Natural communities of Michigan: Classification and description. Report No. 2007-21, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing. 314 pp. [http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/reports/2007-21_Natural_Communites_of_Michigan_Classification_and_Description.pdf]