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A3226 Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia Forest Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance contains forests dominated by Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia within the glaciated regions of the southern Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. Stands occur on flat to rolling topography with soils ranging from sands to loams.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sugar Maple - American Beech Forest Alliance
Colloquial Name: Sugar Maple - American Beech Forest
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance contains forests dominated by Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia within the glaciated regions of the southern Great Lakes in the United States and Canada. Stands occur on flat to rolling topography in the north and steeper slopes in the south with soils ranging from sands to loams. The alliance is characterized by a dense to moderately dense canopy of deciduous trees dominated by of Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia. Liriodendron tulipifera is sometimes codominant. Other tree species occurring in the canopy or subcanopy may include Carpinus caroliniana, Fraxinus americana, Ostrya virginiana, Quercus rubra, Tilia americana, and Ulmus americana. The shrub layer, if present, typically contains Diervilla lonicera, Euonymus obovatus, Lonicera canadensis, Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa, and Viburnum spp. The herbaceous layer is moderately to well-developed and diverse, typically including spring ephemerals. Common species include Arisaema triphyllum, Dryopteris intermedia, Maianthemum canadense (in northern stands), Maianthemum racemosum, Osmorhiza claytonii, Podophyllum peltatum, Polygonatum biflorum, Trillium grandiflorum, and Viola spp. Gap replacement typically occurs within these forests. Beech bark disease is impacting many of these stands in portions of its range. Logging and conversion to agriculture have impacted this alliance. Large white-tailed deer populations in portions of the range of this alliance can also impact regeneration of some tree and herbaceous species.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is restricted to the glaciated regions of the southern Great Lakes and is typically dominated by Acer saccharum or Fagus grandifolia.
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: This alliance typically has a dense to moderately dense canopy of deciduous trees with a sparse to absent shrub layer and a diverse, moderately to well-developed herbaceous layer.
Floristics: This alliance is characterized by a dense to moderately dense canopy of deciduous trees, an absent to sparse shrub layer, and a moderately to well-developed herbaceous layer. The canopy formed by the overstory trees and smaller saplings greatly reduces the amount of light that reaches lower vegetation strata. This canopy is composed primarily of Acer saccharum and Fagus grandifolia. Liriodendron tulipifera is sometimes codominant and Carpinus caroliniana, Fraxinus americana, Ostrya virginiana, Quercus rubra, Tilia americana, and Ulmus americana are often present in the canopy or subcanopy. Diervilla lonicera, Euonymus obovatus, Lonicera canadensis, Sambucus racemosa var. racemosa (= Sambucus pubens), and Viburnum spp. are typical shrubs. The herbaceous layer is often diverse, typically including spring ephemerals. Common species include Arisaema triphyllum (= Arisaema atrorubens), Dryopteris intermedia, Maianthemum canadense (in northern stands), Maianthemum racemosum, Osmorhiza claytonii, Podophyllum peltatum, Polygonatum biflorum, Trillium grandiflorum, and Viola spp.
Dynamics: Gap replacement typically occurs within these forests. Wind disturbance leads to low intensity, often forming single or small, multiple-tree gaps. Beech bark disease is impacting many of these stands in portions of its range. Logging and conversion to agriculture within the region has impacted these forests as well. Large white-tailed deer populations in portions of the range of this alliance can also impact regeneration of some tree and herbaceous species in remaining stands.
Environmental Description: This alliance is found on flat to rolling topography (Braun 1950, Pell and Mack 1977). In the southern parts of its range, it is more likely to be found on steeper slopes than in the northern portion (Braun 1950). The soils are predominantly silt loam, loam, or sandy loam and develop over glacial till of Wisconsin age (Braun 1950, Dodge and Harman 1985). This community was found to develop on sites with till 0.4-4.0 m thick in southern Michigan (Dodge and Harman 1985).
Geographic Range: This alliance is located in the southern Great Lakes area of the United States and possibly Canada, ranging from Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, east to northeastern Ohio and possibly Ontario.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: IL, IN, MI, OH, ON, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899350
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.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Na Eastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D008 | 1.B.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Na.5 Central Midwest Mesic Forest Macrogroup | M882 | 1.B.2.Na.5 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.5.b American Beech - Sugar Maple - Oak species Forest Group | G021 | 1.B.2.Na.5.b |
| Alliance | A3226 Sugar Maple - American Beech Forest Alliance | A3226 | 1.B.2.Na.5.b |
| Association | CEGL005013 American Beech - Sugar Maple Glaciated Midwest Forest | CEGL005013 | 1.B.2.Na.5.b |
Concept Lineage: This alliance brings together the sugar maple - beech stands found within the glaciated areas of the southern Great Lakes. Component associations came from A.227 and A.216
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Fagus grandifolia - Acer saccharum - Podophyllum peltatum association (Pell and Mack 1977) [Ohio]
? Beech - Maple association (Braun 1950)
>< Beech - Sugar Maple: 60 (Eyre 1980)
? Eastern Broadleaf Forests: 102: Beech-Maple Forest (Fagus-Acer) (Küchler 1964)
? IA5d. Typic Mesophytic Forest (Allard 1990)
>< Western Mesophytic Forest Region (Braun 1950)
? Beech - Maple association (Braun 1950)
>< Beech - Sugar Maple: 60 (Eyre 1980)
? Eastern Broadleaf Forests: 102: Beech-Maple Forest (Fagus-Acer) (Küchler 1964)
? IA5d. Typic Mesophytic Forest (Allard 1990)
>< Western Mesophytic Forest Region (Braun 1950)
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- Braun, E. L. 1950. Deciduous forests of eastern North America. Hafner Press, New York. 596 pp.
- Cobbe, T. J. 1943. Variations in the Cabin Run Forest, a climax area in southwestern Ohio. The American Midland Naturalist 29:89-105.
- Dodge, S. L., and J. R. Harman. 1985. Soil, subsoil, and forest composition in south-central Michigan, USA. Physical Geography 6(1):85-101.
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
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- Küchler, A. W. 1964. Potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States. American Geographic Society Special Publication 36. New York, NY. 116 pp.
- Pell, W. F., and R. N. Mack. 1977. The Fagus grandifolia - Acer saccharum - Podophyllum peltatum association in northeastern Ohio. Botanical Gazette 138(1):64-70.
- Rogers, R. S. 1981. Mature mesophytic hardwood forest: Community transitions, by layer, from east-central Minnesota to southeastern Michigan. Ecology 62(6):1634-1647.
- Schmalzer, P. A. 1978. Classification and analysis of forest communities in several coves of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. M.S. thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 24 pp.
- Schmalzer, P. A., C. R. Hinkle, and H. R. DeSelm. 1978. Discriminant analysis of cove forests of the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. Pages 62-86 in: P. E. Pope, editor. Proceedings of the second central hardwood forest conference. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
- Schmalzer, P. A., and H. R. DeSelm. 1982. Vegetation, endangered and threatened plants, critical plant habitats and vascular flora of the Obed Wild and Scenic River. Unpublished report. USDI National Park Service, Obed Wild and Scenic River. 2 volumes. 369 pp.
- Smith, T. L. 1991. Natural ecological communities of Pennsylvania. First revision. Unpublished report. Pennsylvania Science Office of The Nature Conservancy, Middletown, PA. 111 pp.