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A3345 Pinus taeda - Liquidambar styraciflua Ruderal Flooded & Swamp Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: These southern mixed needle-leaved evergreen and broad-leaved deciduous forests are successional or ruderal and are codominated by trees such as Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa biflora, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, Pinus taeda, and rarely Pinus palustris and occur in wetlands such as wet flats, bottomlands, floodplains and temporarily flooded riparian areas of the southeastern U.S.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Loblolly Pine - Sweetgum Ruderal Flooded & Swamp Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: Southern Ruderal Pine - Sweetgum Flooded & Swamp Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: These forests are successional or ruderal and occur in wetlands and temporarily flooded riparian or floodplain areas. They are mixed needle-leaved evergreen and broad-leaved deciduous forests and are dominated or codominated by trees such as Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus nigra, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, Pinus taeda, and less commonly Pinus palustris. Many other broad-leaved deciduous trees may be present. A shrub midstory is typical especially at sites which have not had recent wildland fire. Both broad-leaved deciduous shrubs and broad-leaved evergreen shrubs are common. In general there are more native broad-leaved evergreen shrubs further south and closer to the coast. Morella cerifera is a very common nitrogen-fixing shrub. Herbaceous species are sparse, but can include the ferns Asplenium platyneuron, Botrychium virginianum, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Polystichum acrostichoides, Woodwardia areolata, and Woodwardia virginica. Graminoids and forbs may also be present and are more abundant in canopy gaps or following disturbance such as windthrow, logging or wildland fire. Understory exotic plants (of various growth forms) such as Ligustrum sinense, Lonicera japonica, Lygodium japonicum, and Microstegium vimineum commonly occur in forests of this alliance. This alliance includes forests that occur in floodplains and nonriverine flats in the Piedmont and Southeastern Coastal Plain. This vegetation follows major disturbances such as blowdowns, logging, hydrological alteration, infrequent fire and agriculture.

Diagnostic Characteristics: These are southern mixed needle-leaved evergreen and deciduous wetland forests or woodlands, generally codominated by Pinus taeda or Pinus elliottii var. elliottii with warm temperate deciduous hardwood trees, such as Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera, or Liquidambar styraciflua.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Southern hardwood semi-natural forests are classified elsewhere, as are exotic species-dominated forests.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These are warm temperate forests and woodlands of mixed needle-leaved evergreen trees and broad-leaved deciduous trees, generally codominated by Pinus taeda or Pinus elliottii var. elliottii with Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera, or Liquidambar styraciflua.

Floristics: These are warm temperate forests and woodlands of mixed needle-leaved evergreen trees and broad-leaved deciduous trees. The tree canopies of stands are commonly dominated by Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus nigra, and Pinus taeda or Pinus elliottii var. elliottii. Pinus elliottii var. elliottii may be present or codominant on the Outer Coastal Plain from southern South Carolina south to Florida, and west to eastern Louisiana. Other common tree species include Acer negundo, Arundinaria gigantea (= ssp. gigantea), Betula nigra, Cornus florida, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ilex opaca, Magnolia virginiana, Morus rubra, Nyssa biflora, Nyssa sylvatica, Pinus palustris, Platanus occidentalis, Populus deltoides, Populus heterophylla, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus michauxii, Quercus pagoda, Quercus alba, Salix nigra, and Salix caroliniana. Exotic trees can be present, but are not dominant in these ruderal wetlands, including Albizia julibrissin, Broussonetia papyrifera, Cinnamomum camphora, Melia azedarach, Morus alba and Triadica sebifera.

A shrub midstory is typical especially at sites which have not had recent wildland fire. Both broad-leaved deciduous shrubs and broad-leaved evergreen shrubs are common. In general there are more broad-leaved evergreen shrubs further south and closer to the coast. The bamboo shrub Arundinaria tecta (= Arundinaria gigantea ssp. tecta) occurs in the Outer Coastal Plain. Morella cerifera is a very common nitrogen-fixing shrub. Other shrubs of this alliance include Asimina parviflora, Clethra alnifolia, Cyrilla racemiflora, Ilex glabra, Ilex coriacea, Lindera benzoin, Lyonia lucida, Persea palustris, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium formosum, and Vaccinium fuscatum. Native lianas include Bignonia capreolata, Campsis radicans, Smilax bona-nox, Smilax glauca, Smilax rotundifolia, Toxicodendron radicans ssp. radicans and Vitis spp.

Herbaceous species are sparse, but can include the ferns Asplenium platyneuron, Botrychium virginianum, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, Polystichum acrostichoides, Woodwardia areolata, and Woodwardia virginica. Graminoids and forbs may also be present and are more abundant in canopy gaps or following disturbance such as windthrow, logging or wildland fire. Graminoids include Andropogon spp., Carex crinita, Carex spp., Dichanthelium spp., Dulichium arundinaceum, Juncus effusus, Panicum spp., Rhynchospora spp., and Scirpus cyperinus. Forbs include Eupatorium spp., Polygala spp., Solidago spp., and others. Understory exotic plants (of various growth forms) such as Ligustrum sinense, Lonicera japonica, Lygodium japonicum, and Microstegium vimineum commonly occur in forests of this alliance.

Dynamics:  This vegetation follows major disturbances such as blowdowns, logging, hydrological alteration, infrequent fire and agriculture. With the policies of fire suppression since the 1920s, the alteration of fire regimes, and widespread Pinus palustris logging, Pinus taeda and Pinus elliottii var. elliottii have replaced Pinus palustris flatwoods on sites historically (prior to 1900) dominated almost exclusively by Pinus palustris. The presence of Acer rubrum, Liriodendron tulipifera, or Liquidambar styraciflua in the tree canopy or subcanopy is indicative of long-term lack of fire, or low fire frequency. While mature Pinus taeda and Pinus elliottii var. elliottii trees can withstand fire, they are not as resistant to fire (especially as saplings) as is Pinus palustris.
Environmental Description:  This alliance includes forests that occur in floodplains and nonriverine flats in the Piedmont and Southeastern Coastal Plain. This vegetation follows major disturbances such as blowdowns, logging, hydrological alteration, infrequent fire and agriculture. Its environment includes highly productive floodplains and upper stream terraces (Jones et al. 1981b), and wet pinelands (often termed "pine flatwoods," "wet pine flatwoods," and former "pine savannas") of the Outer Coastal Plain or "coastal flatlands." In these pine flatwoods many soils naturally contain a spodic horizon occasionally underlain by a clay hardpan, which additionally restricts drainage. Soils include Alfisols, Spodosols, and Ultisols. Sites vary in the presence or absence of a hardpan, in soil pH (generally acidic, low pH), and in drainage. Since 1960, many of the coastal plain pine flatwoods sites have been drained with ditches, deep drum-chopped to reduce herbaceous competition and bedded to reduce flooding of tree seedlings.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in warm temperate areas in the south-central and southeastern United States, from North Carolina to Florida, and west to Arkansas and Texas.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN?, TX, VA


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA

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.90 Red Maple - Tuliptree - Sugarberry Ruderal Flooded & Swamp Forest Macrogroup M310 1.B.3.Nb.90
Group 1.B.3.Nb.90.a Red Maple - Loblolly Pine - Sweetgum Ruderal Flooded & Swamp Forest Group G553 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Alliance A3345 Loblolly Pine - Sweetgum Ruderal Flooded & Swamp Forest Alliance A3345 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL004606 Loblolly Pine - Sweetgum - Swamp Tupelo Ruderal Floodplain Forest CEGL004606 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL004649 Loblolly Pine - Red Maple - Sweetgum / Switch Cane Ruderal Wet Forest CEGL004649 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL007157 Slash Pine - (Longleaf Pine) / Wax-myrtle - Large Gallberry Ruderal Wet Woodland CEGL007157 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL007162 Longleaf Pine / Wax-myrtle - Southern Bayberry - Large Gallberry Ruderal Wet Woodland CEGL007162 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL007546 Loblolly Pine - Tuliptree / Northern Spicebush / Fringed Sedge Ruderal Wet Forest CEGL007546 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Association CEGL007560 Loblolly Pine - Swamp Tupelo - Sweetgum / Shining Fetterbush Ruderal Wet Forest CEGL007560 1.B.3.Nb.90.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< IIA8c. Lowland Pine - Oak Forest (Allard 1990)
? IIB1b. Wet Longleaf Pine Flatwoods (Allard 1990)
? IIB1c. Wet Longleaf Pine - Slash Pine Flatwoods (Allard 1990)
>< Loblolly Pine - Hardwood: 82 (Eyre 1980)
? Loblolly pine - Swamp gum - Naked withe-rod Community? (Jones et al. 1981b)
> Slash Pine - Hardwood 85 (Eyre 1980) [unburned flatwoods]
? T1B3aIII6a. Pinus taeda - Liquidambar styraciflua (Foti et al. 1994)
Concept Author(s): C. Nordman, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C. Nordman

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-14-14
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