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A3373 Eriophorum virginicum - Dulichium arundinaceum - Carex echinata Seep Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance accommodates acidic herbaceous fen or "bog" vegetation from the Allegheny Mountains region of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland as well as related areas of New York and Pennsylvania. This vegetation is found on flat to gently sloping topography of terraces, toeslopes, shallow headwater basins, swales, moats of bog mats, and pondshores.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Tawny Cottongrass - Threeway Sedge - Star Sedge Seep Alliance
Colloquial Name: Central Appalachian-Northeast Acidic Seep
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance accommodates acidic herbaceous fen or "bog" vegetation from the Allegheny Mountains region of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland as well as related areas of New York and Pennsylvania. Typical components of this community type include Carex echinata, Carex folliculata, Dulichium arundinaceum, Eriophorum virginicum, Juncus brevicaudatus, Juncus canadensis, Juncus subcaudatus, and Solidago uliginosa. Other common herbs include Carex gynandra, Carex trisperma, Doellingeria umbellata, Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia, Epilobium leptophyllum, Galium tinctorium, Juncus effusus, Osmunda cinnamomea, Scirpus cyperinus, Sparganium erectum ssp. stoloniferum, and Viola cucullata. Sphagnum spp. (Sphagnum recurvum, Sphagnum magellanicum, Sphagnum fallax, and others) may also be present. Patches of low shrubs and stunted trees are also present in some examples, particularly Picea rubens and Acer rubrum. Shrubs may include Menziesia pilosa, Kalmia latifolia, Vaccinium angustifolium, and Vaccinium myrtilloides. The dwarf-shrubs Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Rubus hispidus may be present in some associations. This vegetation is found on flat to gently sloping topography of terraces, toeslopes, shallow headwater basins, swales, moats of bog mats, and pondshores. Some older stands typically occur over shallow bedrock, where they are kept open by high water tables. Some habitats typically have pronounced hummock-and-hollow microtopography. Groundwater discharge may be barely perceptible, or may appear as flowing seeps and braided streamlets. The underlying bedrock may consist of acidic sandstone, shale or limestone. The substrate is poorly to very poorly drained shallow peat or muck or sand.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance contains acidic herbaceous fen or "bog" vegetation from the Allegheny Mountains region of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland as well as related areas of New York and Pennsylvania. The criteria for distinguishing it from other alliances include floristic ones as well as biogeographic ones.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance (A3373) contains both seepage and non-seepage acidic peat associations, some of which may better fit with ~Dulichium arundinaceum - Carex canescens Subboreal Acidic Graminoid Fen Alliance (A3452)$$ in ~Eastern North American Subboreal Bog & Acidic Fen Group (G745)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This community type is predominantly herbaceous but contains patches of low shrubs and stunted trees. Herbaceous composition is somewhat variable, with a variety of graminoids and forbs present in the various associations. Mosses, including Sphagnum spp., may also be present.
Floristics: Typical components of this community type include Carex echinata, Carex folliculata, Dulichium arundinaceum, Eriophorum virginicum, Juncus brevicaudatus, Juncus canadensis, Juncus subcaudatus, and Solidago uliginosa. Other common herbs include Carex gynandra, Carex trisperma, Doellingeria umbellata (= Aster umbellatus), Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia, Epilobium leptophyllum, Galium tinctorium, Juncus effusus, Osmunda cinnamomea, Scirpus cyperinus, Sparganium erectum ssp. stoloniferum, and Viola cucullata. Sphagnum spp. (Sphagnum recurvum, Sphagnum magellanicum, Sphagnum fallax, and others) may also be present. Patches of low shrubs and stunted trees are also present in some examples, particularly Picea rubens and Acer rubrum. Shrubs may include Menziesia pilosa, Kalmia latifolia, Vaccinium angustifolium, and Vaccinium myrtilloides. The dwarf-shrubs Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Rubus hispidus may be present in some associations.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This vegetation is found on flat to gently sloping topography of terraces, toeslopes, shallow headwater basins, swales, moats of bog mats, and pondshores. Some older stands typically occur over shallow bedrock, where they are kept open by high water tables. Some habitats typically have pronounced hummock-and-hollow microtopography. Groundwater discharge may be barely perceptible, or may appear as flowing seeps and braided streamlets. The underlying bedrock may consist of acidic sandstone, shale or limestone. The substrate is poorly to very poorly drained shallow peat or muck or sand.
Geographic Range: The range of this vegetation includes the Central Appalachians and Alleghany Plateau regions from West Virginia north to Pennsylvania. In New York, examples of this alliance are presumably in the High Alleghany Plateau.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: MD, NJ, NY, PA, VA, WV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899497
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F013 | 2.C.4 |
| Division | 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D323 | 2.C.4.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Nd.1 Shrubby-cinquefoil - Canadian Burnet / Inland Sedge Seep Macrogroup | M061 | 2.C.4.Nd.1 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.1.c Tawny Cottongrass - Jewelweed species - Skunk-cabbage Seep Group | G189 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.c |
| Alliance | A3373 Tawny Cottongrass - Threeway Sedge - Star Sedge Seep Alliance | A3373 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.c |
| Association | CEGL006101 Tufted Hairgrass - Hammond''s Springbeauty Seepage Meadow | CEGL006101 | 2.C.4.Nd.1.c |
Concept Lineage: Old alliance A.2624 was from "Washington, British Columbia and West Virginia." The three associations come from 3 different old alliances (A.1450 [1/4], A.1455 [1/9], A.2624 [1/2])
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Sinkhole wetland (Edinger et al. 2002)
- Edinger, G. J., D. J. Evans, S. Gebauer, T. G. Howard, D. M. Hunt, and A. M. Olivero, editors. 2002. Ecological communities of New York state. Second edition. A revised and expanded edition of Carol Reschke''s ecological communities of New York state. (Draft for review). New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Fike, J. 1999. Terrestrial and palustrine plant communities of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bureau of Forestry, Harrisburg, PA. 86 pp.
- Zimmerman, E. A., T. Davis, M. A. Furedi, B. Eichelberger, J. McPherson, S. Seymour, G. Podniesinski, N. Dewar, and J. Wagner, editors. 2012. Terrestrial and palustrine plant communities of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Harrisburg. [http://www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/Communities.aspx]