Print Report

A3406 Cladium mariscoides - Rhynchospora alba Fen Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: These savannas are characterized by the graminoid herbs Cladium mariscoides and Rhynchospora alba growing in saturated wetland conditions, including riverside savanna, limited to the New Jersey Pine Barrens and sea-level fens in mid-Atlantic coastal areas.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Cladium mariscoides - Rhynchospora alba Fen Alliance

Colloquial Name: Pine Barrens Streamside Savanna

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes graminoid wet meadows ("savannas") in saturated wetland conditions near water, such as rivers, streams and creeks as well as a sea-level fens influenced occasionally by tidewater. These habitats are characterized by Cladium mariscoides and Rhynchospora alba, and sometimes with Drosera intermedia, Eleocharis rostellata, Lophiola aurea, Muhlenbergia torreyana, Muhlenbergia uniflora, and Panicum rigidulum var. pubescens. Pine Barrens riverside sedge savanna is limited to the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The similar vegetation of fresh groundwater seepage sea-level fens occurs along the ecotone between upland/wetland and salt marsh in mid-Atlantic coastal areas.

Diagnostic Characteristics: These coastal plain wet meadows occur in groundwater-saturated conditions near water, such as rivers, streams, creeks or occasionally influences by tidewater. These habitats are characterized by the graminoid herbs Cladium mariscoides and Rhynchospora alba or Eleocharis rostellata, with Drosera intermedia, Lophiola aurea, Muhlenbergia torreyana, Muhlenbergia uniflora, Panicum rigidulum var. pubescens, and Sphagnum mosses. This vegetation occurs in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and along the coastal fringe in mid-Atlantic coastal tidewater areas.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The placement of the sea level fen ~Cladium mariscoides - Drosera intermedia - Eleocharis rostellata Coastal Fen (CEGL006310)$$ in this alliance is supported based on floristics, physiognomy, and hydrology. In particular, the sea level fen is dominated by fresh groundwater hydrology drivers in the ecology of this type, even though it occurs adjacent to salt marshes and occasionally receives saline water from tidal flooding. A year-long intensive hydrology study in 2005-2006 at a sea level fen site in New Jersey by Walz et al. (2006d) showed that fresh groundwater flushes out saline water within days through vertical and lateral groundwater movement toward the coast/bay.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: These habitats are characterized by the graminoid herbs Cladium mariscoides and Rhynchospora alba or Eleocharis rostellata, and sometimes with Drosera intermedia, Lophiola aurea, Muhlenbergia torreyana, Muhlenbergia uniflora, and Panicum rigidulum var. pubescens.

Dynamics:  These wetlands are subject to groundwater saturation and associated with river, streams and creeks in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and with groundwater acidic fens in coastal areas just above sea level and subject to irregular spring and neap tides. In the New Jersey Pine Barrens, these graminoid wetlands may be subject to wildland fire, which would limit the dominance of trees and shrubs.
Environmental Description:  These wetlands are subject to groundwater saturation and associated with rivers, streams and creeks in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and with groundwater acidic seeps ("fens") in mid-Atlantic coastal areas along undulating coastlines in the ecotone between upland or freshwater swamp and salt marsh just above sea level and subject to irregular spring and neap high tides.
Geographic Range: The typical wet meadows of this alliance are limited to the New Jersey Pine Barrens, but the sea level fens occur in coastal areas from Virginia to Massachusetts.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CT, DE, MA?, MD, NH?, NJ, NY, RI?, VA


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.2 Temperate to Polar Bog & Fen Formation F016 2.C.2
Division 2.C.2.Na North American Bog & Fen Division D029 2.C.2.Na
Macrogroup 2.C.2.Na.1 Leatherleaf - Small Cranberry - Few-seed Sedge Bog & Acidic Fen Macrogroup M876 2.C.2.Na.1
Group 2.C.2.Na.1.e Chamaedaphne - Dwarf Huckleberry / Walter''s Sedge Bog & Fen Group G1171 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Alliance A3406 <i>Cladium mariscoides - Rhynchospora alba</i> Fen Alliance A3406 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006262 Atlantic White-cedar / Dwarf Huckleberry / Bushy Bluestem Fen CEGL006262 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006263 Atlantic White-cedar / <i>Narthecium americanum - Sarracenia purpurea - Drosera filiformis</i> / Beautiful Peatmoss Fen CEGL006263 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006265 <i>Eriocaulon aquaticum - Juncus pelocarpus - Drosera intermedia</i> Fen CEGL006265 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006270 <i>Cladium mariscoides - Panicum rigidulum var. pubescens</i> Fen CEGL006270 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006285 <i>Rhynchospora (alba</i>, <i>cephalantha) - Muhlenbergia uniflora - Lophiola aurea</i> Fen CEGL006285 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006291 <i>Muhlenbergia torreyana - Lobelia canbyi - Rhynchospora alba</i> Fen CEGL006291 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006367 Eastern Red-cedar / Bog Birch / Dioecious Sedge - Stiff Goldenrod Fen CEGL006367 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL006392 <i>Myrica gale - Chamaedaphne calyculata</i> / Coastal Sedge Fen CEGL006392 2.C.2.Na.1.e
Concept Lineage: Associations are from A.1461 and A.1447, relationship is not clean.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Entity D1 - Rhynchospora alba - Sphagnum spp. (Olsson 1979)
>< IIE1b. Calcareous Fen Complex (Allard 1990)
>< Savanna Formation (Harshberger 1916)
Concept Author(s): C. Nordman, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013), C. Ludwig (1992)

Author of Description: C. Nordman and K.S. Walz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-09-19
  • 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.
  • Breden, T. F. 1989. A preliminary natural community classification for New Jersey. Pages 157-191 in: E. F. Karlin, editor. New Jersey''s rare and endangered plants and animals. Institute for Environmental Studies, Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ. 280 pp.
  • Breden, T. F., Y. R. Alger, K. S. Walz, and A. G. Windisch. 2001. Classification of vegetation communities of New Jersey: Second iteration. Association for Biodiversity Information and New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Office of Natural Lands Management, Division of Parks and Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton.
  • 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.
  • Harshberger, J. W. 1916. The vegetation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Reprinted 1970. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 329 pp.
  • Ludwig, J. C. 1992. Delaware''s Sea Level Fens: A report on a Natural Heritage survey. A confidential report submitted to Delaware Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Lewes, DE. 8 pp.
  • Olsson, H. 1979. Vegetation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens: A phytosociological classification. Pages 245-263 in: R. T. T. Forman, editor. Pine Barrens: Ecosystem and landscape. Academic Press, New York.
  • Walz, K. S., E. Cronan, S. Domber, M. Serfes, L. Kelly, and K. Anderson. 2006d. The potential impacts of open marsh water management (OMWM) on a globally imperiled sea level fen in Ocean County, New Jersey. Prepared for New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Natural Lands Management, Trenton, NJ. 169 pp. plus appendices.
  • Walz, K. S., L. Kelly, K. Anderson, and S. J. Stanford. 2007. The sea level fens, tidal freshwater marshes and tidal brackish marshes of New Jersey. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry, Office of Natural Lands Management, Natural Heritage Program, Trenton, NJ. 189 pp.