Print Report
CEGL006852 Chamaedaphne calyculata - Vaccinium macrocarpon / Rhynchospora alba / Sphagnum spp. Acidic Peatland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Leatherleaf - Cranberry / White Beaksedge / Peatmoss species Acidic Peatland
Colloquial Name: Coastal Plain Dwarf-shrub Peatland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This early-successional community type is a small, groundwater-fed acidic fen characterized by dwarf-shrubs and mucky peats. It occupies small seepage zones with abundant groundwater discharge along toeslopes bordering small stream floodplains of Maryland''s Inner Coastal Plain. Historical remnants of this community type can also be found bordering former millponds that have filled in or along drainages impounded by road crossings. Stands (n=6) are very small, ranging from 0.2 to 8.7 acres in size. Substrates are extremely acidic (mean pH= 4.3) and consist of deep, mucky peats. The vegetation is characterized as a patchy mosaic of shrubs and herbs growing on moss-covered (Sphagnum spp.) hummocks that give way to hollows of standing water and deep, mucky peats. Prominent shrubs are Clethra alnifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Vaccinium corymbosum. Other characteristic shrubs include Triadenum virginicum, Aronia arbutifolia, Rhododendron viscosum, Decodon verticillatus, and Rubus hispidus. Small trees of Acer rubrum, Pinus rigida, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ilex opaca, and Magnolia virginiana may be scattered on hummocks or occupy drier edges of the fen. The most characteristic herbs are Rhynchospora alba, Dichanthelium dichotomum var. dichotomum, Sarracenia purpurea, Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia, and Osmunda cinnamomea. Less frequent herbs reported include Rhexia virginica, Drosera intermedia, Arundinaria gigantea, Carex exilis, Rhynchospora capillacea, and Eriophorum virginicum.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Classification of this type is supported by analysis of a 51-plot dataset containing various groundwater-fed seepage wetlands of the Maryland Coastal Plain (Harrison and Knapp 2010). Mean species richness among plots assigned to this type (n=9 plots) is 20 taxa per 225 square meters. This community type is only known from the Magothy and Severn river drainages in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is characterized as a patchy mosaic of shrubs and herbs growing on moss-covered (e.g., Sphagnum cuspidatum, Sphagnum recurvum, Sphagnum rubellum) hummocks that give way to hollows of standing water and deep, mucky peats. Prominent shrubs are Clethra alnifolia, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Vaccinium corymbosum. Other characteristic shrubs include Triadenum virginicum (= Hypericum virginicum), Aronia arbutifolia, Rhododendron viscosum (= var. viscosum), Decodon verticillatus, and Rubus hispidus. Small trees of Acer rubrum, Pinus rigida, Liquidambar styraciflua, Ilex opaca, and Magnolia virginiana may be scattered on hummocks or occupy drier edges of the fen. The most characteristic herbs are Rhynchospora alba, Dichanthelium dichotomum var. dichotomum (= Panicum lucidum), Sarracenia purpurea, Drosera rotundifolia var. rotundifolia, and Osmunda cinnamomea. Less frequently reported herbs are Rhexia virginica, Drosera intermedia, Arundinaria gigantea, Carex exilis, Rhynchospora capillacea, and Eriophorum virginicum. Other species reported include Carex bullata, Carex canescens, Cicuta maculata var. maculata, Thelypteris palustris, Platanthera ciliaris, Juncus pelocarpus, Juncus canadensis, Carex atlantica, and Dulichium arundinaceum.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This early-successional community type is a small, groundwater-fed acidic fen characterized by dwarf-shrubs and mucky peats. It occupies small seepage zones with abundant groundwater discharge along toeslopes bordering small stream floodplains of the inner Coastal Plain. Historical remnants of this community type can also be found bordering former millponds that have filled in or along drainages impounded by road crossings. Stands (n=6) are very small, ranging from 0.2 to 8.7 acres in size. Substrates are extremely acidic (mean pH= 4.3) and consist of deep, mucky peats.
Geographic Range: This association occurs in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: MD
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.917080
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1
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 | A4478 Chamaedaphne - Dwarf Huckleberry / Walter''s Sedge Open Bog | A4478 | 2.C.2.Na.1.e |
| Association | CEGL006852 Leatherleaf - Cranberry / White Beaksedge / Peatmoss species Acidic Peatland | CEGL006852 | 2.C.2.Na.1.e |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Coastal Plain Dwarf-Shrub Peatland (Harrison and Knapp 2010)
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- Harrison, J. W., and W. M. Knapp. 2010. Ecological classification of groundwater-fed seepage wetlands of the Maryland Coastal Plain. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Services, Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis, MD. 100 pp.