Print Report

A4126 Acer saccharum - Tilia americana - Quercus rubra Rocky Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This semi-rich to rich rocky forest is dominated by Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Tilia americana, with a relatively rich understory. It occurs from southern New England to southern Ontario south to the Allegheny and central Appalachian Mountains on circumneutral to calcareous talus slopes or shallow rocky soils.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sugar Maple - American Basswood - Northern Red Oak Rocky Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: Central Appalachian-Northeast Rich Rocky Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: Canopy dominants of this semi-rich to rich rocky forest are Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, and Tilia americana. Canopy associates include Carya ovata, Juglans cinerea, Ostrya virginiana, Quercus rubra, and, less commonly, Betula alleghaniensis or Thuja occidentalis. The open shrub layer is characterized by Acer pensylvanicum, Rubus odoratus, Sambucus racemosa, Staphylea trifolia, and, more rarely, Cornus rugosa. This community is characterized by a fairly diverse herbaceous flora. Typical herbs include Adiantum pedatum, Allium tricoccum, Anemone quinquefolia, Aralia racemosa, Asarum canadense, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Cystopteris bulbifera, Dicentra cucullaria, Dryopteris goldieana, Sanguinaria canadensis, and others. Characteristic graminoids include Carex platyphylla, Carex sprengelii, Elymus hystrix, and Patis racemosa. This association can grade into open talus woodland. This alliance occurs from southern New England to the Lake Erie-Lake Ontario ecoregion of southern Ontario south to the Allegheny and central Appalachian Mountains on circumneutral to calcareous talus slopes or shallow rocky soils.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This semi-rich to rich rocky forest to partially open woodland is dominated by Acer saccharum, Tilia americana, Fraxinus americana, with common associates being Carya ovata, Ostrya virginiana, and Quercus rubra with a relatively rich understory. The surface may contain many boulders, talus or have thin soils in rocky settings. This type occurs from southern New England to southern Ontario south to the Allegheny and central Appalachian Mountains, and is excluded from the main Laurentian-Acadian region.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This alliance is very similar to ~Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Tilia americana Forest Alliance (A3301)$$, and arguably could be a subtype of that alliance based on species composition. The USFS ecological province lines provide a general delimiter, with areas in Provinces 211 and M211 (but excluding Sections 211F and 211G (Allegheny Plateau)) mostly belonging to ~Laurentian-Acadian Hardwood Forest Group (G743)$$, and areas in Provinces 221 and M221, Sections M211F and M211G belonging to alliances in this group (G742). In Ontario, this type is restricted to the Lake Erie-Lake Ontario ecoregion (Crins et al. 2009). The range of Betula lenta, Carya cordiformis, Carya ovata, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Quercus montana provide a suite of diagnostics for the northern limit of this range, but they can be relatively uncommon. See also ecological system ~Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest (CES202.593)$$.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Forest canopy is typically closed (60-100% canopy), and dominated by broad-leaved deciduous trees, but the canopy may be more open (40-60%).

Floristics: Canopy dominants are Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, and Tilia americana. Canopy associates include Carya ovata, Juglans cinerea, Ostrya virginiana, Quercus rubra, and, less commonly, Betula alleghaniensis or Thuja occidentalis. The open shrub layer is characterized by Acer pensylvanicum, Rubus odoratus, Sambucus racemosa (= Sambucus pubens), Staphylea trifolia, and, more rarely, Cornus rugosa. This community is characterized by a fairly diverse herbaceous flora. Typical herbs include Adiantum pedatum, Allium tricoccum, Anemone quinquefolia, Aralia racemosa, Asarum canadense, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Cystopteris bulbifera, Dicentra cucullaria, Dryopteris goldeana, Sanguinaria canadensis, and others. Characteristic graminoids include Carex platyphylla, Carex sprengelii, Elymus hystrix (= Hystrix patula), and Patis racemosa (= Oryzopsis racemosa). This association can grade into open talus woodland.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This forest occurs on circumneutral to calcareous talus slopes or shallow rocky soils.
Geographic Range: This semi-rich to rich rocky forest occurs from southern New England to southern Ontario south to the Allegheny and central Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  CT, MA, MD, NH, NJ, NY, ON, PA, QC?, VA, VT, WV


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.3 Appalachian-Interior-Northeastern Mesic Forest Macrogroup M883 1.B.2.Na.3
Group 1.B.2.Na.3.b Appalachian-Allegheny Northern Hardwood Forest G742 1.B.2.Na.3.b
Alliance A4126 Sugar Maple - American Basswood - Northern Red Oak Rocky Forest Alliance A4126 1.B.2.Na.3.b
Association CEGL006471 Sugar Maple - American Basswood / American Bladdernut / Marginal Woodfern - (Pale Touch-me-not) Forest CEGL006471 1.B.2.Na.3.b
Association CEGL006577 Sugar Maple - White Ash - Butternut / American Bladdernut / Allegheny-vine Forest CEGL006577 1.B.2.Na.3.b
Association CEGL008528 American Basswood - White Ash / Striped Maple / Virginia Creeper - Pale Touch-me-not Woodland CEGL008528 1.B.2.Na.3.b
Concept Lineage: A.217, A.251, A.628, in part

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Calcareous talus slope woodland (Edinger et al. 2002)
= Transition Hardwood Talus Woodland (Thompson and Sorenson 2000)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2014)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-18-14
  • Crins, W. J., P. A. Gray, P. W. C. Uhlig, and M. C. Wester. 2009. The ecosystems of Ontario. Part I: Ecozones and ecoregions. SIB TER IMA TR-01. Inventory, Monitoring and Assessment, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough, ON. 71 pp.
  • 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.
  • Thompson, E. H., and E. R. Sorenson. 2000. Wetland, woodland, wildland: A guide to the natural communities of Vermont. The Nature Conservancy and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. University Press of New England, Hanover, NH. 456 pp.