Print Report
CEGL006637 Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Acer pensylvanicum / Caulophyllum thalictroides Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sugar Maple - American Basswood / Striped Maple / Blue Cohosh Forest
Colloquial Name: Transitional Northern Sugar Maple - Ash Rich Mesic Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This rich sugar maple - white ash - basswood forest is found from the Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania and New York, the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie plains and Lower New England, south to the Central Appalachian region of western Virginia and eastern West Virginia. Stands occur on nutrient-rich, mesic or wet-mesic settings on sloped to rolling terrain. Slope bottoms, where colluvium collects, are a common landscape position. The surface soils are deep sand, loamy sand, or loam and may be underlain by sandy clay loam to clay loam. The sites are somewhat poorly drained to well-drained and can have a water table 0.4-2 m below the surface. Small (<1 ha) seep areas that may occur within these forests have soils that are usually saturated. This forest community has a well-developed tree canopy composed of deciduous species. Shrubs are scattered, but the herbaceous stratum is generally extensive. Bryoids are only a minor component of the ground layer, which is predominantly nitrogen-rich sugar maple leaves. Acer saccharum and Tilia americana are the dominant trees; Fraxinus americana is frequent but not necessarily abundant. Ostrya virginiana is very common as a small tree. Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia, and Prunus serotina are typical associates, in small amounts. Ulmus rubra and Juglans cinerea are occasional, Magnolia acuminata infrequent. Shrubs that may be found in this community include Cornus alternifolia, Hamamelis virginiana, and Lonicera canadensis. The ground flora, including many spring ephemerals, is diverse and consists primarily of nutrient- and light-requiring species. Many of these flower and fruit early in the spring before the tree canopy has fully leafed out. Fern richness is often high. Various sedges are present (particularly the Laxiflorae). These forests are differentiated from less-rich northern hardwood forests, e.g., ~Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia - Fraxinus americana / Arisaema triphyllum Forest (CEGL006632)$$, primarily by their abundant and diverse herbaceous layer, as well as by the greater prominence of sugar maple, basswood and ash in the canopy and reduced importance of beech.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The attribution of this type to the Ridge and Valley subsection is based on the location of a single stand on the westernmost scarp slope of the Ridge Valley (east slope of Middle Mountain, Virginia) at the Allegheny Front. The status of this association in Maryland is uncertain. This type was formerly included in CEGL005008. It is separated from ~Acer saccharum - Fraxinus americana / Acer spicatum / Caulophyllum thalictroides Forest (CEGL006636)$$ to better highlight the transitional character of these rich hardwoods in the Allegheny Plateau and adjacent regions, as compared to the rich mesic northern hardwoods in the Laurentian-Acadian region.
In West Virginia, 22 plots in the Allegheny Mountains are classified to this association. Additional characteristic species found in West Virginia plots include Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Betula alleghaniensis, Acer pensylvanicum, Carya cordiformis, Aristolochia macrophylla, Laportea canadensis, Allium tricoccum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Actaea racemosa, Galium triflorum, and Prosartes lanuginosa.
In West Virginia, 22 plots in the Allegheny Mountains are classified to this association. Additional characteristic species found in West Virginia plots include Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Betula alleghaniensis, Acer pensylvanicum, Carya cordiformis, Aristolochia macrophylla, Laportea canadensis, Allium tricoccum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Actaea racemosa, Galium triflorum, and Prosartes lanuginosa.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This forest community has a well-developed tree canopy composed of deciduous species. Shrubs are scattered, but the herbaceous stratum is well-represented. Acer saccharum and Tilia americana are the dominant trees; Fraxinus americana is frequent but not necessarily abundant. Ostrya virginiana is very common as a small tree. Acer rubrum, Fagus grandifolia, and Prunus serotina are typical associates, in small amounts. Ulmus rubra and Juglans cinerea are occasional, Magnolia acuminata infrequent. Shrubs that may be found in this community include Cornus alternifolia, , Hamamelis virginiana, and Lonicera canadensis. The ground flora, much of which is spring ephemerals, is diverse and consists primarily of nutrient- and light-requiring species. Many of these flower and fruit early in the spring before the tree canopy has fully leafed out; Dicentra cucullaria, Dicentra canadensis, Hepatica spp., Asarum canadense, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Viola canadensis, Viola rotundifolia, Actaea pachypoda, Osmorhiza claytonii, Panax quinquefolius, Sanguinaria canadensis, and Erythronium americanum are typical. Fern richness is often high, with characteristic species including Adiantum pedatum, Cystopteris bulbifera, Deparia acrostichoides (= Athyrium thelypterioides), Dryopteris goldieana, Dryopteris filix-mas, Dryopteris marginalis, Botrychium virginianum, Athyrium filix-femina, Phegopteris hexagonoptera (= Thelypteris hexagonoptera), and, especially in seepy spots, Matteuccia struthiopteris. Various sedges are present (particularly the Laxiflorae group) such as Carex laxiflora, Carex platyphylla, Carex plantaginea, Carex leptonervia, Carex hitchcockiana, Carex aestivalis, Carex davisii, Carex bebbii, and others. The herbaceous flora in seeps often contains Carex scabrata, Ageratina altissima (= Eupatorium rugosum), Impatiens capensis (sometimes Impatiens pallida as well), and Solidago flexicaulis. One state-rare plant species, Cuscuta rostrata, is associated with this vegetation type. Additional characteristic specis found in West Virginia plots include Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Betula alleghaniensis, Acer pensylvanicum, Carya cordiformis, Aristolochia macrophylla, Laportea canadensis, Allium tricoccum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Actaea racemosa, Galium triflorum, and Prosartes lanuginosa.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: In Virginia, stands occur on nutrient-rich, mesic or, sometimes, wet-mesic situations on flat to rolling terrain. The surface soils are deep sand, loamy sand, or loam and underlain by sandy clay loam to clay loam. The sites are somewhat poorly drained to well-drained and can have a water table 0.4-2 m below the surface. The elevation of known examples ranges from 115-830 m (380-2700 feet). Ground cover is deciduous litter, predominantly of nitrogen-rich sugar maple leaves. West Virginia stands occur primarily on soils derived from limestone or shale with pH ranging from 3.9 to 7.0 and Ca content ranging from 369 to 4096 ppm. Elevations range from 577 to 1213 m (1890-3980 feet).
Geographic Range: This forest association ranges generally from the Allegheny Plateau of Pennsylvania and New York to the Lake Ontario and Lake Erie plains and Lower New England to the Central Appalachian region of western Virginia and eastern West Virginia.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: CT, MA, MD?, NJ, NY, ON, PA, RI, VA, WV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.933859
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?
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 | A3301 Sugar Maple - American Beech - American Basswood Forest Alliance | A3301 | 1.B.2.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL006637 Sugar Maple - American Basswood / Striped Maple / Blue Cohosh Forest | CEGL006637 | 1.B.2.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Acer saccharum - Tilia americana - Fagus grandifolia / Caulophyllum thalictroides - Viola blanda - (Allium tricoccum) Forest (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
= Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Acer pensylvanicum / Allium tricoccum - Laportea canadensis Forest [Rich Northern Hardwoods Forest] (Vanderhorst 2018)
? Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Caulophyllum thalictroides - Laportea canadensis Association (Fleming and Moorhead 1996)
? SNE rich mesic forest (circumneutral to basic) (Rawinski 1984a)
< Sugar Maple - Basswood: 26 (Eyre 1980)
? Sugar maple-white ash-basswood-bluebead cove forest (CAP pers. comm. 1998)
= Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Acer pensylvanicum / Allium tricoccum - Laportea canadensis Forest [Rich Northern Hardwoods Forest] (Vanderhorst 2018)
? Acer saccharum - Tilia americana / Caulophyllum thalictroides - Laportea canadensis Association (Fleming and Moorhead 1996)
? SNE rich mesic forest (circumneutral to basic) (Rawinski 1984a)
< Sugar Maple - Basswood: 26 (Eyre 1980)
? Sugar maple-white ash-basswood-bluebead cove forest (CAP pers. comm. 1998)
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