Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

I. FOREST
I.B.2.N.a. Lowland or submontane cold-deciduous forest
I.B.2.N.a.4. ACER SACCHARUM - BETULA ALLEGHANIENSIS - (FAGUS GRANDIFOLIA) FOREST ALLIANCE
Sugar Maple - Yellow Birch - (American Beech) Forest Alliance

Concept: This alliance, found in the north-central and northeastern United States and adjacent southern Canada, is composed of rich mesic forests. Stands in this forest alliance typically have a closed canopy. Most of the trees are deciduous but conifers are often scattered throughout the stands. Acer saccharum is dominant in the overstory and sapling layer. Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia (in the eastern two-thirds of this alliance's range), and Tilia americana may be codominants. Other common trees include Abies balsamea, Acer rubrum, Fraxinus americana, Ostrya virginiana, Picea glauca, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, and Tsuga canadensis. Picea rubens can be found in high elevation stands in the East. The dense overstory inhibits the growth of an abundant shrub layer. Acer pensylvanicum (in the east), Corylus cornuta, Hamamelis virginiana, Lonicera canadensis, Taxus canadensis, and Viburnum acerifolium are typical shrubs. Many of the common herbaceous species are typical of sub-boreal communities. These include Aralia nudicaulis, Chimaphila maculata, Clintonia borealis, Lycopodium spp., Maianthemum canadense, Osmorhiza claytonii, Oxalis montana, Pteridium aquilinum, and Streptopus lanceolatus var. longipes (= Streptopus roseus). Stands of this alliance are found on moderate to deep (60->150 cm) sandy loam, clay loam, or loamy sand soils. The soils are typically slightly acidic to circumneutral, mesic to wet-mesic and nutrient-rich. Most stands develop on flat to moderate slopes over glacial till. A relatively thick layer of fallen leaves covers the forest floor. Sites that support this alliance are on flat to moderately sloping terrain on glacial features such as till or moraines or on calcareous rocks, sandstone, or shale outside the glaciated region.

Range: This alliance is found in eastern Minnesota, northern and eastern Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. It also occurs in Canada in southern Ontario.

States/Provinces: CT MA MD ME MI MN NB NH NJ NY ON PA RI VA VT WI WV

TNC Ecoregions: 46:C, 47:C, 48:C, 49:C, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C, 62:C, 63:C, 64:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Aa:CCC, 212Ab:CCC, 212Ba:CCC, 212Bb:CCC, 212Ca:CCC, 212Cb:CCC, 212Da:CCC, 212Db:CCP, 212Dc:CCC, 212Ea:CPP, 212Eb:CPP, 212Ec:CPP, 212Ed:CPP, 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCC, 212Gb:CCC, 212Ha:CCC, 212Hb:CCC, 212Hd:CCC, 212He:CCC, 212Hi:CCP, 212Hj:CCC, 212Hk:CCP, 212Hl:CCC, 212Hm:CCC, 212Hn:CCP, 212Ho:CCP, 212Hp:CCC, 212Hq:CCP, 212Hr:CCP, 212Hs:CCC, 212Ht:CCC, 212Hu:CCP, 212Hv:CCC, 212Hw:CCC, 212Hx:CCC, 212Hy:CCC, 212Ib:CCC, 212Ja:CCC, 212Jb:CCC, 212Jc:CCC, 212Je:CCC, 212Jf:CCP, 212Jj:CCC, 212Jl:CCC, 212Jm:CCC, 212Jn:CCP, 212Jo:CCP, 212Jr:CCC, 212Js:CCC, 212Kb:CCC, 212La:CC?, 212Lb:CCC, 212Lc:CCP, 212Ld:CCP, 212Mb:C??, 212Na:CCC, 212Nb:CCC, 212Nc:CCC, 212Nd:CCC, 212Oa:CCC, 221Ae:CCC, 221Af:CCC, 221Ag:CCC, 221Ah:CCC, 221Ai:CCC, 221Ak:CCC, 221Al:CCC, 221Ba:CCC, 221Bb:CCC, 221Bc:CCC, 221Bd:CCC, 221Ea:C??, 221Fa:CCC, 222E:CC, 222Ia:CCP, 222Ib:CCP, 222Ic:CCP, 222Id:CCP, 222Ie:CCP, 222If:CCP, 222Ja:CCC, 222Kc:CCC, 222Ke:CCC, 222Kf:CCC, 222Kg:CCC, M212Aa:CCC, M212Ab:CCC, M212Ac:CCC, M212Ad:CCC, M212Ae:CCC, M212Af:CCC, M212Ag:CCC, M212Ba:CCC, M212Bb:CCC, M212Bc:CCC, M212Bd:CCC, M212Ca:CCC, M212Cb:CCC, M212Cc:CCC, M212Cd:CCC, M212Da:CCC, M212Db:CCC, M212Dc:CCC, M212Dd:CCC, M212De:CCC, M212Df:CCC, M212Ea:CCC, M212Eb:CCC, M212Fa:CCC, M212Fb:CCC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ba:CCC, M221Bb:CCC, M221Bc:CCC, M221Bd:CCC, M221Be:CCP, M221Bf:CCC, M221Ca:CC?, M221Cb:CCP, M221Ce:CCC, M221Da:CCC, M221Dc:CC?

Federal Lands: NPS (Acadia, Isle Royale, Shenandoah); USFS (George Washington, Jefferson, Monongahela)

Synonymy: Maple - Birch (Hansen et al. 1973); Acer - Viola - Osmorhiza type (Coffman and Willis 1977); Northern Mesic Forest, in part (Curtis 1959); Sugar Maple - Beech - Yellow Birch: 25, in part (Eyre 1980); Northern Hardwoods - Hemlock - White Pine Forest (Swain and Kearsley 2001); Spruce - Fir - Northern Hardwoods Forest (Swain and Kearsley 2001); Northern hardwood forest (Fike 1999); Black cherry - northern hardwood forest (Fike 1999); Northern Hardwood (Broadleaf) Forest (Smith 1991)

References: Coffman and Willis 1977, Curtis 1959, Eyre 1980, Faber-Langendoen et al. 1996, Fike 1999, Flaccus and Ohmann 1964, Hansen et al. 1973, Kotar and Burger 1989, Pregitzer and Barnes 1984, Smith 1991, Swain and Kearsley 2001, USFS 1994

Authors: ECS/MCS, RW, East Identifier: A.216

Concept: This northern hardwood forest of the Allegheny Plateau and Central Appalachian Mountains occurs on moderate to deep, acidic to circumneutral loams or loamy sands, mesic to wet-mesic and nutrient-rich soils, on flat to moderate slopes. A thick layer of fallen leaves often occurs. In the glaciated portion of the range, this vegetation occurs on glacial tills, and in the unglaciated portion on sandstone or shale of northern slopes and high elevations. Prunus serotina is an important canopy component, with Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, and Fagus grandifolia. Other associates include Acer rubrum, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ostrya virginiana, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, and Tsuga canadensis. Conifers contribute less than 25% cover, in general. The shrub layer consists of Acer pensylvanicum, Corylus cornuta, Hamamelis virginiana, Lonicera canadensis, and Viburnum acerifolium. Herbs include Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Lycopodium spp., Aralia nudicaulis, Chimaphila maculata, Clintonia borealis, Lycopodium spp., Maianthemum canadense, Oxalis montana, Pteridium aquilinum, and Streptopus lanceolatus var. roseus (= Streptopus roseus).

Range: The principal range of this community type is the Allegheny Plateau region of southern New York and northern Pennsylvania, extending south along the high Allegheny Mountains of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. In Virginia, the type is widespread only on Allegheny Mountain in northwest Highland County, but occurs locally in disjunct, high-elevation areas of the Ridge and Valley, Cumberland Mountains and, very rarely, the northern Blue Ridge.

States/Provinces: MD:S?, NY:S4,S4, PA:S?, VA:S?, WV:S?

TNC Ecoregions: 49:C, 59:C, 60:C, 61:P

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fd:CCP, 212Ga:CCC, 212Gb:CCP, 221E:C?, 221Fa:CCC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ba:CCC, M221Bb:CCC, M221Bc:CCC, M221Bd:CCC, M221Bf:CCC, M221Ce:CCC, M221Da:CCC

Federal Lands: USFS (George Washington, Jefferson)

Synonymy: Maple-beech-birch-cherry northern hardwoods (matrix) (CAP pers. comm. 1998), Prunus serotina - Quercus rubra / Dennstaedtia punctilobula - Carex digitalis Association (Fleming and Moorhead 1996), Black Cherry - Maple: 28 (Eyre 1980) B, Prunus serotina - Acer saccharum - Fagus grandifolia / Carex digitalis - (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) Forest (Fleming and Coulling 2001) =

References: Braun 1950, CAP pers. comm. 1998, Eyre 1980, Fike 1999, Fleming and Coulling 2001, Fleming and Moorhead 1996, Fleming et al. 2001, Fowells 1965, Lundgren 2001

Authors: G. Fleming, ECS Confidence: 3 Identifier: CEGL006045 

- Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report I.B. Deciduous forest

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