Title: Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland

Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

A Subset of the International Classification of Ecological
Communities: Terrestrial Vegetation of the United States
March 2004

V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.B.2.N.e. Semipermanently flooded temperate perennial forb Vegetation
V.B.2.N.e.1. PONTEDERIA CORDATA - PELTANDRA VIRGINICA SEMIPERMANENTLY FLOODED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Pickerelweed - Green Arrow-arum Semipermanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance


Concept: This alliance includes very wet or partially submerged forb vegetation of rivershores and lakeshores, and sometimes of artificial ponds, lakes, and impoundments. In addition to the nominal species, typical associates include Nuphar lutea, Glyceria striata, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (= Scirpus validus), Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus), and Sagittaria latifolia.

Comments: ECS concept includes vegetation of the low zone of freshwater tidal marshes within this alliance.

Range: This alliance is found in Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

States/Provinces: CT DE? MA MD? ME NC NH NJ? NY PA RI TN VA VT

TNC Ecoregions: 38:P, 42:C, 43:C, 44:C, 48:?, 49:?, 51:C, 52:C, 57:C, 58:P, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C, 62:C, 63:C, 64:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Aa:C??, 212Ab:C??, 212Ba:C??, 212Bb:C??, 212Ca:C??, 212Cb:C??, 212Da:C??, 212Db:C??, 212Dc:C??, 212Ea:C??, 212Eb:C??, 212Ec:C??, 212Ed:C??, 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCP, 212Gb:CC?, 221Aa:CC?, 221Ab:CC?, 221Ac:CC?, 221Ad:CC?, 221Ae:CCC, 221Af:CCC, 221Ag:CCC, 221Ah:CCC, 221Ai:CCC, 221Aj:CC?, 221Ak:CC?, 221Al:CCC, 221Am:CCC, 221Ba:CCP, 221Bb:CCP, 221Bc:CCP, 221Bd:CCP, 221Da:CCC, 221Db:CCC, 221Ec:CCC, 221Ed:CCC, 221Fa:C??, 221Ja:C??, 221Jc:C??, 222Ch:CCC, 222Db:CCC, 222Eb:CCC, 222Ia:C??, 222Ib:C??, 222Ic:C??, 222Id:C??, 222Ie:C??, 222If:C??, 231Aa:C??, 231Ae:C??, 231Af:C??, 231Ak:C??, 231Al:C??, 231Am:C??, 231An:C??, 231Ao:C??, 231Ap:C??, 232Aa:P??, 232Ac:P??, 232Ad:P??, 232Bb:P??, 232Bc:P??, 232Bd:P??, 232Br:P??, 232Ch:P??, 234An:CCC, M212Aa:C??, M212Ab:C??, M212Ac:C??, M212Ad:C??, M212Ba:CC?, M212Bb:CCC, M212Ca:CC?, M212Cb:CCC, M212Cc:CC?, M212Cd:CC?, M212Da:C??, M212Db:C??, M212Dc:C??, M212Ea:CCP, M212Eb:CCP, M212Fa:C??, M212Fb:C??, M221Aa:CC?, M221Ab:CC?, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Ba:C??, M221Bd:C??, M221Da:CC?, M221Db:CC?, M221Dc:CCC

Federal Lands: DOD (Arnold)

Synonymy: Piedmont/Mountain Semipermanent Impoundment, in part (Schafale and Weakley 1990); Pickerel-weed - arrow-arum - arrowhead wetland (Fike 1999); Natural Pond, in part (Smith 1991); Artificial Pond, in part (Smith 1991); Stable Natural Pool, in part (Smith 1991)

References: Fike 1999, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Smith 1991, Sneddon et al. 1996

Authors: ECS, MP, East Identifier: A.1669

PELTANDRA VIRGINICA - SAURURUS CERNUUS - CAREX CRINITA / CLIMACIUM AMERICANUM HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
Green Arrow-arum - Lizard's-tail - Fringed Sedge / Tree Moss Herbaceous Vegetation
Floodplain Pool                                                                                                                     G2? (98-12-14)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS): Appalachian Highlands Floodplain Pools and Rocky Riverbeds (457-20; n/a)

Concept: This vegetation occupies depressions of Piedmont and mountain floodplains. Vegetative cover is generally low and may be confined to edges or shallower portions that dry out during the growing season. The vascular plant species vary widely among examples. Emergent vegetation may include Peltandra virginica, Dulichium arundinaceum, and Polygonum spp. Carex crinita or some other wetland Carex species are almost always present, and Climacium americanum is often abundant on the landward side. Larger examples may have pad-leaved aquatic species such as Brasenia schreberi or Nymphaea odorata. Piedmont examples may also have Saururus cernuus and Boehmeria cylindrica. Some examples have wetland shrubs on edges or in shallow portions, including Cornus amomum and Cephalanthus occidentalis. These depressions are usually abandoned channel segments or swales behind natural levees in which water is ponded for all or much of the year. Water may be supplied primarily by stream flooding or by rainfall.

Comments: These floodplain pools are transitional between wetland vegetated communities and aquatic communities. They are more distinctive for their aquatic fauna (and probably microflora) than for their higher plant communities. Two distinct kinds can be recognized based on the aquatic animal communities: Pools that are flooded by overbank stream flow at least as often as they dry out support fish as the dominant animal component. Those that are flooded more rarely and dry out between floods lack fish most of the time and support significant amphibian communities. These differences are not known to be reflected in vegetation, but are important ecologically.

Range: Found in the Piedmont, Southern Blue Ridge and related ecoregions. Possible range is from Delaware and Maryland south to Tennessee and North Carolina.

States/Provinces: CT:S?, DE?, MD?, NC:S2, NJ?, TN?, VA:S?,S?

TNC Ecoregions: 51:C, 52:C, 61:C

USFS Ecoregions: 221Ae:CCC, 231:C, M221Dc:CCC

Synonymy: Floodplain Pool (Schafale 1998a)

References: Breden et al. 2001, Fleming et al. 2001, Metzler and Barrett 2001, Schafale 1998a, Schafale and Weakley 1990

Authors: SCS Confidence: 2 Identifier: CEGL007696

- Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report V.B. Perennial forb vegetation
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