Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.B.2.N.f. Saturated temperate perennial forb vegetation
V.B.2.N.f.4. CHRYSOSPLENIUM AMERICANUM SATURATED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Golden-saxifrage Saturated Herbaceous Alliance

Concept: This alliance consists of small seepages with scattered cover of small forbs, including Chrysosplenium americanum, Cardamine clematitis, Circaea alpina, and usually also with the moss Rhizomnium appalachianum. Vegetation in this alliance is normally over-shaded by trees rooted in adjacent (non-wetland) communities. The spatial extent of this alliance is small, with individual occurrences normally much less than a hectare in size. Despite its small spatial scale, this alliance is an important component of the diversity of the landscapes in which it occurs. The alliance is distributed primarily in the Appalachian Mountains.

Range: The alliance is distributed primarily in the Appalachian Mountains. It is found in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and possibly New Hampshire (?).

States/Provinces: CT MA MD NH? NY? PA TN VA? VT WV

TNC Ecoregions: 59:C, 60:C, 61:C, 64:P

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCC, 212Gb:CCC, 221Ae:CCC, 221Af:CCC, 221Ag:CCC, 221Bd:CCC, 221Da:C??, 221Ea:C??, 221Eb:C??, 221Fa:C??, 231Al:???, 231Ap:???, M212Ca:C??, M212Cd:C??, M212Ea:CCC, M212Eb:CCC, M221Ba:C??, M221Bb:C??, M221Bc:C??, M221Bd:C??, M221Be:C??, M221Ca:C??, M221Cb:C??, M221Cc:C??, M221Cd:C??

Synonymy: Golden saxifrage - Pennsylvania bitter-cress spring run (Fike 1999); Spring Community (Smith 1991); Spring Run Community (Smith 1991)

References: Fike 1999, Smith 1991

Authors: ECS/SCS, RW, East Identifier: A.1685

Concept: This type includes small herbaceous seepage areas with scattered cover of forbs, including Chrysosplenium americanum, Cardamine bulbosa, Circaea alpina, Viola cucullata? (= Viola apiculata?), Chelone glabra, Glyceria melicaria, Glyceria striata, Cinna arundinacea, Impatiens capensis, Poa paludigena, Carex scabrata, Mimulus ringens, Symplocarpus foetidus, Pilea pumila, Galium triflorum, Saxifraga pensylvanica, Thelypteris noveboracensis, and the mosses Rhizomnium punctatum (= Mnium punctatum), Rhizomnium appalachianum, Brachythecium rivulare, Thuidium delicatulum, Rhynchostegium serrulatum, and Bryhnia novae-angliae. Typically the community is over-topped by trees and shrubs such as Fraxinus nigra, Lindera benzoin, and Cornus spp.

States/Provinces: CT:S?, MA:S?, MD:S?, NH?, NY?, PA:S?, TN:S?, VA?, VT:S?, WV:S?

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

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCC, 212Gb:CCC, 221Ae:CCC, 221Af:CCC, 221Ag:CCC, 221Bd:CCC, M212Ea:CCC, M212Eb:CCC

Synonymy: Golden-Saxifrage Seep (Schafale 1998b), Golden saxifrage forested seep (CAP pers. comm. 1998)

References: CAP pers. comm. 1998, Fike 1999, Metzler and Barrett 2001, Schafale 1998b, Swain and Kearsley 2000, Thompson and Sorensen 2000

Authors: ECS Confidence: 3 Identifier: CEGL006193

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

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