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.g. Tidal temperate perennial forb vegetation
V.B.2.N.g.301. ISOETES RIPARIA TIDAL HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Riverbank Quillwort Tidal Herbaceous Alliance

Concept: Mudflats with Isoetes riparia. This alliance includes communities occurring on the upper limits of freshwater intertidal shores. The vegetation can be quite sparse with few plants growing in patches within the open sand. Associated species include Cyperus bipartitus (= Cyperus rivularis), Eleocharis obtusa (= Eleocharis obtusa var. peasei), and in more muddy areas, Schoenoplectus smithii (= Scirpus smithii). Occurs in coastal areas discontinuously from Massachusetts south to New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina.

Range: Occurs in coastal areas discontinuously from Massachusetts south to New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina. This alliance is found in North Carolina, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia.

States/Provinces: CT DE MA MD NC NJ NY RI VA?

TNC Ecoregions: 57:C, 58:C, 62:C

USFS Ecoregions: 221A:??, 232Ac:CCC, 232C:C?

Synonymy: Estuarine Intertidal: Saline/Brackish Flats (Swain and Kearsley 2001)

References: Sneddon et al. 1996, Swain and Kearsley 2001

Authors: ECS, JT, East Identifier: A.1879

ISOETES RIPARIA TIDAL HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
Riverbank Quillwort Tidal Herbaceous Vegetation
                                                                                                                           G? (97-12-01)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS): Atlantic Coast Rivershore - Tidal Fresh Marshes (202-75; n/a)

Concept: This freshwater tidal flat community of the central and northern Atlantic coast occurs on mud, sand, or gravelly banks of freshwater tidal streams. The vegetation is sparse, but is characterized by Isoetes riparia. Associated species include Cyperus bipartitus (= Cyperus rivularis), Elatine americana, Sagittaria graminea, Sagittaria subulata, Sagittaria calycina, Sagittaria montevidensis, Heteranthera reniformis, Crassula aquatica (= Tillaea aquatica), Eriocaulon parkeri, Orontium aquaticum, Gratiola virginiana, Eleocharis obtusa (= var. peasei), and in more muddy areas, Schoenoplectus smithii (= Scirpus smithii). This is the potential habitat of Micranthemum micranthemoides.

Comments: The floristics of this association show overlap with Eriocaulon parkeri - Polygonum punctatum Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL006352). This association may be too small to be mapped in most locations. More information is needed on the range of variability present in this association and its relationship to related vegetation, namely CEGL006352. There is a possibility that these associations may be similar enough to lump due to species overlap (S. Neid pers. obs.)

States/Provinces: CT:S?, DE:S1, MA:S3, MD:S?, NC:S?, NJ:S2S3, NY:S1S2, RI:S?, VA?

TNC Ecoregions: 57:C, 58:?, 62:C

USFS Ecoregions: 221A:??, 232Ac:CCC

Synonymy: Tidal Mud Flat (Quillwort Subtype) (Schafale 2000), Freshwater tidal marsh complex, lower intertidal flat (Breden 1989), Southern New England/Gulf of Maine Saline/ Brackish Intertidal Flat (Rawinski 1984), Southern New England/Gulf of Maine Fresh/ Brackish Subtidal Estuarine Community. (Rawinski 1984)

References: Bowman 2000, Breden 1989, Breden et al. 2001, Edinger et al. 2002, Rawinski 1984, Schafale 2000, Swain and Kearsley 2001, Whitlatch 1982

Authors: S.L. Neid, ECS Confidence: 3 Identifier: CEGL006058

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