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.C.2.N.b. Permanently flooded-tidal temperate or subpolar hydromorphic rooted vegetation
V.C.2.N.b.1. ZOSTERA MARINA PERMANENTLY FLOODED - TIDAL HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Eel-grass Permanently Flooded - Tidal Herbaceous Alliance


Concept: This alliance includes subtidal aquatic beds characterized by Zostera marina. These communities usually occur in quiet waters below the lowest tide level and where fluctuations in salinity are minor. Substrate ranges from soft mud to coarse sand. Light availability is the primary limiting factor in occurrences of this alliance, within the geographic, temperature, and salinity range (10-30 ppt) of Zostera marina. The long leaves of Zostera marina provide substrate for epiphytic organisms such as macroalgae, bay scallops, and other marine invertebrates, as well as nursery and/or adult habitat for fin fish. Characteristic associate nonvascular plants (algae) include Ulva lactuca, Enteromorpha spp., and Polysiphonia spp.

Comments: This alliance has a potential range of approximately 3090 km along the North American Atlantic coast (Thayer et al. 1984).

Range: This alliance is found in North Carolina, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia, and in Canada in Nova Scotia.

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

TNC Ecoregions: 57:C, 58:C, 62:C, 63:CUSFS Ecoregions: 212Cb:CPP, 212Da:CCP, 212Db:CCC, 212Dc:CCC, 221Aa:CCC, 221Ab:CCC, 221Ac:CCC, 221Ad:CCC, 221Ak:CCC, 221Ba:CCP, 232Aa:CCC, 232Ab:CCC, 232Ad:CCP, 232Af:CCC, 232Bb:CCP, 232Bc:CCP, 232Bd:CCP, 232Br:CCC, 232Bx:CCC, 232Bz:CCC, 232Ch:CCP, 232Ci:CCC, 232Cj:CCCFederal Lands: NPS (Assateague Island)Synonymy: Marine Subtidal: Flats (Swain and Kearsley 2001); Estuarine Subtidal: Coastal Salt Pond (Swain and Kearsley 2001)References: Sneddon et al. 1996, Swain and Kearsley 2001, Thayer et al. 1984

Authors: ECS, JT, East Identifier: A.1766

ZOSTERA MARINA HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
 Eel-grass Herbaceous Vegetation
Eel-grass Meadow                                                                                                  G? (97-12-01)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS):         Atlantic Zone Tidal Aquatic Vegetation (201-10; n/a)

Concept: These aquatic beds occur in the subtidal zone along the north Atlantic coast, south to North Carolina. Zostera marina is dominant and occurs most often in nearly pure stands. Ruppia maritima can occur sporadically in this association, especially as waters become less saline. Additional associated species include macroalgae, especially Ulva lactuca, Enteromorpha spp., Cladophora spp., and Polysiphonia spp. Where water is less saline, Enteromorpha, Chaetomorpha, Gracilaria, Agardhiella, Ectocarpus, and Pilayella can occur. Elevation/depth of the beds is determined by low tide level at the upper end and light penetration at the lower end, the latter being a function of water depth and turbidity. The beds generally occur in areas with only moderate wave action where salinity fluctuations are minor. Eel-grass beds tend to stabilize and enrich substrate and provide habitat for epiphytes and other marine organisms.

Comments: According to Thayer et al. (1984) Zostera marina has a range of approximately 3090 km along the North American Atlantic coast which may be represented as 4 smaller subregions. The bulk of the southern range corresponds with the Virginian Zone of Cowardin et al. (1979). Zostera marina is extirpated from Delaware.

Range: This community occurs in subtidal habitat along the north and mid-Atlantic coast.

States/Provinces: CT:S?, DE:SX, MA:S4,S4,S4,S2, MD:S?, ME:S?, NC:S?, NH:S1, NJ:S3, NY:S3, RI:S?, VA:S?

TNC Ecoregions: 57:C, 58:C, 62:C, 63:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Db:CCC, 212Dc:CCC, 221Aa:CCC, 221Ab:CCC, 221Ac:CCC, 221Ad:CCC, 221Ak:CCC, 221Ba:CCP, 232Aa:CCC, 232Ab:CCC, 232Ad:CCP, 232Af:CCC, 232Br:CCC, 232Bx:CCC, 232Bz:CCC, 232Ci:CCC, 232Cj:CCC

Federal Lands: NPS (Assateague Island)

Synonymy: Polyhaline subtidal aquatic bed (Breden 1989), Zostera Community (Moore et al. 2000), Southern New England & Gulf of Maine Saline/ Brackish Subtidal Estuarine Community (Rawinski 1984), Coastal Salt Pond (Rawinski 1984)

References: Berdine 1998, Bowman 2000, Breden 1989, Breden et al. 2001, Cowardin et al. 1979, Edinger et al. 2002, Enser 1999, Fleming 2001, Fleming et al. 2001, Metzler and Barrett 2001, Moore et al. 2000, Orth and Moore 1988, Rawinski 1984, Reschke 1990, Sperduto 2000b, Swain and Kearsley 2001, Thayer et al. 1984

Authors: S.L. Neid, ECS Confidence: 3 Identifier: CEGL004336

- Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report V.D. Annual graminoid or forb vegetation
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