Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

I. FOREST
I.B.2.N.d. Temporarily flooded cold-deciduous forest
I.B.2.N.d.3. ACER NEGUNDO TEMPORARILY FLOODED FOREST ALLIANCE
Box-elder Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

Concept: Temporarily flooded, early successional forests dominated by Acer negundo. This alliance is widespread but sporadic in the southeastern United States, and occurs at scattered locations in the Western Great Plains, lower montane Rocky Mountains, and Intermountain West. Characteristic species include Platanus occidentalis, Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Acer saccharinum, Ulmus alata, Celtis laevigata, and Populus deltoides. These forests are common on large rivers in the active floodplain and on sandbars. The shrub and herb layers range from sparse to relatively lush, and the vine component often is heavy. Forests dominated by Carya illinoinensis often succeed these forests within the range of the species. Pure stands occur on the Mississippi River batture on second ridges with heavy vine cover of Berchemia scandens and Vitis spp. These forests also occur in the Arkansas River Valley, with marginal examples on larger rivers in the Ouachita Mountains, and the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain, and also in the Nashville Basin of Tennessee and the Bluegrass Basin of Kentucky. Forests dominated by Acer negundo occur from near sea level in the Southeast to over 2300 m in elevation in western Colorado. The presence of this alliance in the Southeastern Coastal Plains is apparently somewhat sporadic. It would be expected on the Apalachicola River in Florida and adjacent Georgia.

Comments: Forests dominated by Carya illinoinensis often succeed these forests. The rangewide occurrence of this type is complicated by the 'weedy' nature of Acer negundo. For example, disturbed stands in the I.B.2.N.d Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana - Celtis (occidentalis, laevigata) Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance (A.286) often become dominated by Acer negundo.

Range: This alliance is widespread across the southeastern United States and occurs at scattered locations in the Western Great Plains, lower montane Rocky Mountains, and the Intermountain West. It ranges from Maryland and Virginia sporadically south through Kentucky, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, and west into Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. These forests also occur in the Arkansas River Valley, with marginal examples on larger rivers in the Ouachita Mountains, the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain, the Nashville Basin of Tennessee, and the Bluegrass Basin of Kentucky. Its presence in the Southeastern Coastal Plains is apparently somewhat sporadic. It would be expected on the Apalachicola River in Florida and adjacent Georgia, and the lower Chattahoochee River (Alabama/Georgia stateline). It is also reported from Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, and possibly Arizona.

States/Provinces: AL AR CO GA IA ID KY LA MD MO MS MT OK SC SD TN TX? UT VA WV WY

TNC Ecoregions: 10:C, 18:C, 19:C, 20:C, 25:C, 26:C, 31:?, 32:P, 36:C, 39:C, 40:C, 41:P, 42:C, 43:C, 44:C, 50:C, 53:C, 56:?, 57:?, 58:?, 59:P, 6:C, 9:C

USFS Ecoregions: 221Ha:CCC, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CCC, 221Hd:CC?, 221He:CCC, 221Ja:CP?, 221Jb:CP?, 221Jc:CP?, 222Ca:CC?, 222Cb:CC?, 222Cc:CCC, 222Cd:CC?, 222Ce:CC?, 222Cf:CC?, 222Cg:CCC, 222Ch:CC?, 222Ea:CCP, 222Eb:CCC, 222Ec:CCP, 222Ed:CCP, 222Ee:CCP, 222Ef:CCP, 222Eg:CCP, 222Eh:CCP, 222Ei:CCP, 222Ej:CCC, 222Ek:CCP, 222En:CCC, 222Eo:CCC, 222Fa:CP?, 222Fb:CP?, 222Fc:CP?, 222Fd:CP?, 222Ff:CP?, 231Ba:CCP, 231Bb:CCP, 231Bc:CCP, 231Bd:CCC, 231Be:CCP, 231Bf:CCP, 231Bg:CCP, 231Bh:CCP, 231Bi:CCP, 231Bj:CCP, 231Bk:CCP, 231Bl:CCP, 231Ca:CCP, 231Cb:CCP, 231Cc:CCP, 231Cd:CCC, 231Ce:CCP, 231Cf:CCP, 231Cg:CCP, 231Da:CCP, 231Db:CCP, 231Dc:CCP, 231Dd:CCP, 231De:CCP, 231Ea:CC?, 231Eb:CCP, 231Ec:CC?, 231Ed:CCP, 231Ee:CCP, 231Ef:CCP, 231Eg:CCP, 231Eh:CCP, 231Ei:CCP, 231Ej:CCP, 231Ek:CCP, 231El:CCP, 231Em:CCP, 231En:CCP, 231Fa:C??, 231Fb:C??, 231Ga:CCC, 231Gb:CCC, 231Gc:CCC, 232Bj:CP?, 232Bs:CPP, 232Dc:CP?, 234Aa:CCC, 234Ab:CCC, 234Ac:CCC, 234Ad:CCC, 234Ae:CCC, 234Af:CCC, 234Ag:CCC, 234Ah:CCC, 234Ai:CCC, 234Aj:CCC, 234Ak:CCC, 234Al:CCC, 234Am:CCC, 234An:CCC, 331D:CC, 331G:CC, 341B:CC, 342A:CC, 342B:CC, 342G:CC, M221Cd:CCC, M231A:CC, M331B:CC, M331D:CC, M331G:CC, M331H:CC, M334A:CC, M341B:CC

Federal Lands: COE (Arkansas River); NPS (Jewel Cave, Russell Cave, Shiloh, Wind Cave); USFS (Black Hills, Daniel Boone, St. Francis, Tuskegee); USFWS (Holla Bend, Little River)

Synonymy: Riverfront Forest, in part (Foti 1994b); Alluvial forest, in part (Evans 1991); Acer saccharinum forest alliance. ? (Hoagland 1998a); R1B3cI1a. Acer negundo - Carya illinoiensis - Populus deltoides (Foti et al. 1994); Boxelder (Acer negundo) Dominance Type, in part (Jones and Walford 1995); Acer negundo Community Type, in part (Szaro 1989); Acer negundo-Mixed Deciduous Community Type, in part (Szaro 1989)

References: Evans 1991, Faber-Langendoen et al. 1996, Foti 1994b, Foti et al. 1994, Hansen et al. 1988b, Hansen et al. 1991, Hansen et al. 1995, Hoagland 1997, Hoagland 1998a, Jones and Walford 1995, Kittel and Lederer 1993, Kittel et al. 1994, Kittel et al. 1999a, Padgett et al. 1989, Richard et al. 1996, Szaro 1989, Youngblood et al. 1985a

Authors: D.J. ALLARD, MOD. D. CULV, MP, Southeast Identifier: A.278

Concept: This box-elder floodplain forest is found on floodplains in the southern, eastern, and midwestern United States. Stands occur on large rivers in the active floodplain and on sandbars, and may form farther from the riverfront following disturbance. They are typically temporarily flooded in the spring. These early successional forests are dominated by Acer negundo. Other characteristic species include Platanus occidentalis, Celtis laevigata, Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Acer saccharinum, Ulmus alata, Ulmus rubra, Carpinus caroliniana, Morus rubra, and Populus deltoides. The shrub and herb layers range from sparse to relatively lush, and the vine component often is heavy. The range, dynamics, and variability of this type is complicated by the 'weedy' nature of Acer negundo. For example, disturbed stands in the Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana - Celtis (occidentalis, laevigata) Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance (A.286) often become dominated by Acer negundo. In Kentucky, Acer negundo may also dominate in old fields, with Dichanthelium clandestinum and Carex spp. in the ground layer.

Comments: The range, dynamics, and variability of this type is complicated by the 'weedy' nature of Acer negundo. For example, disturbed stands in the Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana - Celtis (occidentalis, laevigata) Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance (A.286) often become dominated by Acer negundo. And in the upper Midwest Acer negundo-dominated stands are treated as part of the Fraxinus pennsylvanica - (Ulmus americana) / Symphoricarpos occidentalis Forest (CEGL002088). Thus, some consistency is needed in the application of this type across its range. In Arkansas, these forests can be pure Acer negundo or have Acer rubrum and Platanus occidentalis as associates (T. Foti pers. comm. 1999). Composition is variable. In central Kentucky, a simple strip of Acer negundo and Platanus occidentalis, plus Ulmus americana, etc., is common along all medium-sized streams, with almost no Acer saccharinum or Populus deltoides (J. Campbell pers. comm. 1999). This type occurs along the Arkansas River in Arkansas (D. Zollner pers. comm. 1999). In Missouri, stands would probably be combined with Betula nigra - Platanus occidentalis Forest (CEGL002086) (M. Leahy pers. comm. 1999). In Kentucky, this may be found at the Licking River impoundment (Cave Run Lake).

Range: This Acer negundo floodplain forest is found sporadically on floodplains in the southern, eastern, and midwestern United States, ranging from Maryland west to Iowa, south to Louisiana and possibly Texas, and east to Georgia.

States/Provinces: AL:S?, AR:S?, GA:S?, IA:SW, KY:S3, LA:S4, MD:S?, MO:S?, MS:S?, OK:S?, SC:S?, TN:S?, TX?, VA:S?, WV:S?

TNC Ecoregions: 31:?, 32:P, 39:C, 40:C, 41:P, 42:C, 43:C, 44:C, 50:C, 53:P, 56:?, 57:?, 58:?, 59:P

USFS Ecoregions: 221Ha:CC?, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CC?, 221Hd:CC?, 221He:CC?, 221Ja:CP?, 221Jb:CP?, 221Jc:CP?, 222Ca:CC?, 222Cb:CC?, 222Cd:CC?, 222Ce:CC?, 222Cf:CC?, 222Cg:CCC, 222Ch:CC?, 222Ea:CCP, 222Eb:CCP, 222Ec:CCP, 222Ed:CCP, 222Ee:CCP, 222Ef:CCP, 222Eg:CCP, 222Eh:CCP, 222Ei:CCP, 222Ej:CCP, 222Ek:CCP, 222En:CCP, 222Eo:CCC, 222Fa:CP?, 222Fb:CP?, 222Fc:CP?, 222Fd:CP?, 222Ff:CP?, 231Ba:CCP, 231Bb:CCP, 231Bc:CCP, 231Bd:CCP, 231Be:CCP, 231Bf:CCP, 231Bg:CCP, 231Bh:CCP, 231Bi:CCP, 231Bj:CCP, 231Bk:CCP, 231Bl:CCP, 231Ca:CCP, 231Cb:CCP, 231Cc:CCP, 231Cd:CCC, 231Ce:CCP, 231Cf:CCP, 231Cg:CCP, 231Da:CCP, 231Db:CCP, 231Dc:CCP, 231Dd:CCP, 231De:CCP, 231Ea:CC?, 231Eb:CCP, 231Ec:CC?, 231Ed:CCP, 231Ee:CCP, 231Ef:CCP, 231Eg:CCP, 231Eh:CCP, 231Ei:CCP, 231Ej:CCP, 231Ek:CCP, 231El:CCP, 231Em:CCP, 231En:CCP, 231Fa:C??, 231Fb:C??, 231Ga:CCC, 231Gb:CCC, 231Gc:CCC, 234Aa:CCC, 234Ab:CCC, 234Ac:CCC, 234Ad:CCC, 234Ae:CCC, 234Af:CCC, 234Ag:CCC, 234Ah:CCC, 234Ai:CCC, 234Aj:CCC, 234Ak:CCC, 234Al:CCC, 234Am:CCC, 234An:CCC

Federal Lands: NPS (Shiloh); USFS (Daniel Boone, St. Francis); USFWS (Little River)

References: Blair 1938, Campbell pers. comm., Fleming et al. 2001, Foti pers. comm., Hoagland 2000, Leahy pers. comm., Patterson and DeSelm 1989, Zollner pers. comm.

Authors: SCS Confidence: 2 Identifier: CEGL005033

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

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