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.5. BETULA NIGRA - (PLATANUS OCCIDENTALIS) TEMPORARILY FLOODED FOREST ALLIANCE
River Birch - (Sycamore) Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance

Concept: Forests in this alliance occur on riverfronts in areas with repeated, frequent, natural disturbance in the form of flooding. In addition to the codominants Betula nigra and Platanus occidentalis, a variety of canopy species occur in these forests, including Acer negundo, Populus deltoides, Acer saccharinum, Salix nigra, Celtis laevigata, Quercus laurifolia, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Liquidambar styraciflua. The subcanopy or tall-shrub strata may include Cornus florida and Carpinus caroliniana, along with Acer rubrum, Ilex opaca, Ulmus alata, Prunus serotina, and Carya spp. The shrub layer is often sparse with such species as Asimina triloba, Lindera benzoin, Crataegus marshallii, and Crataegus viridis present. The herbaceous and vine components may be lush and diverse, and species of these strata include Boehmeria cylindrica, Campsis radicans, Elymus hystrix, Stellaria pubera, Impatiens capensis, Pilea pumila, Bignonia capreolata, Toxicodendron radicans, Berchemia scandens, Campsis radicans, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitis rotundifolia, Chasmanthium latifolium (= Uniola latifolia), Arundinaria gigantea, and Podophyllum peltatum. These forests occur more frequently on sandy soils than on heavier soils and their most characteristic location is on levees. The soils are deep and well-drained with low organic matter content and are most commonly of the Orders Inceptisol and Entisol. This is a wide ranging alliance that occurs throughout most of the southeastern and midwestern United States.

Comments: In the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma, these forests occur along larger streams and rivers, especially those with a sandy substrate.

Range: This is a wide-ranging alliance that occurs throughout most of the southeastern and midwestern United States. This alliance is found in eastern Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. It may be found in Canada in southern Ontario (?).

States/Provinces: AL AR DE FL GA IA IL IN KY LA MD MO MS NC NJ? NY OH OK ON? PA SC TN TX VA WV

TNC Ecoregions: 32:P, 36:C, 37:P, 39:C, 40:C, 41:C, 42:C, 43:C, 44:C, 45:C, 48:C, 49:C, 50:C, 51:C, 52:C, 53:C, 55:C, 56:C, 57:C, 58:P, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCP, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCP, 212Gb:CCP, 221Bd:CCC, 221Db:CCP, 221Ea:CCC, 221Eb:CCP, 221Ec:CCC, 221Ed:CCP, 221Ef:CCC, 221Eg:CCC, 221Fa:CCC, 221Fc:CCC, 221Ha:CCC, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CCC, 221He:CCC, 221Ja:CCP, 221Jb:CCP, 222Ab:CCC, 222Ad:CCP, 222Ae:CCP, 222Af:CCC, 222Ca:CCP, 222Cb:CCP, 222Cc:CCP, 222Cd:CCP, 222Ce:CCP, 222Cf:CCC, 222Cg:CCC, 222Ch:CCP, 222En:CCC, 222Eo:CCC, 222Ga:CCC, 222Ha:CCC, 222If:CCC, 231Aa:CCP, 231Ab:CCP, 231Ac:CCP, 231Ad:CCP, 231Ae:CCP, 231Af:CCP, 231Ag:CCP, 231Ah:CCP, 231Ai:CCP, 231Aj:CCP, 231Ak:CCP, 231Al:CCP, 231Am:CCP, 231An:CCP, 231Ao:CCP, 231Ap:CCP, 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:CCP, 231Ce:CCP, 231Cf:CCP, 231Cg:CCP, 231Da:CCP, 231Db:CCP, 231Dc:CCP, 231Dd:CCP, 231De:CCP, 231Ea:CCC, 231Eb:CCP, 231Ec:CCP, 231Ed:CCP, 231Ee:CCP, 231Ef:CCP, 231Eg:CCC, 231Eh:CCP, 231Ei:CCP, 231Ej:CCP, 231Ek:CCP, 231El:CCP, 231Em:CCP, 231En:CCP, 231Fa:CCP, 231Fb:CCP, 231Ga:CCC, 231Gb:CCC, 231Gc:CCC, 232Ba:CCC, 232Bb:CCP, 232Bc:CCP, 232Bd:CCP, 232Be:CCP, 232Bf:CCC, 232Bg:CCP, 232Bh:CC?, 232Bi:CCC, 232Bj:CCC, 232Bk:CCP, 232Bl:CCC, 232Bm:CCP, 232Bn:CCP, 232Bo:CCP, 232Bp:CCP, 232Bq:CCP, 232Br:CCP, 232Bs:CCP, 232Bt:CCP, 232Bu:CCP, 232Bv:CCP, 232Bx:CCP, 232Bz:CCP, 232Ca:CCP, 232Cb:CCP, 232Cc:CCP, 232Cd:CCP, 232Ce:CCP, 232Cf:CCP, 232Cg:CCP, 232Ch:CCP, 232Ci:CCP, 232Cj:CCP, 232Dc:CCC, 232Fa:CCC, 232Fb:CCP, 232Fc:CCP, 232Fd:CCP, 232Fe:CCC, 234:P, 251Ea:CCP, 251Ec:CCP, 251Ed:CCP, 251Fb:CCP, 251Fc:CCP, 255:C, M212Eb:CCC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Be:CCC, M221Bf:CCC, M221Cd:CCC, M221Da:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M222Aa:CCP, M222Ab:CCP, M231Aa:CCC, M231Ab:CCC, M231Ac:CCC, M231Ad:CCC

Federal Lands: DOD (Fort Benning); NPS (Mammoth Cave, Shiloh); USFS (Angelina, Apalachicola, Bankhead?, Bienville, Chattahoochee, Conecuh, Croatan?, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Delta, De Soto, Francis Marion?, Holly Springs, Kisatchie, Oconee, Osceola?, Ouachita, Ozark, Sabine NF, Sam Houston, St. Francis, Sumter, Talladega, Tombigbee, Tuskegee); USFWS (Felsenthal?, Hatchie?, Little River, Overflow?, Pond Creek)

Synonymy: IIA7b. River Birch - Sycamore Riverfront Forest (Allard 1990); Riverfront Forest, in part (Foti 1994b); Riparian forest, in part (Evans 1991); Betula nigra forest alliance (Hoagland 1998a); R1B3cII4a. Betula nigra - Platanus occidentalis (Foti et al. 1994); River Birch - Sycamore: 61, in part (Eyre 1980); Sycamore - (river birch) - box-elder floodplain forest. ? (Fike 1999); Floodplain Forest. ?, in part (Smith 1991)

References: Allard 1990, Burns and Honkala 1990a, Campbell 1988, Campbell 1989b, Evans 1991, Eyre 1980, Faber-Langendoen et al. 1996, Fike 1999, Foti 1994b, Foti et al. 1994, Fowells 1965, Gettman 1974, Hoagland 1998a, Klimas et al. 1981, Smith 1991, Wharton 1978, Wharton et al. 1982

Authors: D.J. ALLARD, MP, Southeast Identifier: A.280

Concept: This Mid-Atlantic floodplain forest of large and moderately large rivers occurs on sandy, gravelly, well-drained soils of levees, gravel bars, braided channels and other areas of frequent flooding. The tree canopy is well-developed and dominated by Betula nigra and Platanus occidentalis, with associates including Acer negundo, Populus deltoides, and Acer saccharinum. The shrub layer includes Cornus amomum, Salix sericea, Asimina triloba, and Lindera benzoin. The vine and herb layers are lush and diverse, and may include Boehmeria cylindrica, Elymus hystrix, Stellaria pubera, Impatiens capensis, Impatiens pallida, Laportea canadensis, Pilea pumila, Toxicodendron radicans, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitis rotundifolia, Chasmanthium latifolium (= Uniola latifolia), Podophyllum peltatum, Polygonum virginianum, Apocynum cannabinum, and Urtica sp. Exotic species are typical and may include Lysimachia sp., Microstegium vimineum, Lonicera japonica, Lonicera morrowii, Polygonum cuspidatum, and Alliaria petiolata.

States/Provinces: DE:S3S4?, MD:S?, NJ?, NY:S2S3, PA:S?, WV?

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

USFS Ecoregions: 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCP, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCP, 212Gb:CCP, 221Bd:CCC, M212Eb:CCC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Be:CCC, M221Bf:CCC, M221Da:CCC

Synonymy: Sycamore-river birch-jewelweed floodplain forest (CAP pers. comm. 1998)

References: Bowman 2000, CAP pers. comm. 1998, Edinger et al. 2002, Fike 1999, Thompson et al. 1999

Authors: ECS Confidence: 2 Identifier: CEGL006184

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

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