Classification of Vegetation Communities of Maryland: First Iteration

V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.A.5.N.k. Seasonally flooded temperate or subpolar grassland
V.A.5.N.k.29. SPARTINA PATENS SEASONALLY FLOODED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Saltmeadow Cordgrass Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance

Concept: This alliance consists of seasonally flooded (non-tidal) wetlands dominated by Spartina patens, occurring from northeastern United States south and west to Tamaulipas, Mexico.

Range: This alliance is found in Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, New York, Virginia, and possibly in Georgia (?), South Carolina (?), Connecticut (?), Delaware (?), Massachusetts (?), Maryland (?), New Jersey (?), Rhode Island (?), and Tamaulipas (?), Mexico.

States/Provinces: AL FL GA? LA MA MD MXTM? NC NH NJ NY SC? TX VA?

TNC Ecoregions: 31:C, 53:C, 56:P, 57:C, 58:C, 62:C

USFS Ecoregions: 221Ac:CCC, 221Ak:CCC, 231Fb:CCC, 232Aa:CCC, 232Bz:CCC, 232Ci:CCC, 232Dc:CCC, 232Eb:CCC, 255Dc:CCC

Federal Lands: NPS (Fire Island, Padre Island); USFWS (Aransas, Bon Secour, Brazoria?, Laguna Atascosa, Matagorda Island, Sabine NWR, St. Marks, St. Vincent)

Synonymy: Maritime Wet Grassland, in part (Schafale and Weakley 1990)

References: Schafale and Weakley 1990

Authors: ECS, JT, East Identifier: A.1390

Concept: This brackish, interdunal swale and overwash community of the northeastern Atlantic coast occurs in low areas behind primary or secondary sand dunes. The substrate is sand with little or no organic accumulation. The water source for this wetland community is variable, including seasonally high groundwater table, salt spray, and sporadic tidal overwash, resulting in widely variable salinity levels. The dominant species is generally Spartina patens, but it can be Eleocharis parvula, Schoenoplectus pungens (= Scirpus pungens), Cyperus polystachyos, and/or Juncus articulatus. Associated species depend on salinity and hydrology of a site and can include Leptochloa fusca ssp. fascicularis (= Diplachne maritima), Schoenoplectus maritimus (= Scirpus maritimus), Juncus ambiguus (= Juncus bufonius var. halophila), Juncus scirpoides, Ptilimnium capillaceum, Rumex maritimus, Symphyotrichum subulatum (= Aster subulatus), Chenopodium rubrum, Pluchea odorata, Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. moscheutos (= Hibiscus palustris), Polygonum ramosissimum, Triglochin maritima, Panicum virgatum, Schoenoplectus robustus, and Argentina anserina (= Potentilla anserina). Iva frutescens and Baccharis halimifolia may occur on hummocks within the swale. Mats of blue-green and/or brown algae can proliferate across the soil surface.

Comments: This association is similar to coastal salt pond vegetation, Schoenoplectus pungens - Eleocharis parvula Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL006398).

Range: This association is currently described from Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. It likely occurs in other states.

States/Provinces: MA:S1, MD:S?, NH:S2, NJ:S1S2, NY:S1S2, VA?

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

USFS Ecoregions: 221Ac:CCC, 221Ak:CCC, 232Aa:CCC, 232Bz:CCC

Federal Lands: NPS (Fire Island)

Synonymy: Overwash Community (Lea 2002b), Coastal interdunal marsh/swale (Rawinski 1984)

References: Breden et al. 2001, Edinger et al. 2002, Lea 2002b, Lundgren 1998, Rawinski 1984, Reschke 1990, Sneddon and Lundgren 2001, Sperduto 2000b, Swain and Kearsley 2001

Authors: D. Hunt, mod. S.L. Neid, ECS Confidence: 2 Identifier: CEGL006342

- Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report V.A. Perennial graminoid vegetation

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