Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site F101XY003NY

Low Floodplain Depression

Last updated: 10/03/2024
Accessed: 04/20/2026

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General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 101X–Ontario-Erie Plain and Finger Lakes Region

Most of the MLRA is a nearly level to rolling plain. Low remnant beach ridges are commonly interspersed with a relatively level lake plain in the northern part of the area. Drumlins (long, narrow, steep-sided, cigar shaped hills) are prominent in an east-west belt in the center of the area. The Finger Lakes Region consists of a gently sloping to rolling till plain. Elevation is 330 to 1,310 feet increasing gradually from the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Oneida to the Allegheny Plateau, the southern border of the area. The bedrock underlying this area consists of alternating beds of limestone, dolomite, sandstone, and shale of Ordovician to Devonian age. Most of the surface of the area is covered with glacial till or lake sediments. The texture of the lake sediments is silt, loam, or sand. Ancient beaches, formed at different lake levels, form ridges along the shoreline of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Stratified drift (eskers and kames) and glacial outwash deposits are in many of the valleys. A large drumlin field occurs in the Finger Lakes Region.

Classification relationships

USDA-NRCS (USDA, 2006):
Land Resource Region (LRR): L — Lake States Fruit, Truck Crop, and Dairy Region
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 101— Ontario-Erie Plain and Finger Lakes Region
USDA-FS (Cleland et al., 2007)
Province: 211 — Northeastern Mixed Forest Province (in part)
Section: 211J — Mohawk Valley (in part)
Subsection: 211Jd — Mohawk Valley
Province: 222 — Midwest Broadleaf Forest Province (in part)
Section: 222I — Erie and Ontario Lake Plain
Subsection: 222Ia — Lake Erie Plain
222Ib — Erie-Ontario Lake Plain
222Ic — Eastern Ontario Till Plain
222Id — Cattaraugus Finger Lakes Moraine and Hills
222Ie — Eastern Ontario Lake Plain

Ecological site concept

Landform/Landscape Position:
The site occurs on flood plains, depressions, swamps, and marshes adjacent to low gradient streams and rivers. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent.

Soils:
The site consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that have formed in recent alluvium derived predominantly from siltstone, shale, and limestone.along streams. Representative soils are Sloan, Wallkill, Warners, and Wayland within MLRA 101.

Vegetation
The reference community coincides with NY natural heritage community: Floodplain forest and NatureServe’s Silver Maple / Sensitive Fern - Small-spike False Nettle Floodplain Forest (CEGL006176).

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Associated sites

F101XY002NY	Low Floodplain Low Floodplain sites are also flooded but better drained.
F101XY001NY	High Floodplain High Floodplain sites are less flooded in the floodplain landscape profile

F101XY002NY

Low Floodplain

Low Floodplain sites are also flooded but better drained.

F101XY001NY

High Floodplain

High Floodplain sites are less flooded in the floodplain landscape profile

Similar sites

F101XY007NY	Wet Outwash Wet Outwash sites are also poorly and very poorly drained but less flooded
F101XY014NY	Wet Till Depression Wet Till Depression sites are less flooded.

F101XY007NY

Wet Outwash

Wet Outwash sites are also poorly and very poorly drained but less flooded

F101XY014NY

Wet Till Depression

Wet Till Depression sites are less flooded.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	(1) Acer saccharinum (2) Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	(1) Boehmeria cylindrica (2) Onoclea sensibilis

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Physiographic features

The site occurs on flood plains, depressions, swamps or marshes. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. In natural settings, the site is subject to frequent flooding and ponding.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Valley > Flood plain (2) Depression (3) Swamp or marsh (4) Alluvial fan
Runoff class	High
Flooding frequency	Occasional to frequent
Ponding frequency	Rare to frequent
Elevation	249 – 2201 ft
Slope	0 – 3 %
Water table depth	0 – 9 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

The Koppen-Geiger climate classification of the area in which this MLRA occurs is
Dfb, Warm-summer humid continental. Rainfall occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms in the summer. However, snow comprises most of the precipitation in this area. The frost-free-free period in this area averages 165 days and ranges from 130 to 200 days, with the coldest temperatures and the shortest frost-free periods occurring in the high-elevation areas in the eastern part of the MLRA.

Table 3 Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	140-140 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	170-190 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	40-40 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	140-140 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	170-190 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	40-40 in
Frost-free period (average)	140 days
Freeze-free period (average)	180 days
Precipitation total (average)	40 in

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 1. Monthly precipitation range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 2. Monthly minimum temperature range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 3. Monthly maximum temperature range

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Figure 4. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Figure 5. Annual precipitation pattern

Figure 6 Annual average temperature pattern

Climate stations used

(1) SUNY ESF SYRACUSE [USC00308386], Syracuse, NY
(2) DELANSON 2NE [USC00302031], Delanson, NY
(3) ROCHESTER GTR INTL AP [USW00014768], Rochester, NY
(4) DUNKIRK CHAUTAUQUA AP [USW00014747], Dunkirk, NY
(5) LOCKPORT 3 S [USC00304844], Lockport, NY

Influencing water features

Very Poorly Drained:<br />
Water is removed from the soil so slowly that free water remains at or very near the surface during much of the growing season. Internal free water occurrence is very shallow and persistent or permanent. Unless the soil is artificially drained, most mesophytic crops cannot be grown. The soils are commonly level or depressed and frequently ponded. In areas where rainfall is high or nearly continuous, slope gradients may be greater.

Wetland description

National Wetland Inventory (NWI Classification (Cowardin et al., 1979):<br />
<br />
Palustrine, Forested, Broad-Leaved Deciduous, seasonally flooded, fresh, alkaline

Soil features

The site consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that have formed in recent alluvium derived from mostly calcareous sedimentary lithologies, (limestone, shales, and sandstones). Representative soils are Sloan, Wallkill, Warners, and Wayland.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Parent material	(1) Alluvium – limestone, sandstone, and shale
Surface texture	(1) Silt loam (2) Loam (3) Mucky very fine sandy loam (4) Mucky loam (5) Mucky silt loam
Family particle size	(1) Coarse-loamy (2) Fine-loamy (3) Fine-silty (4) Loamy
Drainage class	Very poorly drained to somewhat poorly drained
Permeability class	Very slow to moderate
Depth to restrictive layer	72 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (Depth not specified)	4 – 13 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (Depth not specified)	0 – 15 %
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (Depth not specified)	6.1 – 8.4
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	0 – 35 %
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	1 – 20 %

Ecological dynamics

The reference community is dominated silver maple but other canopy trees that may be present are red maple, black willow, river birch, and American elm. Shrubs and herbs include spicebush, dogwoods, sensitive fern, false nettle, and numerous sedges.

Disturbances are related to flood magnitude, frequency, and seasonal timing. Changes in hydrology (drainage, diversions, dams, etc.) will impact structure and function of the site making the site more susceptible to invasive species establishment.

State and transition model

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text

State 1
Silver Maple Forest

Reference state. Minimally managed.

Dominant plant species

red maple (Acer rubrum), tree
white willow (Salix alba), tree
American witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), tree
green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), tree
jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), other herbaceous
sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), other herbaceous
goldenrod (Solidago), other herbaceous
broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia), other herbaceous
sedge (Carex), other herbaceous

Community 1.1
Silver Maple Closed Canopy Forest

Other trees present: red maple, American elm, black willow.

Community 1.2
Young Forest Community

Black willow, red maple common with a more open canopy. Herbaceous plants more abundant.

Pathway P1.1
Community 1.1 to 1.2

Natural disturbances such as flooding, wind, ice storm, insects.

Pathway P1.2
Community 1.2 to 1.1

Time/succession

State 2
Disturbed (Invasive Species and/or Hydrology Change)

Highly disturbed forest resulting from changes in hydrology and/or presence of invasive species.

Community 2.1
Mature Forest

Invasive species present

Community 2.2
Young Forest

Invasive species present

Pathway P2.1
Community 2.1 to 2.2

Disturbance: Flooding, wind, ice storms, insects.

Pathway P2.2
Community 2.2 to 2.1

Time/succession

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Establishment of invasive plants. Changes to hydrology (drainage, diversions, roads,) may also been a driver of change.

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

Conservation practices

Invasive Plant Species Control

Additional community tables

Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 6. Community 1.1 forest overstory composition

Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Nativity	Height ft	Canopy cover (%)	Diameter in	Basal area (square ft/acre)
Tree
red maple	ACRU	Acer rubrum	Native	–	–	–	0

Table 7. Community 1.1 forest understory composition

Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Nativity	Height (ft)	Canopy cover (%)

Table 8. Community 1.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 9. Community 2.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 10. Community 2.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Supporting information

Inventory data references

Site Development and Testing Plan: Future work to validate the vegetation information in this provisional ecological site description is needed. This will include field activities to collect low and medium intensity sampling and analysis of that data. Field reviews should be done by soil scientists and vegetation specialists. A final field review, peer review, quality control, and quality assurance reviews of the ESD will be needed to produce the final approved level document. Reviews of the project plan are to be conducted by the Ecological Site Technical Team.

Other references

Cleland, D.T., J.A. Freeouf, J.E. Keys, G.J. Nowacki, C. Carpenter, and W.H. McNab. 2007. Ecological Subregions, Sections, and Subsections of the Coterminous United States. USDA Forest Service, General Technical Report WO-76. Washington, DC.

Cowardin L. M., Carter V., Golet F. C., and LaRoe E.T. 1979. Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 20402.

Edinger, G.J., Evans, D.J., Gebauer, S., Howard, T.G., Hunt, D.M., and A.M. Olivero, A.M. (eds.). 2014. Ecological Communities of New York State, Second Edition, A revised and expanded edition of Carol Reschke's Ecological Communities of New York State. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY.

NatureServe 2018. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: January 2019).

New York Natural Heritage Program. 2020. Online Conservation Guide for Floodplain forest. Available from: https://guides.nynhp.org/floodplain-forest/. (Accessed: 19 March 2020).

USDA-NRCS [United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service] 2006. Land Resource Regions and Major land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.

USDA-NRCS [United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service] 2016. National Soils Information System (NASIS) [Software] Version 7.x. USDA, Kansas City, MO.

USNVC [United States National Vegetation Classification]. 2017. United States National Vegetation Classification Database, V2.01. Federal Geographic Data Committee, Vegetation Subcommittee, Washington DC. http://usnvc.org/explore-classification/ (Accessed: 2018).

Contributors

Joshua Hibit

Approval

Greg Schmidt, 10/03/2024

Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Author(s)/participant(s)
Contact for lead author
Date	05/21/2020
Approved by
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

Dominant:

Sub-dominant:

Other:

Additional:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
Perennial plant reproductive capability:

Download reference sheet

Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site F101XY003NY

Low Floodplain Depression

Last updated: 10/03/2024 Accessed: 04/20/2026

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General information

MLRA notes

Classification relationships

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 10/03/2024
Accessed: 04/20/2026