Wet Floodplain and Drainageway

Description

As a result of a long history of human activity, the associations listed below, may in reality, reflect the current naturalized, minimally-managed state rather than the historic, pre-European settlement condition. Notice that no transition pathways are designated between some of the communities in the reference state because the differences in vegetation are more controlled by landscape position, rather than disturbances or management, or that the relationships are not understood. In addition, undisclosed successional plant community-types following disturbance may be included as community phases.

Within the reference state, the plant communities are quite variable depending on many factors such as proximity to the river, flood elevation, size of the river, and nature of the substrate. Typical plant communities include:
• Acer (rubrum, saccharinum) - Fraxinus spp. - Ulmus americana Swamp Forest (CEGL005038),
(Translated Name: Red Maple – (Silver Maple) - Ash species - American Elm Swamp Forest),
[Common Name: Maple - Ash - Elm Swamp];
• Quercus palustris - Quercus bicolor - (Liquidambar styraciflua) Swamp Forest (CEGL002432),
(Translated Name: Pin Oak - Swamp White Oak - (Sweetgum) Swamp Forest),
[Common Name: Pin Oak Mixed Hardwood Depression Forest].

And many other plant community-types including a wetter version of small river floodplains:
• Betula nigra - Platanus occidentalis Floodplain Forest (CEGL002086),
(Translated Name: River Birch - American Sycamore Floodplain Forest,
(Common Name: River Birch - Sycamore Small River Floodplain Forest];

(Source: NatureServe 2020)

Submodel

Description

The Semi-natural State would expect plant communities where ecological processes are primarily operating with some land conditioning in the past or present, e.g., managed forests, or plant communities that are an artifact of land management e.g., predominately invasive plants.

Submodel

Description

The Cultural State would expect the ecological site to be very strongly conditioned by land management, i.e., transformed/converted to cultivated, pasture, or plantation.

Submodel