Montane Floodplain Slough Forest - Ecological Community of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NatureServe Unique Identifier: CEGL004420: Acer rubrum var. trilobum - Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Carex crinita - Peltandra virginica Forest

Park Vegetation Plot Summary

Tree Canopy: Acer rubrum var. trilobum and Fraxinus spp.

Tree subcanopy: N/A

Tall Shrubs and Saplings: N/A

Short Shrubs and Saplings: N/A

Herbs (field): Microstegium vimineum

Nonvascular: N/A

Click photo to enlarge.
Photo provided by NatureServe.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY CONCEPT

This community occurs in floodplain depressions in the Blue Ridge of North Carolina and possibly Tennessee.
Some characteristic and often dominant canopy and subcanopy species include Acer rubrum var. trilobum and Fraxinus pennsylvanica.
Peltandra virginica is prominent in the herbaceous layer.
- Other herbaceous species include Carex crinita var. brevicrinis, Sparganium americanum, Leersia oryzoides, Cornus amomum, Carex lupulina, Juncus effusus, Onoclea sensibilis, and the aliens Murdannia keisak and Microstegium vimineum.

PARK VEGETATION PLOT SUMMARY

Within the park, there is most likely only one occurrence of this community.
The canopy trees are Acer rubrum var. trilobum and Fraxinus spp. with scattered individuals of Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus rigida, and Pinus strobus.
There is no shrub layer.
The herb layer is dominated by Microstegium vimineum, but also contains a large amount of Boehmeria cylindrica, Carex crinita, Carex squarrosa, Gratiola spp., and other forest wetland species.

DISTRIBUTION

North America:

This community occurs in the Blue Ridge of North Carolina and possibly Tennessee.

Click map to enlarge.
Potential	Occurs

Click map to view North American distribution.

In the Park:

This community type is most likely only represented in one location within the park, an area within the floodplain of Abrams Creek.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Global Status:

Global Conservation Status Rank: G1 (Last reviewed: 01 31 2001).
This floodplain depression forest occurs at very few sites in the floodplains of rivers in the Blue Ridge physiographic province.
- It is naturally very limited in extent. Many examples have been destroyed by alteration of floodplains, and all remaining examples have been altered by timber harvest, hydrologic alteration, and exotic species.

Park Status:

Picking, digging, or otherwise damaging plants is prohibited in the Park. Collection is allowed only by special permit for research or educational purposes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Field Work:

NatureServe

Supporting Institutions:

N/A

Forest Association Described By:

R. White

Web Page:

Charles Wilder.

Photographs:

NatureServe

Maps:

Charles Wilder.

REFERENCES

Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.

NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.

Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. 2002. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Schafale, M. 1998a. Fourth approximation guide. Mountain wetlands. February 1998 draft. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.

Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.

Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.

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