V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.A.5.N.l. Semipermanently flooded temperate or subpolar grassland
V.A.5.N.l.16. SCHOENOPLECTUS ACUTUS - (SCHOENOPLECTUS TABERNAEMONTANI) SEMIPERMANENTLY FLOODED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Hardstem Bulrush - (Softstem Bulrush) Semipermanently Flooded Herbaceous Alliance
Concept: This
alliance is found in the midwestern and western United States and central
Canada. Vegetation is characterized by medium to tall graminoids which typically
range from 1 to over 2 m. The vegetation is moderately dense to dense. Some
stands are heavily dominated by one or two Scirpus species while others
have several graminoids common throughout the stand. The most abundant species
are typically Schoenoplectus acutus (= Scirpus acutus), Schoenoplectus
fluviatilis (= Scirpus fluviatilis), and Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani
(= Scirpus tabernaemontani). Species composition and abundance can vary from
year to year depending mostly on water level fluctuations. In most years,
typical species include Lemna spp., Phragmites australis,
Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus) (in alkaline stands),
Triglochin maritima (in alkaline stands), Typha latifolia, and
Utricularia macrorhiza. Potamogeton spp. often occur in the deeper
parts of stands of this alliance and where emergent species are not densely
packed. Shrubs, such as Salix spp., are not common but may become
established in shallow water areas. During droughts, species more tolerant of
low water, such as Polygonum amphibium, may invade and alter the species
composition of stands of this alliance.
Stands of this alliance are flooded for most or all of the
growing season. Stands can have water from 0 (exposed soil) to approximately 1.5
m deep, but usually are less than 1 m. Within a stand, water levels can vary by up to 1 m during the year. The water can be fresh to mildly
saline throughout most of this alliance's range; however, in the Nebraska
Sandhills, some stands occur in moderately alkaline water. Across the range of
this alliance, soils are deep, poorly drained, muck, peat, or mineral.
Range: This alliance is found in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota,
North Dakota, Minnesota, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana, and
in Canada in British Columbia, southern Manitoba, and northwestern Ontario. It
is also known from Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia,
and West Virginia.
States/Provinces: BC CA CT DE IA ID MA MB MD ME MN MT ND NH NJ
NV NY ON OR PA RI SD UT VA? VT WA WV WY
TNC Ecoregions: 10:C, 11:C, 17:C, 26:C, 2:C, 33:C, 34:C, 35:C,
46:C, 47:P, 58:C, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C, 63:C, 64:C, 6:C
USFS Ecoregions: 212Aa:C??, 212Ab:C??, 212Ba:CP?, 212Bb:CP?,
212Ca:CC?, 212Cb:CCC, 212Da:CC?, 212Db:CC?, 212Dc:CC?, 212Ea:CC?, 212Eb:CC?,
212Ec:CCP, 212Ed:CCC, 212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCC,
212Gb:CCC, 212La:CPP, 221Aa:CC?, 221Ab:CC?, 221Ac:CC?, 221Ad:CC?, 221Ae:CCC,
221Af:CC?, 221Ag:CC?, 221Ah:CCC, 221Ai:CCC, 221Aj:CC?, 221Ak:CC?, 221Al:CC?,
221Ba:CCC, 221Bb:CC?, 221Bc:CC?, 221Bd:CCP, 221Db:C??, 221Ea:C??, 221Fa:C??,
221Ja:C??, 221Jc:C??, 222Ia:C??, 222Ib:C??, 222Ic:C??, 222Id:C??, 222Ie:C??,
222If:C??, 222Lc:CCC, 231Aa:P??, 231Ae:P??, 231Af:P??, 231Ak:P??, 231Al:P??,
231Am:P??, 231An:P??, 231Ao:P??, 231Ap:P??, 232Ad:C??, 232Bc:C??, 232Bd:C??,
232Br:C??, 232Ch:C??, 232Cj:C??, 242A:CC, 251Aa:CCC, 251Bb:CCC, 251Be:CCC,
262A:CC, 322A:CC, 331D:CC, 331F:CC, 331G:CC, 331H:CC, 332C:CC, 341C:CC, 341E:CC,
342A:CC, 342B:CC, 342C:CC, 342D:CC, 342F:CC, 342H:CC, 342I:CC, M212Aa:C??,
M212Ab:C??, M212Ac:C??, M212Ad:C??, M212Ba:C??, M212Bb:C??, M212Ca:CP?,
M212Cb:CPP, M212Cc:CP?, M212Cd:CP?, M212Da:C??, M212Db:C??, M212Dc:C??,
M212Ea:CCP, M212Eb:CCP, M212Fa:C??, M212Fb:C??, M221Aa:CC?, M221Ab:CCC,
M221Ba:C??, M221Bd:C??, M221Be:C??, M221Ca:C??, M221Cb:C??, M221Cc:C??,
M221Cd:C??, M221Da:C??, M221Db:C??, M221Dc:C??, M242A:CC, M242B:CC, M242C:CC,
M261C:CC, M262A:CC, M262B:CC, M331A:CC, M331D:CC, M332B:CC, M332D:CC, M332E:CC,
M332G:CC, M333A:CC, M333B:CC, M333C:CC, M333D:CC
Federal Lands: NPS (Acadia, Voyageurs); USFWS (Ouray)
Synonymy: Hardstem Bulrush Herbaceous Vegetation (Christy et al.
1998); Semipermanent ponds and lakes, slightly brackish, deep-marsh zone
(Stewart and Kantrud 1971); Sandhills Marsh and Alkaline Sandhills Marsh (Steinauer
1989); Bulrush marsh (Fike 1999); Robust Emergent Marsh, in part (Smith 1991)
References: Christy et al. 1998, Faber-Langendoen et al. 1996,
Faber-Langendoen et al. 1997, Fike 1999, Hansen et al. 1991, Hansen et al. 1995,
Kunze 1994, Smith 1991, Steinauer 1989, Stewart and Kantrud 1971, Tolstead 1942,
Weaver 1960
Authors: MCS, MOD. M.S. REID, MP, Midwest
Identifier: A.1443
SCHOENOPLECTUS (TABERNAEMONTANI, ACUTUS) EASTERN HERBACEOUS
VEGETATION
(Softstem Bulrush, Hardstem Bulrush) Eastern Herbaceous
Vegetation
Bulrush Deepwater Marsh G?
(97-12-01)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS): Northern Marshes (490-20; n/a)
Concept: These
deepwater bulrush marshes occur across the northeastern United States and
adjacent Canadian provinces. They are found in a variety of wetland settings,
most commonly in quiet-water areas along the shores of ponds, lakes, rivers, and
larger streams, but also in flooded basins and ditches. The vegetation occurs in
deep water (usually 0.4-1 m deep) that is present in all but the driest of
conditions. Seasonal spring flooding and heavy rainstorms provide nutrient
input. The substrate is usually deep muck overlying mineral soil; where wave
action is more prevalent, the mineral soil may be exposed. The vegetation is
dominated by bulrushes and robust graminoids, with scattered emergent forbs.
Trees and shrubs are absent. Dominant species are usually Schoenoplectus
acutus (= Scirpus acutus), Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (= Scirpus
tabernaemontani), and/or Schoenoplectus americanus (= Scirpus americanus).
Associated herbs include Carex aquatilis, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa),
Carex utriculata, Thelypteris palustris, Typha latifolia, Asclepias incarnata,
Impatiens capensis, Pontederia cordata, Sagittaria latifolia, Schoenoplectus
fluviatilis (= Scirpus fluviatilis), Scutellaria lateriflora, Verbena hastata,
and others. Floating-leaved and submerged plants (such as Potamogeton spp.,
Sparganium spp., Elodea canadensis, Ceratophyllum spp.) may
be scattered among the emergent plants. This association is distinguished from
other northeastern standing-water marsh communities by the strong dominance of
tall bulrush species.
Range: This
variable deepwater marsh community occurs in the northeastern United States and
adjacent Canadian provinces.
States/Provinces: CT:S?, DE:S?, MA:S4, MD:S?, ME:S4, NH:S4,
NJ:S2S4, NY:S5, PA:S?, RI:S?, VA?, VT:S4, WV:S?
TNC Ecoregions: 58:?, 59:C, 60:C, 61:C, 63:C, 64:C
USFS Ecoregions: 212B:CP, 212Cb:CCC, 212D:CC, 212Ed:CCC,
212Fa:CCC, 212Fb:CCC, 212Fc:CCC, 212Fd:CCC, 212Ga:CCC, 212Gb:CCC, 221Ah:CCC,
221Bd:CCP, 231:P, 232:C, M212Ea:CCP, M212Eb:CCP, M221Ab:CCC
Federal Lands: NPS (Acadia)
Synonymy: Spring swamp (Hill 1923), Bulrush marsh (CAP pers.
comm. 1998), Deep Rush Marsh (Thompson 1996) B, Palustrine Narrow-leaved
Persistent Emergent Wetland, Permanently Flooded (PEM5H) (Cowardin et al. 1979)
References: Bowman 2000, Breden et al. 2001, CAP pers. comm.
1998, Cowardin et al. 1979, Edinger et al. 2002, Fike 1999, Gawler 2002, Hill
1923, Northern Appalachian Ecology Working Group 2000, Sperduto 2000b, Swain and
Kearsley 2000, Thompson 1996, Thompson and Sorensen 2000 Authors: S.C. Gawler, ECS Confidence: 3
Identifier: CEGL006275 - Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report
V.A. Perennial graminoid vegetation
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