Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site F111XE201OH

Wet Alluvium Floodplain

Last updated: 9/11/2024
Accessed: 11/13/2024

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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): 111X–Indiana and Ohio Till Plain

111E – Indiana and Ohio Till Plain, Eastern Part. Most of this area is in the Till Plains Section of the Central Lowlands Province of the Interior Plains. The northeast tip of the area is in the Southern New York Section of the Appalachian Highlands. The entire area has been glaciated. It is dominated by ground moraines that are broken in places by kames, lake plains, outwash plains, terraces, and stream valleys. Narrow, shallow valleys commonly are along the few large streams in the area. Elevation ranges from 580 to 1,400 feet (175 to 425 meters), increasing gradually from west to east. Relief is mainly a few meters, but in some areas hills rise as much as 100 feet (30 meters) above the adjoining plain.

The extent of the major Hydrologic Unit Areas (identified by four-digit numbers) that make up this MLRA is as follows: Scioto (0506), 33 percent; Muskingum (0504), 31 percent; and Western Lake Erie (0410), 28 percent; Upper Ohio (0503), 5 percent; and Southern Lake Erie (0411), 3 percent. The headwaters of many rivers in central Ohio, including the Vermillion, Black Fork, Sandusky, Little Scioto, and Olentangy Rivers, are in this MLRA.

This MLRA is underlain by late Devonian shale and sandstone. Surficial materials include glacial deposits of till, glaciolacustrine sediments, and outwash from Wisconsin and older glacial periods.

Classification relationships

Major Land Resource Area (USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, 2006)

USFS Ecological Regions (USDA, 2007):
Sections –Central Till Plains, Beech Maple (222H), Western Glaciated Allegheny Plateau (221F)

Subsections – Allegheny Plateau (221Fa), Bluffton Till Plains (222Ha), Miami-Scioto Plain – Tipton Till Plain (222Hb)

NatureServe Systems anticipated (NatureServe, 2011): Agriculture - Cultivated Crops and Irrigated Agriculture, Agriculture – Pasture/Hay, North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest, North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods, North-Central Interior Floodplain

LANDFIRE Biophysical Settings anticipated (USGS, 2010): Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems, North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest

Ecological site concept

This site is a riparian site formed on alluvial parent materials that are very poorly drained. It is located along the floodplain of lotic systems in loamy alluvial deposits often overlaying coarser materials. As such the site is often constrained to a narrow landscape that is influenced by the adjacent uplands and riparian areas.

The characteristic vegetation of the site is that of a floodplain forest dominated principally by eastern cottonwood and American sycamore. Additional canopy level species include silver maple, swamp white oak, and walnut. Active hydrologic and geomorphic process, along with windthrow of established trees, drive the long interval disturbance regime of this tree dominated site. These macro and micro scale disturbance events creates mixed-aged forests that contains both late and early seral species. These dynamics have been drastically changed due to the installation of levees, dams, and channelization of the lotic systems. Establishment of woody non-native, invasive species, followed by no management to control them, can alter the state of the site. The invasive species can persist in the understory as a component and then spread rapidly with an opening in the canopy. They can come to dominate the understory of the site. The canopy level species are not in direct competition with the invasive species, but over time their dominance in the understory can change the canopy level species composition. Removal of the woody species, installation of tile, and agricultural practices move this site to a new state. Much of the historic acres of this site have been transitioned to agriculture with the bulk of those acres being in corn and soybean rotations.

Associated sites

F111XE203OH	Wet Alluvium Forest Wet Alluvium Forest. Soils surface light in color; poorly to somewhat poorly drained
F111XE202OH	Dry Alluvium Floodplain Dry Alluvium Floodplain. Soils are moderately well to well drained
F111XE204OH	Dry Alluvium Forest Dry Alluvium Forest. Soils surface light in color; moderately well to well drained

F111XE203OH

Wet Alluvium Forest

Wet Alluvium Forest. Soils surface light in color; poorly to somewhat poorly drained

F111XE202OH

Dry Alluvium Floodplain

Dry Alluvium Floodplain. Soils are moderately well to well drained

F111XE204OH

Dry Alluvium Forest

Dry Alluvium Forest. Soils surface light in color; moderately well to well drained

Similar sites

F111XE203OH	Wet Alluvium Forest Wet Alluvium. Soils surface light in color; poorly to somewhat poorly drained
F111XE501OH	Till Depression Till Depression. Located on glacial till parent materials; soil surface lighter than 3/2 Munsell.

F111XE203OH

Wet Alluvium Forest

Wet Alluvium. Soils surface light in color; poorly to somewhat poorly drained

F111XE501OH

Till Depression

Till Depression. Located on glacial till parent materials; soil surface lighter than 3/2 Munsell.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	(1) Platanus occidentalis (2) Populus deltoides
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	Not specified

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Physiographic features

This site is located in the 111E - Indiana and Ohio Till Plain, Eastern Part MLRA. It is classified as a wetland/riparian site. This site was formed in loamy alluvium in the floodplains of streams and rivers. This creates a long, linear expression of the site on the landscape.

Figure 1. Block diagram showing soils on the landscape.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) River valley > Flood plain
Runoff class	Negligible to low
Flooding duration	Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to very long (more than 30 days)
Flooding frequency	Occasional to frequent
Ponding duration	Brief (2 to 7 days)
Ponding frequency	None to occasional
Elevation	600 – 1,200 ft
Slope	2%
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

The average annual precipitation in this area is 35 to 41 (890 to 1,040 millimeters). Most of the rainfall occurs as convective thunderstorms during the growing season. About half or more of the precipitation occurs during the freeze-free period. Snowfall is common in winter. The average annual temperature is 48 to 52 degrees F (9 to 11 degrees C). The freeze-free period averages about 185 days and ranges from 165 to 205 days.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	133-150 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	169-182 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	39-40 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	129-153 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	168-186 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	38-41 in
Frost-free period (average)	141 days
Freeze-free period (average)	176 days
Precipitation total (average)	39 in

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 3. Monthly minimum temperature range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 4. Monthly maximum temperature range

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Figure 5. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Figure 6. Annual precipitation pattern

Figure 7. Annual average temperature pattern

Climate stations used

(1) COLUMBUS PORT COLUMBUS INTL AP [USW00014821], Columbus, OH
(2) WESTERVILLE [USC00338951], Westerville, OH
(3) BUCYRUS [USC00331072], Bucyrus, OH
(4) DELAWARE [USC00332119], Delaware, OH
(5) GALION WTR WKS [USC00333021], Galion, OH

Influencing water features

This site is characterized by its location in a floodplain of a perennial stream and there it is most affected by the flooding, scouring, and channel movement of the adjacent lotic system. Flooding can be occasional to frequent with a very long (more than 30 day) duration depending on the riverine system. Similarly, ponding can occur occasionally with a brief (2 to 7 days) duration. The proximity of the site to a perennial stream/river and therefore low topographic location result in a seasonally high water table in the spring that recedes somewhat during the summer. Levees, dams, and channelization have greatly altered the hydrology and flooding of the riparian systems in many places.

The hydrogeographic model classification for this site is RIVERINE: Alluvial Plain, Backswamp, Flood Plain; forested. This site has a Cowardin Classification of PFO6An; it is a forested palustrine system that is temporarily flooded/ponded on mineral soil.

Soil features

The soil series associated with this site are: Sloan and Saranac. They are very deep, very poorly drained, and moderately slow to moderate permeable soils, with neutral soil reaction, that formed in alluvium.

Parent Materials Kind: alluvium
Surface Texture: silt loam, silty clay loam
Subsurface Texture group: loamy

Figure 8. Location of mapunit in the MLRA.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Parent material	(1) Alluvium
Surface texture	(1) Silt loam (2) Silty clay loam
Drainage class	Very poorly drained
Permeability class	Moderately slow to moderate
Soil depth	80 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (Depth not specified)	6.8 – 7.8 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (Depth not specified)	13%
Electrical conductivity (Depth not specified)	Not specified
Sodium adsorption ratio (Depth not specified)	Not specified
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (Depth not specified)	7 – 7.5
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	2 – 13%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	Not specified

Ecological dynamics

The historic plant community of the Wet Alluvium Floodplain ecological site is a floodplain forest. The dominant species in the canopy are sycamore and cottonwood, with silver maple, swamp white oak, and walnut being common as well. This site is the result of hydrologic and geomorphic process at the macro scale and windthrow on a more local scale. The disturbance regime is one of frequent low intensity flooding events that do not greatly affect the dominant species often. This is punctuated by high intensity events (ie. 100+ year floods, tornados, or ice storms) that remove the dominant species as well as provide new space for colonizing species. Succession starts with a shrub dominated community that is a mix of pioneering species such as willows and herbaceous species. Micro scale disturbance such as windthrow or localized mortality lead the site to being a mixed-age forest.

State and transition model

Custom diagram

Standard diagram

Figure 9. STM

Figure 10. Legend

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models

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

State 1
Wet Floodplain Forest

This is the reference or diagnostic plant community for this site. In reference condition (mature), this site was dominated by sycamore and cottonwood trees. Other canopy tree species include silver maple, swamp white oak, and black walnut. An earlier successional phase of this site is comprised largely of young cottonwoods, willows, dogwoods and pawpaw along with herbaceous species. Prior to settlement, the dynamics of the site were largely controlled by flooding, channel meandering, sedimentation and erosion. These process still occur, at some level, yet to this day, but have been greatly altered from pre-settlement conditions by bank stabilization, dams, diversions, and channel straightening.

Dominant plant species

cottonwood (Populus), tree
sycamore (Platanus), tree

Community 1.1
shrubs/ pioneer trees

This phase is characterized by pioneering woody species. Most common and numerous are willow species, cottonwoods, and dogwoods. This is the early successional phase after a large disturbance even on the vegetating of a new bank or island of the riparian area. Cover is generally very heavy, but usually not more than 10 feet tall. As time and succession progress, the trees become bigger but fewer.

Dominant plant species

cottonwood (Populus), tree
dogwood (Cornus), tree
willow (Salix), shrub

Community 1.2
American sycamore - eastern cottonwood

This phase is characterized by tree species dominance, particularly sycamores and cottonwood. Additional canopy species include black walnut, silver maple, and swamp white oak. Understory woody species include dogwoods, spicebush, and paw-paw.

Dominant plant species

cottonwood (Populus), tree
sycamore (Platanus), tree

Pathway P1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

Time and succession will move the site from this phase to the full expression of the floodplain forest.

Pathway P1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1

Disturbance, whether natural or as management, that removes a large portion of the trees will move the site towards phase 1.1.

State 2
Invaded State

This state is characterized by the establishment and eventual dominance of invasive species in the understory. This greatly reduces the species richness and diversity of the site as a whole. Common invasive species for this site include, but are not limited to, species of Asian bush honeysuckle, Callery pear, autumn olive and ailanthus.

Dominant plant species

tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima), tree
Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), tree
honeysuckle (Lonicera), shrub
autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), shrub

Community 2.1
Invaded Community

This phase is characterized by the understory being dominated by woody, mostly non-native, invasive species

Dominant plant species

American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), tree
eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), tree
honeysuckle (Lonicera), shrub
autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), shrub

State 3
Agriculture

This state is characterized by the conversion of the site to agricultural use. Most common practice is a corn and soybean rotation of various types. About 10% of the historic acres are used for forage and pasture.

Community 3.1
Row Crops

This phase is characterized by row crop agriculture of small grains, primarily corn and soybeans.

Community 3.2
Forage /pasture

This phase is characterized by forage or grazing agriculture. Different mixes of, generally, cool season grasses and forbs, largely clovers, are grown.

Pathway P3.1A
Community 3.1 to 3.2

Planting of cool season pasture/forage species and management to maintain them.

Pathway P3.2A
Community 3.2 to 3.1

Planting, either by conventional or no-till methods, of row crops. Management that keeps the site in row crop production

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

The establishment of an invasive species without management to remove or control it will transition the site to the Invaded State (2).

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

Removal of the trees and the installation of a drainage system are the first steps in converting the site to the Agriculture State (3). Regular agricultural practices will maintain the site in that state

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

Chemical and mechanical treatment of the invasive species. Planting of desired species may be needed if they are not enough left to recolonize the site.

Transition T2B
State 2 to 3

Chemical and mechanical treatment of the invasive species. Planting of desired species may be needed if they are not enough left to recolonize the site.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Removal of drainage system, site preparation, and tree planting.

Additional community tables

Supporting information

Inventory data references

Site concept developed through expert opinion, review of the literature, and field work.

Other references

Anderson, D. M. 1982. Plant communities of Ohio: A preliminary classification and description. Columbus, OH: Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Braun, E. Lucy. 2001. Deciduous forests of eastern North America. Caldwell, N.J.: Blackburn Press.

Federal Geographic Data Committee. 2013. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. FGDC-STD-004-2013. Second Edition. Wetlands Subcommittee, Federal Geographic Data Committee and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC.
Gordon, R. B. 1969. The natural vegetation of Ohio in pioneer days. Columbus: Ohio State University.
Homoya, M. A., Abrell, D. B., Aldrich, J. R., & Post, T. W. (1985). The Natural Regions of Indiana. Indiana Academy of Science, 94, 245-269.

Lafferty, M. B. 1979. Ohio’s natural heritage. Columbus: Ohio Academy of Science.
NatureServe. (2011). An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, VA, USA [Online: www. natureserve. org/explorer].

Jackson, Marion T. 1997. The Natural heritage of Indiana. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, published in association with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Academy of Science.

Johnson, Paul S., Stephen R. Shifley, and Robert Rogers. 2002. The ecology and silviculture of oaks. Wallingford, Oxon: CABI

USDA. (2007). Ecological Subregions: Sections and Subsections for the Conterminous United States. Washington, DC: USDA - Forest Service.

USDA. (2006). Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. U. S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.

USDA-NRCS. 2008. Hydrogeomorphic Wetland Classification System: An Overview and Modification to Better Meet the Needs of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Technical Note No. 190–8–76. Washington D.C.

USGS. (2010). LANDFIRE Biophysical Settings. Retrieved from http://www.landfire.gov

Whitaker, John O., Charles J. Amlaner, Marion T. Jackson, George R. Parker, and Peter Evans Scott. 2012. Habitats and ecological communities of Indiana presettlement to present. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

Approval

Greg Schmidt, 9/11/2024

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)	TYLER STAGGS
Contact for lead author
Date	02/07/2022
Approved by	Greg Schmidt
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:

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Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site F111XE201OH

Wet Alluvium Floodplain

Last updated: 9/11/2024 Accessed: 11/13/2024

General information

MLRA notes

Classification relationships

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Ecosystem states

State 1 submodel, plant communities

State 2 submodel, plant communities

State 3 submodel, plant communities

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 9/11/2024
Accessed: 11/13/2024