Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F113XY921IL
Wet Loamy Floodplain Forest
Last updated: 5/17/2024
Accessed: 11/13/2024
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): 113X–Central Claypan Areas
The eastern Illinois portion of the Central Claypan Areas MLRA is in the Till Plains Section of the Central Lowland Province of the Interior Plains (USDA-NRCS, 2006) and includes the Southern Till Plain Natural Division of the natural divisions of Illinois (Schwegman, 1973; 1997; IDNR, 2018) in south-central Illinois. South-central Illinois is a dissected Illinoisan till plain south of the terminal Wisconsin moraine. This region consists of nearly level to gently sloping, old till plains. Stream valleys are shallow and generally are narrow. Elevation is about 660 feet (200 meters), increasing gradually from south to north. Local relief is generally low on the broad, flat till plains and flood plains and high on the dissected hills bordering rivers or drainage systems. The Kaskaskia, Little Muddy, Little Wabash, Embarras, and Skillet Fork rivers are part of this area. This region is covered with loess, which overlies old glacial drift (Illinoisan till) that has a high content of clay. Fragipans are also present. Pennsylvanian limestone and shale bedrock underlay the glacial till. The dominant soil orders in this region are Alfisol and Mollisol. The soils in the area predominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture regime, and mixed or smectitic mineralogy. They generally are very deep, well drained to poorly drained, and loamy or clayey. (USDA-NRCS, 2006).
Classification relationships
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) (USDA-NRCS, 2022):
113 – Central Claypan Areas
U.S. Forest Service Ecoregions (Cleland et al. 2007):
Domain: Humid Temperate Domain
Division: Hot Continental Division
Province: Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Continental)
Province Code: 222
Section: Central Till Plains, Oak-Hickory Section
Section Code: 222G
Relationship to other established ecological classifications (done)
Biophysical Setting (LANDFIRE, 2009); the reference community of this ecological site is most similar to: South-Central Interior Large Floodplain (CES202.705)
National Vegetation Classification System (NatureServe, 2018): the reference community of this ecological site is most similar to: Acer saccharinum - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Ulmus americana Floodplain Forest (CEGL002586)
Illinois Natural Areas Survey (INAS) (White, 1978); the reference community of this ecological site is most similar to: INAS Community Class – Floodplain Forest; Natural community – Wet-mesic Floodplain Forest
Ecological site concept
The historic pre-European settlement vegetation on this site was dominated by a continuous canopy of deciduous trees with an understory of shade-tolerant shrubs and ground flora (LANDFIRE 2009). Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests occur in floodplains along the channel. Soils are somewhat poorly drained and very deep formed from coarse, silty alluvium that are seasonally inundated or saturated for one or two months during the growing season resulting in a plant community with hydrophytic woody and herbaceous vegetation (Nelson 2010; White 1978).
Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests resemble Loamy Floodplain Forests, except they lack species of oak (Quercus spp.) and black walnut (Juglans nigra L.)* that do not tolerate extended periods of wetness that can occur in these units. In addition, the ground flora may be barren because of frequent flooding and occasional ponding. Stands occur on regularly flooded floodplains. The canopy cover is more-or-less closed and dominated by silver maple (Acer saccharinum L.), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall), American elm (Ulmus americana L.), and eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall). Associated species may include slippery elm (Ulmus rubra Muhl.), boxelder (Acer negundo L.), black willow (Salix nigra Marshall), common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.), and bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis (Wangenh.) K. Koch). American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) and river birch (Betula nigra L.) may also occur. The shrub and sapling layer is often open (<25 percent cover). Species that may be present include elderberry (Sambucus canadensis L.), black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.), and northern spicebush (Lindera benzoin (L.) Blume). Woody vines can be prominent, including eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze), trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans (L.) Seem. ex Bureau), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch.) and riverbank grape (Vitis riparia Michx.). Herbaceous grasses and forbs dominate the ground layer, including calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (L.) Á. Löve & D. Löve), smallspike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica (L.) Sw.), giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantean Aiton), whitegrass (Leersia virginica Willd.), Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus L.), pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida Nutt.), Canadian woodnettle (Laportea canadensis (L.), Canadian clearweed (Pilea pumila (L.) A. Gray), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.). (Nelson 2010; Ladd and Thomas 2015). Historically, seasonal flooding was the primary disturbance factor, while windthrow events and beaver alterations were secondary factors (LANDFIRE 2009; Nelson 2010; NatureServe 2018; Voigt and Mohlenbrock 1964).
Associated sites
F113XY922IL |
Loamy Floodplain Forest This ecological site is located in floodplains generally adjacent to Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests. |
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F113XY911IL |
Loamy Till Backslope Forest This ecological site is located on steep backslopes above Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests. |
F113XY919IL |
Wet Silty Floodplain Forest This ecological site is located in floodplains with Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests. |
Similar sites
F113XY919IL |
Wet Silty Floodplain Forest This ecological site is located in floodplains with Wet Loamy Floodplain Forests. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Acer saccharinum |
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Shrub |
(1) Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
Herbaceous |
(1) Solidago gigantea |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
T1A | - | No disturbance >20 years; timber harvesting |
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T1B | - | Woody removal; vegetative seeding; grassland management |
T1C | - | Woody removal; tillage; conservation cropping system; water management |
R2A | - | Forest stand improvement |
T2A | - | Woody removal; vegetative seeding; grassland management |
T2B | - | Woody removal; tillage; conservation cropping system; water management |
T3A | - | Tillage; conservation cropping system; water management |
T4A | - | Vegetative seeding; grassland management |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1.A | - | Lack of natural disturbance events greater than 10 years |
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1.2.A | - | Natural disturbance 1-3 years |