Silty High Floodplain

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 transition pathways are not always 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 upon the size of the river system. Much of these sites within the active floodplain profile at the highest elevation and subject to the least flooding, have been converted to agriculture. Only small remnants still exist. The following plant communities may be found along medium to larger rivers systems:
• Acer saccharum - Fraxinus spp. - Tilia americana / Matteuccia struthiopteris - Ageratina altissima Floodplain Forest (CEGL006114)
(Translated Name: Sugar Maple - Ash species - American Basswood / Ostrich Fern - White Snakeroot Floodplain Forest)
[Common Name: Terrace Hardwood Floodplain Forest])
• Acer saccharinum - Ulmus americana / Onoclea sensibilis Floodplain Forest (CEGL006001)
(Translated Name: Silver Maple - American Elm / Sensitive Fern Floodplain Forest
[Common Name: Northeastern Silver Maple - Elm 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