Forest composition of Floodplain and Basin Swamp Forests is dependent on flooding regime and landscape orientation. Bald cypress (T. distichum) occurs in swamp forests of seasonally flooded alluvial floodplains. Other canopy trees include water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), swamp tupelo (N. sylvatica var. biflora), red maple (Acer rubrum), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), American elm (Ulmus americana), and swamp laurel oak (Q. laurifolia).
The mid- and under-story of floodplain swamp forests are variable, and depend on small scale variations in hydrology and topography. Common shrub species include: Virginia willow (Itea virginica), swamp dogwood (Cornus foemina), swamp doghobble (Leucothoe racemosa), myrtle dahoon (Ilex cassine var. myrtifolia), fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera), and common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis).
Herbaceous ground cover is also variable and usually sparse.
This wetland state is dominated by herbaceous vegetation with some low growing shrubs. Vegetation often appears to form “bands” which are coincident with length and duration of flooding. The center of larger depression marshes usually remain inundated year-round, and supports wetland and aquatic plants such as maidencane (Panicum hemitomon), pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia), or sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense). Drier habitats of the outer zones support many species of beaksedges (Rhynchospora spp.), various grasses and low shrubs (several in the genus Hypericum).
This state describes permanently flooded conditions for this site. Permanent flooding may result from damming, or a natural event causing permanent inundation. Depending on the depth of permanent inundation, cypress will persist in an open water swamp with emergent aquatic vegetation, or all canopy trees will die over time.
This state describes conditions related to land use conversion for community production. Drastic changes in hydrologic regime result from draining and clearing.
State 5 describes a condition where one or several noxious non-native species has invaded and dominated the site.
Model keys
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