Ecology of Red Maple Swamps in the Glaciated Northeast: A ...

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Preface In many areas of the glaciated northeastern United States, forested wetlands dominated by red maple (Acer rubmrn) cover more of the landscape than all other nontidal wetland types combined. Yet surprisingly little of their ecology, functions, or social sidcance has been documented. Bogs, salt marshes, Atlantic white cedar swamps, and other less common types of wetlands have received considerable attention from scientists, but, except for botanical surveys, red maple swamps have been largely ignored. This report conveys what is known about these common wetlands and identifies topics most in need of investigation. Red maple swanlps are so abundant and so widely distributed in the Northeast that their physical, chemical, and biological properties range widely as well, and their values to society are diverse. The central focus of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service community profile series is the plant and animal communities of wetlands and deepwater habitats. However, the abiotic environment, particularly hydrogeologic setting and water regime, is also of critical importance because it largely determines the structure and species composition of the biota and controls major wetland functions and values. The importance of abiotic factors is given especially strong emphasis in this profile. For most aspects of red maple swamp ecology, significant research has been limited to one or two studies; in some cases, there are no studies at all. For that reason, we have consciously avoided broad generalizations in this report. Instead, we frequently present detailed results from isolated studies, particularly where they were comprehensive or quantitative works. We hope such in-depth review will shed light on the characteristics and functions of red maple swamps in other parts of the Northeast, and even outside of the region. Through our field research and work on this report, we have found red maple swamps to be highly diverse, productive, aesthetically pleasing ecosystems that are of great significance to society. However, our understanding of these wetlands is only beginning. We hope that the obvious information gaps identified in our report will stimulate more investigation into the ecology of this valuable resource. This community profile is one in a series coordinated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlm~ds Research Center. Questions or comments concerning this publication or others in the community and estuarine profiles series should be directed to: Center Director U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Research Center 700 Cajundome Boulevard Lafayette, LA 70506
Page 2 and 3: Technical IIbpg~rt Series U.S. Fish
Page 6 and 7: Conversion Table Metric to U.S. Cus
Page 8 and 9: Contents Befa ce ..................
Page 10 and 11: ...................................
Page 12 and 13: ...................................
Page 14 and 15: Ecoloa of Red Maple Swamps in the G
Page 16 and 17: Fig. 1.1. Broad-leaved deciduous fo
Page 18 and 19: Seabard Lowlarad =@om $a more than
Page 20 and 21: Table 1.3. Principal tree species i
Page 22 and 23: -- Table 1.4. Relaztive abundance o
Page 24 and 25: Cllapter 2. The Physical Environmen
Page 26 and 27: ~ - .... . - 1. Wetlmh A. Wetlm& fe
Page 28 and 29: Surface-water depression wetland Su
Page 30 and 31: Fig. 24. Red maple swamp in the gro
Page 32 and 33: in the 1-m-thick organic soils was
Page 34 and 35: $able 2+4. Soil dnzinuge classes ja
Page 36 and 37: dwing the transition-zone study. Th
Page 38 and 39: fibers. The diber content of sapric
Page 40 and 41: High soil base saturation Fig. 210.
Page 42 and 43: Fig. 3.1. Common broad-leaved decid
Page 44: Fig. 3.3. Gammon shrubs of northeas
Page 48 and 49: New Jersey averaged 13-15 m (Table
Page 50 and 51: growth form of the dominant shrub s
Page 52 and 53: Red maple swamp with an herb layer
Page 54 and 55:
Table 3.3. Continued -- --- - - Kal
Page 56 and 57:
Table 3.3. Continued -- -- --p -- S
Page 58 and 59:
Table 3.3. Continued -___- --- ---
Page 60 and 61:
Key: Zone I: Zone II: Zone ill: Zon
Page 62 and 63:
this taxonomic group by zone is not
Page 64 and 65:
drica), bugleweeds, violets, and be
Page 66 and 67:
silver mtqgle occur locally in Verm
Page 68 and 69:
irch (Betula pumikz), shrubby cinqu
Page 70 and 71:
Chapter 4. Abiotic I uences on the
Page 72 and 73:
ences in nutrient levels, which wer
Page 74 and 75:
Table 4.1. Soil and water table cha
Page 76 and 77:
Fig, 4.3. Relatlvc importance of pl
Page 78 and 79:
Specltta b ~ t us'. ~ t (1 = (rl =
Page 80 and 81:
Table 4.5. Floorl toienznce of tree
Page 82 and 83:
of the year, the forest floor commo
Page 84 and 85:
showed a strong preference for depr
Page 86 and 87:
inga by the following spring. Succe
Page 88 and 89:
of ground vegetation within a mixed
Page 90 and 91:
2.0 1 .o Curtis Corner Shermantown
Page 92 and 93:
Heyll0liL4 Braiewa et al. Ghara - N
Page 94 and 95:
li&r (Fig. 6.3) is relatively high
Page 96 and 97:
Table 5.4. Nutrient mncvnfmtions jp
Page 98 and 99:
followed by recession, of ftoodurat
Page 101 and 102:
Fig. 6.1. Major changes in southern
Page 103 and 104:
seed sources for woody wetland plan
Page 105 and 106:
Fig. 6.6. Active beaver pond comtmc
Page 107 and 108:
Chapter 7. Vertebrate Fauna Althoug
Page 109 and 110:
Table 7.2, Rehtive abundume of ~pti
Page 111 and 112:
_ -- - - ---- Studya " 1 2 3 4 5 6
Page 113 and 114:
territorial species) and all bird r
Page 115 and 116:
et al. (1984) hypothesized that, gi
Page 117 and 118:
omlation). b th studies stressed th
Page 119 and 120:
Species composition of trees and sh
Page 121 and 122:
Vertebrates of Special Concern Nort
Page 123 and 124:
tern, swamps may augment domestic a
Page 125 and 126:
ships, and state and federal wetlan
Page 127 and 128:
Fig. 8.2 Red maple swamp providing
Page 129 and 130:
Table 8.2. Relative importance (% o
Page 131 and 132:
Urbanization In most areas of the N
Page 133 and 134:
Groundwater withdrawal by large mun
Page 135 and 136:
sessment of wetland functions and v
Page 137 and 138:
of mammals classified as "state-rar
Page 139 and 140:
I Does the buffer meel minimum habi
Page 141 and 142:
Adamus, I? R., and L. 'I! Stockwell
Page 143 and 144:
Damman, A. W. H. 1964. Some forest
Page 145 and 146:
Grice, D., and J. E Rogers. 1965. T
Page 147 and 148:
northern botbnlfand hardwood forest
Page 149 and 150:
ference on Wetland Values and Manag
Page 151 and 152:
and U.S. Environmental Protection A
Page 153 and 154:
National Wetlands Inventory Field D
Page 155 and 156:
Appendix B. ~ontinued - - -- - -- -
Page 157 and 158:
Appendix B. Continued -- ..-.......
Page 159 and 160:
American black duck ...............
Page 161 and 162:
Mammals Beaver ....................
Page 163 and 164:
Appendix D, Continued --" - - - --
Page 165:
A list of current Rioiogicni Rt?po~
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