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

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ences in nutrient levels, which were influenced by topographic position and hydrology. The most common type of red maple swamp encountered in the Damman and Kershner (1977) study was the Symplocarpus foetdus-Acer rubrum community that typically occurs in valley bottoms where soils are very poorly drained and fed by groundwater seepage (Fig. 4.1). These swamps are usually drained by a stream, so that surface water does not persist for long periods. If groundwater inflow is especially abundant and nutrient-rich, a Symplocapus-Acer rubrum- Ranunculus septentrionalis community is often found. Distinguishing species, besides swamp buttercup, in this floristically rich community include swamp saxifrage, bulbous bittercress, and golden ragwort. Upslope from the Symplocarpus- Acer rubrum community, in areas where soils are poorly drained but surface water is rarely present, a Betula alkghuniensis-Acer rubrum-Osmunda cinnamomea community is commonly found (Fig. 4.1).This transitional community frequently forms only a narrow belt at the bases of slopes; it is slightly drier and poorer in nutrients than the other two types of red maple forests. Pn devising a floristic classification for wetlands in the gneissic-schistose bedrock region of northwestern Connecticut, Messier (1980) also underscored the link between water regime and nutrient levels. He observed that, for a given nutrient regime, the type of wetland community was closely related to the elevation and degree of fluctuationof the water table. Figure 4.2 compares the extent of water level fluctuation during a single year among five red maple swamp communities and five other wetland types he encountered. In reviewing the following findings, remember that the extent of water level fluctuation may vary widely among years, even within the same swamp (Fig. 2.7). The Osmunda cinnarnomeu-Acer swamp occurred on peat soils of the valley floor, unlike the sloping sites described by Damman and Kershner (1977), and had a saturated water regime. The water table remained within 10-15 cm of the surface throughout the growing season, but surface water was present only briefly. The Rhododendron viscosum-Acer community occurred both in valley basins, where groundwater inflow was presumed to occur, and in basins farther upslope, which were perched above the local groundwater table. Water Quercus prinus - rubra Quercus !11ofoba and emsed bedr~ck I Fraxlnus Carya Fraxtnus-Acer saccharu Befula-Acer rubrum Fig. 4.1. Topsequences of plant communities on a till-covered gneiss hill in western Connecticut (after Damman and Kershner 1977). Left side of diagram represents normal topsequence; right side is that of certain south-facing slopes. Wetland communities are marked with an usterisk. Elevation of summit is between 350 and 400 m above sea level.
kvei fluctuation during the gmwing season was satuPated; by the end of the growing season, the comparable in the two Iucations, but the valley water table was commonly 60 crn or more below basina held much more water after spring snow- the surface. meit. Messier (1980) noted that varianfx of this paratley and Fahey (1986) identified three macommunity, dominated by different shrub spcies, jor forested wetland communities in a mixed conicould h di~tineished by the minimum pwing- fer--hardwood swamp in central New York hemseason wator level. Either RWPLdron visco- lock swamp; mixed conifer-red maple swamp, sum or Ilex uerl.ic&llntn appeared to be dominant larch phase; and mixed conifer-red maple swamp, where t,he? water t ~bk remained within 10 cm of whih pine phase. Using water level data gathered Lho surface (in 1978), while t7my:inium coryrnfw- wc?cMy during one growing season, the authors sum wits domirlar~t whore the water table dropped. denzomtrated that the distribution of woody speta at least 20 cm hilow the surface. cies was controlled largely by the mean depth h Tfle remaining tflree red maple swamp cornmunities, C~MX sbrictn - Awr, Ccirex lacustris-Acer, the water table during the growing season and the duration of the summer drawdown. Red maple arrd Symplor~irpus -Acer, were observed both in was the dominant tree in the severely flooded valley hotbms and in association with springs at sites, where the water level was highest and the the bases of valley . s~o~B. 1~1 valley bottoms, water period of drawdown was 8 weeks or less. Hemlock levels for all the commur~ities ranged from about swamp had a lower mean water level, but shorter 20 to $0 cxtr. aPK>vca C.c.3 20 to crrz below the surface drawdown period, than the mixed conifer-red maduring the growing season; howovc~r, during &larch, aurfa~e wt~f~e~r was eonsidcrribly deeper in Lha auctgt- to~xxrrlrrtlil ics (Fig. 4.2). At aftring siteer, 190th sedge rorr~nzurkitien tltd water levels within 5 -10 crn of ttie s~rl*f,rrcb througt~oul the growing aeasol.1 arrd were fl~wd~d to A ciopth of aniy 10- 213 c.rn during tlzc* elrring. ??re$ sedge cornrxrunities differed chicfly in xxtitrient ~Catue, the Caren Ictcustris-Acrr comrnunit~y wsccurrirlg in slightly ple communities (Table 4.1). Mean depth to the water table was also one of the key factors separatirrg four ground vegetation associations occurrirxg in the mixed conifer-red maple swamps; ash cont~nt and bulk density of the organic soils were other important factors @able 4.1). P~ratley and Fahey (1986) concluded that, in areas of the forested wetland with low mean water levels, the duration of summer drawdown was an ricizrr arms. The SS~~nrplwnr~~us- Arc~r coxn~nuniCy in:portant factor influencing both overstory and OCEUIT~*~~ at, ~prinh: sittas that wcw cttlly seaso~lally ground vegetation composition. Where mean Fig. 4.2 Water level fluctuation in red maple swamps and other wetland communities of northwestern Connecticut (redrafted from Messier 1980).
Page 2 and 3:
Technical IIbpg~rt Series U.S. Fish
Page 5 and 6:
Preface In many areas of the glacia
Page 7 and 8:
Acer rubrum (red maple) diagnostic
Page 9 and 10:
Zone 111 . St . Lawrence Valley and
Page 11 and 12:
Fig . 3.7. Red maple swap with unde
Page 13 and 14:
Table 4.5. Flood tolerance of trees
Page 15 and 16:
Chapter I. Introduction Wetland kbr
Page 17 and 18:
Regional Setting throughout the gla
Page 19 and 20:
C-J Spruce-Fa Beech-Birch-Maple Mit
Page 21 and 22: Fig. 1.4. The range of red maple (a
Page 23 and 24: ~ b 1.5, h fircort~ of Wet landc Ir
Page 25 and 26: Fig. 22. &~lrit~ve Irtndtici~pe yos
Page 27 and 28: egional groundwakr table by the roc
Page 29 and 30: y e~rr~mtrtm~~,irzst ion. Cat~t,inu
Page 31 and 32: inflow^ Outflows OF SWQ SWI Fig. 25
Page 33 and 34: Fig, 23.6,Soasonally flmded red map
Page 35 and 36: Fig. 27. Water levels in six mode I
Page 37 and 38: The duration of soil saturation has
Page 39 and 40: Organic soils are always very poorl
Page 41 and 42: Chapter 3. The Plant Community The
Page 43 and 44: .dar02f 'B Xi? s%u?mma -?sway+xqq p
Page 47 and 48: Community S tructare Red maple swam
Page 49 and 50: suggesta a strong correlation betwe
Page 51 and 52: Table 3.2. Stmtuml chumcteristics o
Page 53 and 54: Table 3.3. Continued. "- -- - Speci
Page 55 and 56: Table __ 3.3. _ Continued ._.lll.__
Page 57 and 58: Table 3.3. Continued. . * - __.. ^.
Page 59 and 60: Zone I II III TV C" Drppnmriad* sp.
Page 61 and 62: on Long Island, pin oak, swamp whit
Page 63 and 64: fern moea (?ki.c&inz &limfulum), an
Page 65 and 66: countered (Table 3.3). The herb lay
Page 67 and 68: ~akareous Seepage Swamps England si
Page 69 and 70: and globeflower are. listed in four
Page 71: was the most likely reason for diff
Page 75 and 76: Table 4.2. .Rektit.e ~bmchnce w Q)
Page 77 and 78: difficuit to delineate in many inst
Page 79 and 80: in the librature btlx>~ithe moi~ttl
Page 81 and 82: Origin. an$ Relationship to Water R
Page 83 and 84: Influence on Swamp Vegetation Flori
Page 85 and 86: taka wpra-x li)wcir, t raac* df~rla
Page 87 and 88: dwuL 4.3 6.3. C ~ ~ ~ strisk- P C I
Page 89 and 90: Chapter 5. Ecosystem Processes Irr
Page 91 and 92: - 0 2 E E 0l *" C 8 g 00 - c_ m 3 -
Page 93 and 94: Ehnzdoltf (IWj wm mmht~nt, rru@w on
Page 95 and 96: 1976; I">irwia RE& vari iier Vdk 18
Page 97 and 98: Xletritus Exprort and 'sod Chain Su
Page 99: Chapter 6. Wetland Dynamics Most no
Page 102 and 103: since forested wetland is the endpo
Page 104 and 105: kettle bogs, lakes, or large rivers
Page 106 and 107: mmdwakr depression wetlands. Becaus
Page 108 and 109: (Mniotila varia), regularly breed i
Page 110 and 111: EXusbtand arid Eddleman (1Y30) quan
Page 112 and 113: census results. Twenty-five (40%) o
Page 114 and 115: elated to avian richness and abunda
Page 116 and 117: Fig. 7.6. Wood duck (Aix sponsa). T
Page 118 and 119: Table 7.5. Small-mammal communities
Page 120 and 121: ing the latter years of flowage occ
Page 122 and 123:
Chapter 8. Values, Impacts, and Man
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of the bordering upland. Both studi
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Fig. 8.1. ST folia) in pel fer. .bu
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Table 8.1. Emrnpks ofgmss loss rate
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Fig. 8.3. Southern New England red
Page 132 and 133:
Fig. 8.4. Electric utility lines pa
Page 134 and 135:
e expected to cause more drastic fl
Page 136 and 137:
and enhancement has been a highly c
Page 138 and 139:
y capturing sediment, reducing nutr
Page 140 and 141:
M.R.S.A., Sect. 480.A). Research by
Page 142 and 143:
Broadfoot, W. M., and H. L. Willist
Page 144 and 145:
Fefer, S. I. 1980. me palushe syste
Page 146 and 147:
Jordan, R J. 1978. Glacial geology
Page 148 and 149:
Xew Hampshire Xatural Areas Program
Page 150 and 151:
Ren MAPLE SWAMR 137 Smith, H. 1984.
Page 152 and 153:
Appendix A. Sources of Floristic Da
Page 154 and 155:
Appendix B. Plants of Special Conce
Page 156 and 157:
Appendix B. Continued Species d Car
Page 158 and 159:
Appendix C. Vertebrates That Have B
Page 160 and 161:
Mourning warbler ... Nashville warb
Page 162 and 163:
Appendix D. Vertebrates of Special
Page 164 and 165:
~tnte"and ronsewat ion stat ilu' d
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