The ecology of Atlantic white cedar wetlands - USGS National ...

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CHAPTER 2 -REGIONAL OVERVIEW2.1 INTRODUCTIONThe aspect of an Atlantic white cedar wetlandis so distinctive that the casual observer maythink that all cedar swamps are similar in physicalstructure and community composition. This is farfrom the truth when the cedar is examined over its entirerange from north to south, from sea level tomountain hollow, from acidic glacial kettle to boggyflatwood or seepage sandhill.Cedar wetlands will be most clearly understoodby examining what we know of each example.Therefore, some typical or unusual sites aredescribed below, including those at the farthest extentsof the cedar's range, the highest elevationcedar swamp (altitude: 457 m), a domed bog,swamps with a dense great laurel (Rhododendronmaximum) understory, floating bog mats withdwarfed trees, a wetland in a deep fracture inbedrock, narrow stream-border Pinelands swamps,millponds, a Carolina bay, a sandhill seepage, and asandy stream terrace.2.2 GLACIATED NORTHEASTAtlantic white cedar wetlands dot a 130 kmwideband along the coastal region of the NortheasternUnited States from the southern extent ofglaciation (Figure 10) along New York's Long Islandand New Jersey's Hackensack Meadows, north tomid-Maine at 44" north latitude (Figure 11).Charnaecyparis thyoides grows from sea level to457m elevation, but the great majority of stands arefound between sea level and 50 m. It is probable thatthe distribution of the species was always restrictedto sites too wet for most other northeastern trees.There is standing water in many northern cedarswamps for half the growing season or longer(Laderman et al. 1987; Golet and Lowry 1987); thesoil is primarily organic; and ground water is highlyacidic (pH 3.1 - 5.5 [Laderman 1980; Golet and Lowry1 9871).The growing season of Atlantic white cedarin the glaciated northeast ranges from 139 days inMaine to 21 1 days in northern New Jersey. Summersare relatively cool and wet. Average maximumdaily temperatures in July range between 13 and 16"C. The extreme high temperatures, 39 to 41 "C, donot differ from those in the southernmost parts of thecedars' range, although the total degree- days andaverage temperatures differ markedly. The lowesttemperatures in the glaciated cedar wetland arearange from -40 "C in Maine to -22 "C in New Jersey.Average annual precipitation is between 101 and 1 19cm (data from Ruffner and Bair 1981).Generally, Chamaecyparis decreases in abundancewith increasing distance from the coast. Lowtides and storms reveal cedar stumps buried undersaltmarsh peat near the coast from Kittery Point,Maine to New Jersey, evidence of the slow rise of sealevel in this region (Redfield and Rubin 1962). Atlanticwhite cedar was far more plentiful in each of thesestates a few hundred years ago, but there is noevidence that its range ever extended significantly tothe west or north of its current extent.In New England, Atlantic white cedar is mostabundant in southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island,and eastern Connecticut (Golet and Lowry1987; Sorrie and Woolsey 1987; Laderman, unpubl.).Its distribution (Figure 11) appears to be closely relatedto glacial features such as moraine hollows, glacialkettles, or old lake beds.There are 11 known Charnaecyparis standsin Maine (Eastman, unpubl.; B. Vickery, pers. comm.)and about twice that number in New Hampshire (H.Baldwin, pers. comm.; F. Brackley, pers. comm.; f?Auger, pers. comm.). In Massachusetts, cedarswamps are found in all but three of the 64 towns inBristol, Plymouth, and Barnstable (the State's threemajor southeast counties), and approximately 30
MAINEw NEW HAMPSHIRE-MASSACHUSETTSMorainesw Ice Readvances----- Inferred Glacial Margin~O*O Recessional MorainesCONNECTICUTFigure 10. Distribution of glacial moraines and ice readvance localities in the northeastern United States (fromLaderman et al. 1987, redrawn from Larson and Stone 1982).
Page 1: Biological Report 85(7.21)July 1989
Page 5 and 6: PREFACEThis monograph on the ecolog
Page 7 and 8: CONTENTSea9tl.PREFACE .............
Page 9 and 10: NumberTABLESEarliest records of Atl
Page 11 and 12: - CHAPTER 1 -INTRODUCTION1 .I GENER
Page 13 and 14: TEMPORARLYSEASONALLY1I SATURATED1Fi
Page 15 and 16: Stagnant,,- melting Icel Block d~ag
Page 17: Table I. Earliest records of Atlant
Page 22 and 23: stands are scattered north and west
Page 24 and 25: state and is gathering data hithert
Page 26 and 27: corner of the state, and Uttertown
Page 28 and 29: hardwood stands, or as isolated tre
Page 30 and 31: cedar have comprised 40%-60% of the
Page 32 and 33: tablished. Drainage from 224 krn of
Page 34 and 35: perennial streams (Figure 18) and i
Page 36 and 37: - CHAPTER 3 -CHAMAECYPARIS THYOIDES
Page 38 and 39: Ms&gua As early as 1923, Akermandes
Page 40 and 41: - CHAPTER 4 -STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Page 42 and 43: ottomland-isolatedtill & bedrockupl
Page 44 and 45: Table 5. Mean August tissue nutrien
Page 46 and 47: - CHAPTER 5 -BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS
Page 48 and 49: Figure 24a. Companions: plants freq
Page 50 and 51: Figure 24c. Companions: Plants freq
Page 52 and 53: ?able 7. Comparison of bird species
Page 54 and 55: Meanley (1979) emphasized the impor
Page 56 and 57: - CHAPTER 6 -MANAGEMENT AND HARVEST
Page 58 and 59: FireBurnedtreesPeatGlacialrubble-Tr
Page 60 and 61: Mixedhardwood& shrubsPeatGlacialrub
Page 62 and 63: acidity is reduced, and ammonia, ph
Page 64 and 65: and condition of the soil surface a
Page 66 and 67: sprouts and shade-tolerant shrubs g
Page 68 and 69: Figure 32. Atlantic white cedar reg
Page 70 and 71:
sedhflings, conversely, canopy open
Page 72 and 73:
FORESTMANAGEMENTSCHEMAT I CLEGEND-
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-.- Rsfupe BoundaryState BoundaryRo
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NATIONAL WILDLIFE RERX;EVirginia an
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Figure 38. Alligator River (North C
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Mainland Dare County is located on
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The cedar swamp forests along the A
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IPure Atlanticwhite cedar standsy-J
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Generally, the mixed swamp forest s
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species of mammals are recorded by
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Braun-Blanquet, J. [I 9321 1983. Pl
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Ferguson, R.H., and C.E. Meyer. 197
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Littte, S. 1953. Prescribed burning
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Porter, D.M. 1979. Rare and endange
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Gov. Print. Off., Washington, DC. (
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APPENDIX A. Flora Associated with C
Page 103 and 104:
APPENDIX A. Flora: Trees (6ontin~ed
Page 106 and 107:
APPENDIX A. Flora: Shrubs (Continue
Page 108 and 109:
APPENDIX A. Fiora: Herbs (Continud)
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APPENDIX A. Flora: Herbs (Continued
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APPENDIX A. flora: Herbs (Continued
Page 114 and 115:
Page 116 and 117:
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APPENDIX B. FAUNA OF ATLANTIC WHITE
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APPENDIX C. Hydric Soilsis a soil t
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Frost, CecilFuller, ManleyFunk, Dav
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Ward, Daniel B.Whigham, DennisWidof
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