Sumter National Forest Final Report - NatureServe

sericea, Photinia pyrifolia (= Aronia arbutifolia), Photinia melanocarpa (= Aronia melanocarpa), Rhododendron maximum,Rhododendron viscosum, Kalmia latifolia, Kalmia carolina, Hypericum densiflorum, Lyonia ligustrina, Ilex verticillata, Spiraeatomentosa, Spiraea alba, and Menziesia pilosa. The herb layer may include Carex leptalea, Carex folliculata, Carex gynandra, Carexatlantica, Rhynchospora capitellata, Scirpus expansus, Scirpus cyperinus, Scirpus atrovirens, Osmunda cinnamomea, Osmundaregalis var. spectabilis, Solidago patula var. patula, Packera aurea (= Senecio aureus), Thelypteris palustris var. pubescens, Juncuseffusus, Juncus subcaudatus, Lysimachia terrestris, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Eriophorum virginicum, Oxypolis rigidior, Sagittarialatifolia (= var. pubescens), and Orontium aquaticum. Sphagnum species include Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum affine, Sphagnumbartlettianum, and Sphagnum recurvum. Other important bryophytes include Polytrichum commune, Rhizomnium appalachianum,and Aulacomnium palustre.Dynamics: Some occurrences of this community may have formed as the result of logging or catastrophic fire, followed by beaveractivity. Reduction of Sphagnum cover, due to siltation, trampling, or nutrient input, promotes succession by woody species. Little isknown about the successional dynamics of mountain wetlands. It is thought that beaver may have been responsible for maintaining ashifting mosaic of boggy habitats which included this community (Weakley and Schafale 1994). With the extirpation of beaver in theNorth Carolina mountains, vegetative succession proceeds in these habitats and will eventually result in a forested community.Similar Associations:Related Concepts:• IIE1b. Southern Appalachian Bog Complex (Allard 1990) B• Mountain Bog/Seep Herbaceous Vegetation (Ambrose 1990a) B• Mountain Bog/Seep Shrub/Scrub Vegetation (Ambrose 1990a) B• Southern Appalachian Bog (Low Elevation Shrub Subtype) (Schafale 1998b) ?• Southern Appalachian Bog, Low Elevation Variant (Weakley and Schafale 1994) ?• Southern Appalachian Bog, Southern Floodplain Variant (Weakley and Schafale 1994) ?Classification Comments: The nominals are used to distinguish this type from high-elevation bogs; Juncus gymnocarpus is not inall occurrences and perhaps another nominal should be found. Carex stricta-dominated wetlands may occur adjacent to thiscommunity. Similar wetland communities occur in the southern and central Appalachian Mountains. This community typically occursat lower elevations, is associated with floodplains, and lacks species characteristic of higher elevations, such as Houstoniaserpyllifolia, Picea rubens, Betula alleghaniensis, and Carex trisperma.CONSERVATION RANKING & RARE SPECIESGRank: G1G2 (1998-4-30): This community occurs at moderate elevations (750-950 meters; 2400-3200 feet), in the northern partof the Southern Blue Ridge, primarily in Allegheny and Ashe counties, North Carolina, and probably in adjacent Virginia. It alsooccurs south of the Asheville Basin in southwestern North Carolina and probably adjacent South Carolina and Georgia. Few examplesremain, and many of these are in degraded condition. Threats include grazing, agricultural inputs, aerial deposition of air pollutants,and watershed alteration, including road building and development, all which can alter the natural hydrologic regime.High-ranked species: Carex schweinitzii (G3G4), Chelone cuthbertii (G3), Helenium brevifolium (G3G4), Helonias bullata (G3),Lilium grayi (G3), Poa paludigena (G3)ELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONRange: This community is known from the northern part of the Southern Blue Ridge, primarily in Allegheny and Ashe counties,North Carolina, in Monroe County, Tennessee, and probably in adjacent Virginia. It also occurs south of the Asheville Basin insouthwestern North Carolina and probably in adjacent South Carolina and Georgia.Subnations: GA, NC, SC, TN, VA?TNC Ecoregions: 51:C, 59:CUSFS Ecoregions: M221Db:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M221Dd:CCCFederal Lands: NPS (Blue Ridge Parkway); USFS (Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Nantahala, Pisgah?, Sumter?)ELEMENT SOURCESReferences: Allard 1990, Ambrose 1990a, NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern U.S. unpubl. data, Peet et al. unpubl. data 2002,Schafale 1998b, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Southeastern Ecology Working Group n.d., Weakley 1993, Weakley and Schafale 1994Vegetation of Sumter National Forest April 30 2004Copyright © 2004 NatureServe102