Natural Characteristics Summary 

 24a. Vegetation - Biotic Community Summary 



Community type: 



Acer rubrum / Ilex opaca /mixed Dryopteris taxa 

 Community cover type: 



Acer rub rum 



General habitat feature: 

 Pocosin-relict marine scarp ecotone 

 Average canopy height: 



82-92 feet 

 Estimated age of canopy trees: 



Around 80 yrs. 

 Canopy cover: 



Closed. 



Estimated size of community: 



40 acres. 



Successional stage: Subclimax. Eventual climax unknown. The area 



is in transition because of disturbances in hydrology within the swamp 

 and above the Suffolk Scarp. 



Sere type: Originally a psammosere (beginning of Wisconsin period) 



but present vegetation developed on a soil derived from fine-textured 



colluvial material from the Suffolk Scarp, intermingled with organic 



material formed in situ. There is no suitable term for this serai 



situation. 



Common canopy species in community cover or community 



type (but not dominant): Nyssa sylvatica biflora , Taxodium 

 distichum . 



Common sub-canopy or shrub stratum species in community 

 cover or community type ( but not dominant ) : 

 Pawpaw (Asimina triloba ) 



Common herb stratum species in community cover or 



community type (but not dominant): ' 



Cane (Arundinaria gigantea) , Japanese honeysuckle (Lonlcera japonica ) 



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