National Forests in Florida Final Report
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Bald-cypress SwampElement Identifiers NVCS association: Taxodium distichum / Lemna minor Forest Database Code: CEGL002420 Formation: Semipermanently flooded cold-deciduous forest Alliance: TAXODIUM DISTICHUM SEMIPERMANENTLY FLOODED FOREST ALLIANCE (I.B.2.N.f.3) Element Concept Summary: This bald-cypress swamp is found in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the United States in a variety of ecological settings. Examples may occur in oxbow lakes and ponds, and along the banks of rivers and lakes in saturated or flooded soils. This type is characterized by a monospecific canopy of straight, tall individuals of Taxodium distichum above shallow to deep water (depths ranging from soil saturation to approximately 6 m) during all or most of the year. Flooding is seasonal, occurring during winter and spring. Stands have a sparse to moderate subcanopy and depauperate shrub and herb layers. The trunks of the canopy trees typically form swelled buttresses. Canopy cover is variable, from at or near 100% to less than 60% in some examples. More open examples of this type tend to occur in deeper water. In the deepest water situations scattered trees grow over an open water surface covered by floating and submersed aquatic plants. Taxodium distichum regeneration is absent in areas of permanent inundation, as seed germination does not occur in standing water. The subcanopy and herbaceous layers are dependent upon timing, duration, and depth of flooding. Cephalanthus occidentalis and Rosa palustris may be common shrubs in some examples of this community, while Fraxinus caroliniana (in its range) and Acer rubrum var. drummondii are common in the subcanopy. Shallow water emergents, floating-leaved aquatics, such as Azolla caroliniana, Brasenia schreberi, Cabomba caroliniana, Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, Limnobium spongia, Spirodela punctata, Wolffia columbiana, Lemna spp. Nymphaea spp., and submerged hydrophytes, such as Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa, Myriophyllum aquaticum, and Potamogeton nodosus, are common in permanent water zones throughout the range of Taxodium distichum swamps. This community is differentiated from other swamp forests by lacking Nyssa spp. as other than occasional individuals. This is the only community type currently defined outside Florida with Taxodium distichum as the sole dominant. Environment: This community occurs on a variety of inundated topographic habitats, including oxbow ponds, natural lakes, drowned floodplains, backwater sloughs, along river edges, and in various isolated depressions within the floodplain. It is more commonly associated with brownwater than blackwater rivers. Soil types on which it is found are very poorly drained. This included impounded water (e.g., abandoned millponds, beaver ponds) and other habitats with relatively stable water levels. Vegetation: The vegetation is characterized by a monospecific canopy of straight, tall individuals of Taxodium distichum with a sparse to moderate subcanopy and depauperate shrub and herb layers. Trees are generally very tall and straight with their trunks forming swelled buttresses. Canopy cover is extremely variable, from densely closed forests to sparse canopies. Taxodium distichum regeneration is absent in areas of permanent inundation, as seed germination does not occur in standing water. The subcanopy and herbaceous layers are dependent upon timing, duration, and depth of flooding. Cephalanthus occidentalis and Rosa palustris are common shrubs in this community, while Fraxinus caroliniana (in its range) and Acer rubrum var. drummondii are common in the subcanopy. A common vine is Brunnichia ovata. Shallow water emergents, floating-leaved aquatics, such as Azolla caroliniana, Brasenia schreberi, Cabomba caroliniana, Limnobium spongia, Spirodela punctata, Wolffia columbiana, Lemna minor, Nymphaea spp., and submerged hydrophytes, such as Ceratophyllum demersum, are common in permanent water zones throughout the range of this type. In the southern part of the range (e.g., southern Alabama) Lemna minor is replaced by Lemna valdiviana. Other important aquatic species may include Ludwigia palustris, Ludwigia peploides, and Hydrolea uniflora. The most open-canopied examples, in deeper water, may support dense colonies of Nuphar lutea, and often greater cover of Nelumbo lutea, Cabomba caroliniana, Ceratophyllum demersum, Egeria densa, and Wolffia columbiana (Van Kley and Hine 1998). Interestingly, cover of the epiphyte Tillandsia usneoides apparently peaks in more closed-canopied situations. Common herbaceous species from occurrences in southwestern Arkansas include Bidens discoidea, Carex lupulina, Carex glaucescens, Echinodorus cordifolius, Heliotropium indicum, Leersia oryzoides, Limnobium spongia, Lycopus rubellus, Polygonum hydropiperoides, Proserpinaca palustris, and Saururus cernuus (J. Campbell pers. comm. 1999, D. Zollner pers. comm. 1999, TNC 1995a). Dynamics: Canopy cover is variable, from at or near 100% to less than 60% in some examples. More open examples of this type tend to occur in deeper water. In the deepest water situations scattered trees grow over an open water surface covered by floating and submersed aquatic plants (Van Kley and Hine 1998). Taxodium distichum regeneration is absent in areas of permanent inundation, as seed germination does not occur in standing water. The subcanopy and herbaceous layers are dependent upon timing, duration, and depth of flooding. Woody regeneration is completely dependent on periods of drawdown, which may result in dense stands of even-aged trees. Very old, mature trees are generally scattered throughout bald-cypress swamps among dominant, medium-aged trees. Swamps containing large numbers of mature trees exhibit numerous canopy openings due to senescence and wind throws. Old-growth bald-cypress are usually hollow with many snags and dead limbs. Regeneration in bald-cypress swamps does occur on the periphery where fluctuating water levels often leave moist soil areas ideal for seed germination. Seed dispersal is accomplished by floating on the water surface. Similar Associations: Nyssa aquatica Forest (CEGL002419)--lacks bald-cypress as a significant contributor to canopy dominance. Taxodium distichum - (Nyssa aquatica) / Forestiera acuminata - Planera aquatica Forest (CEGL002421)--has similar hydrologic characteristics but differs by exhibiting a canopy codominated by bald-cypress and water tupelo. Taxodium distichum - Populus heterophylla Forest (CEGL005201) Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica / Fraxinus caroliniana Forest (CEGL007431)--a brownwater Atlantic Coastal Plain seasonally flooded type of flowing rivers. Synonymy: Palustrine: Palustrine Forested Wetland (Cowardin et al. 1979) B UNESCO FORMATION CODE: I.B.3e (UNESCO 1973) B Baldcypress: 101 (Eyre 1980) B Eastern Broadleaf and Needleleaf Forests: 113: Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium) (Kuchler 1964) B Taxodium - Nyssa aquatica / Rosa palustris community (Voigt and Mohlenbrock 1964) B Taxodium distichum - Nyssa aquatica swamp (Robertson et al. 1984) B IIA4a. Bald Cypress Swamp (Allard 1990) B. in part P1B3dI1a. Taxodium distichum (Foti et al. 1994) Mesotrophic Semipermanently Flooded Forest (Rawinski 1992) B Palustrine: Forested Wetland: Riparian (TNC 1985) B Closed-canopy Cypress Swamps & Open (Deep Water) Cypress Swamps (TNC 1995a) Baldcypress / Ceratophyllum Semi-Permanently Flooded Swamps (Turner et al. 1999) Comments: This is the only community type currently defined outside Florida with Taxodium distichum as the sole dominant. Stands are possible in suitable habitat anywhere within the range of Taxodium distichum; however, it is more commonly recognized outside of, or near the edge of, the range of Nyssa aquatica which otherwise is frequently codominant with Taxodium distichum. Classification can become difficult where excessive logging has removed most of the mature bald-cypress. Logging, and possibly alteration of hydrologic regimes, may create an unnaturally open canopy more typical of woodland communities. Water tupelo regeneration is prevalent at these disturbed sites, often replacing bald-cypress as the dominant plant species. Unless canopy composition is severely altered, this criterion is currently used to establish species dominance. Where logging causes classification difficulties, adjacent undisturbed occurrences may be used to ascertain pre-disturbance dominance. Conservation Ranking & Rare Species GRank: G4G5 (01-09-19): High-ranked species: CAREX DECOMPOSITA (G3) Element Distribution Range: This bald-cypress swamp is found in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains of the United States. Stands are possible in suitable habitat anywhere within the range of Taxodium distichum, i.e., the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain from Virginia to southern Florida, the lower Gulf Coastal Plain to southeastern Texas, and the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain to southern Illinois. However, it is more commonly recognized outside of, or near the edge of, the range of Nyssa aquatica which otherwise is frequently codominant with Taxodium distichum. Such areas include southwestern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma, eastern Mississippi and adjacent Alabama, southern Indiana, peninsular Florida, northeastern Virginia, eastern Maryland and Delaware. ^Bald-cypress occurs over a wide area and reaches its best development in Florida where it covers over 10% of the state. Bald-cypress swamps occur from southern Florida, along the Gulf Coast to eastern Texas, north into Arkansas and Tennessee, up the Mississippi Valley into southern Illinois and Indiana, and as far north as Delaware along the East Coast. Historically, bald-cypress swamps reached their northernmost limits at the northern boundary of the Gulf Coastal Plains Division in southern Illinois. Remnant bald-cypress swamps still occur in extreme southern Illinois; the most significant occurrences are found in the Cache River Basin. Hydrologic alteration resulting from ditching, draining, and logging has severely reduced the number and size of bald-cypress swamps within their historic range. States: AL AR FL GA IL IN KY LA MO MS NC OK SC TN TX VA? Crosswalk to State Classifications: AL: Bald Cypress Swamp (AL 1993) AR: Cypress Swamp (AR 1994) FL: Floodplain Swamp, in part (FL 1992) GA: Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest, in part; Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest, in part (GA 1990) IL: swamp IN: forested swamp KY: Cypress Swamp, in part (KY 1991) LA: Cypress/Cypress-Tupelo Swamp, in part (LA 1996) MO: swamp MS: Bald Cypress Swamp (MS 1994) NC: Cypress--Gum Swamp, Blackwater Subtype, in part; Cypress--Gum Swamp, Brownwater Subtype, in part (NC 1990) OK: Taxodium distichum / Lemna minor forest association (OK 2000) SC: Bald Cypress--Tupelo Gum Swamp, in part (SC 1986) TX: Baldcypress-Water Tupelo Series, in part (TX 1993) VA?: No equivalent (VA 2001) TNC Ecoregions: 31:C, 38:C, 40:C, 41:C, 42:C, 44:C, 53:C, 55:C, 56:C, 57:C USFS Ecoregions: 222A:CC, 222C:CC, 222D:CP, 222G:CC, 231B:CC, 231E:CP, 231Fa:CCC, 232B:CC, 232C:CC, 232Fa:CCC, 234An:CCC Federal Lands: DOE (Savannah River Site); NPS (Chickasaw, Shiloh?); USFS (Angelina, Apalachicola, Conecuh, Davy Crockett, Delta?, De Soto, Holly Springs?, Homochitto?, Kisatchie, Ocala, Osceola, Sabine, Sam Houston, St. Francis?, Tombigbee?); USFWS (Chickasaw, Reelfoot) Element Sources References: Allard 1990, Ambrose 1990a, Blair and Hubbell 1938, Bruner 1931, Campbell pers. comm., Cowardin et al. 1979, Dennis 1988, Diamond 1993, Duck and Fletcher 1945, Evans 1991, Ewel and Odum 1984b, Eyre 1980, FNAI 1992a, Faircloth 1971, Foti 1994b, Foti et al. 1994, Hoagland 1997, Hoagland 2000, Hoagland et al. 1996, Illinois Nature Preserve Commission 1973, Kuchler 1964, Little 1980, NatureServe Ecology - Southeast U.S. unpubl. data, Nelson 1986, Oberholster 1993, Osborn 1941, Rawinski 1992, Rice 1963, Robertson et al. 1984, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Smith 1996a, TNC 1985, TNC 1995a, Turner et al. 1999, UNESCO 1973, Van Kley and Hine 1998, Voigt and Mohlenbrock 1964, Wharton 1989, White and Anderson 1970, White and Madany 1978, Wieland 1994b, Zollner pers. comm. 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