Piedmont Upland Depression Swamp

Macrogroup: Central Hardwood Swamp

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© Gary P. Fleming ( Department of Conservation & Recreation Natural Heritage Program) Description: A forested swamp of wetland oaks occurring in small, shallow basins in upland settings where water pools due to limited soil drainage. Most examples are isolated seasonally- flooded wetlands dominated by wetland oaks (pin oak, swamp white oak, laurel oak, willow oak, overcup oak), but a few are treeless or open-canopied ponds. Vegetation is zoned with an outer ring of trees, a more interior ring of shrubs (buttonbush, heaths, greenbrier), vines, and wetland graminoids and ferns, and a central area with or without standing water year round depending on precipitation. Sphagnum moss is sometimes extensive in parts of the pools. State Distribution: MD, VA

Total Habitat Acreage: 21,559 Ecological Setting and Natural Processes: Percent Conserved: 4.7% Occurs on nearly level Piedmont uplands with clay hardpans State State GAP 1&2 GAP 3 Unsecured and shallow seasonal flooding. Most known examples are on State Habitat % Acreage (acres) (acres) (acres) mafic bedrock. Flooding depth is typically shallow (< 25 cm). VA 98% 21,055 36 900 20,118 Soils are typically loamy clays. There is substantial variation MD 2% 505 1 76 427 among the pools, related to substrate, basin morphology, and geographic location.

Similar Habitat Types: Piedmont Hardpan Woodland & Forest is closely related by the importance of an impermeable clay hardpan and the preference for mafic bedrock, and some intermediate gradations occur. Shares some flora with coastal plain depressional wetlands like Central Appalachian Coastal Plain Non-Riverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest.

Crosswalk to State Wildlife Action Plans: Crosswalk to State Name Examples: Upland Depression Swamps (MD), Wetland Habitat - Upland Depression Swamps (MD), Piedmont Upland Forested (VA) Depression Swamp (VA) Places to Visit this Habitat: Habitat Patch Distribution | VA National Park | VA 10,000 8,000 Pocahontas | VA 6,000 | VA 4,000 Acres 2,000 0

Associated Species: Appendix lists scientific names 0 to 1 1 to 5 5 to 10 1000+ PLANTS: common greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia), manna- 10 to 100 grasses (Glyceria spp.), marsh hedge-nettle (Stachys pilosa var. 100 to 1000 arenicola), overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), rushes (Juncus spp), Patch Size Classes Sphagnum mosses (Sphagnum spp.), Virginia cut grass (Leersia The average patch size for this habitat is 2 acres and the largest single patch is 154 virginica), Wood reed grass (Cinna arundinacea), woolly sedge acres. This chart shows the proportion of the habitat that is in each patch-size class. (Carex pellita), yellow pitcherplant (Sarracenia flava)

Age Class Distribution 50 40 30 20 10

0 Percent of Percent Habitat

1 to 20 20 to 40 40 to 60 60 to 80 80 to 100100 to 140 Age (Years)

This chart shows the average age of trees associated with this habitat based on forest Inventory data. For non-forested systems or small habitats the average age is Species of Concern (G1-G4): Appendix lists scientific names influenced by the surroundings. PLANTS: Small's purslane (Portulaca smallii), Virginia quillwort (Isoetes virginica) Predicted Habitat Loss to Development

19,500 19,000 18,500 18,000

Acreage 17,500 17,000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 Decade

This chart shows the predicted loss of habitat over the next five decades (1,205 acres) if loss continues at the same rate as 1990-2000. The average rate of loss is 24 acres per year.

Habitat Connectedness Index

80 60 40 20

0 Percent of Percent Habitat 0 to 25 25 to 50 50 to 75 75 to 100 Degree of Fragmentation (0=Highly Fragmented & 100= Highly Connected)

This metric measures how connected or fragmented the land directly surrounding (18 © Gary P. Fleming (Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation Natural square miles) the habitat is, this the chart shows the proportion of the habitat in each Heritage Program) connectedness class.

Piedmont Upland Depression Swamp http://nature.ly/HabitatGuide