An Ecological Classification of Groundwater-Fed
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ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF GROUNDWATER-FED SEEPAGE WETLANDS OF THE MARYLAND COASTAL PLAIN By Jason W. Harrison Wildlife and Heritage Service Maryland Department of Natural Resources 909 Wye Mills Rd. Wye Mills, Maryland 21679 410-827-8612 ext. 109 [email protected] Wesley M. Knapp Wildlife and Heritage Service Maryland Department of Natural Resources 909 Wye Mills Rd. Wye Mills, Maryland 21679 410-827-8612 ext. 100 [email protected] June 2010 (updated February 2015) Prepared for United States Fish and Wildlife Service Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford Lt. Governor Mark J. Belton Acting Secretary The facilities and services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are available to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability. This document is available in an alternative format upon request from a qualified individual with a disability. Toll free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR ext. 3 Out of State call: 1-410-260-8540 TTY users call via the MD Relay www.dnr.maryland.gov Printed on recycled paper Citation: Harrison, J.W., W.M. Knapp. 2010. Ecological classification of groundwater-fed wetlands of the Maryland Coastal Plain. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis, MD. June 2010. 98 pp. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................... 4 LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................................................. 5 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................. 7 STUDY AREA ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 METHODS ............................................................................................................................................................ 9 Sampling Plan.................................................................................................................................................... 9 Field Methods .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Vegetation .......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Environment..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Metadata .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 ANALYSIS.......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Data Preparation and Transformations........................................................................................................... 11 Hierarchical Cluster Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 13 Statistical Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 13 Ordination........................................................................................................................................................ 14 Assignment to the U.S. National Vegetation Classification System ................................................................. 15 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION .......................................................................................................................... 15 Flora ................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Community Classification................................................................................................................................ 19 Community Descriptions.................................................................................................................................. 29 Sea-Level Fen .............................................................................................................................................. 30 Delmarva Poor Fen ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Coastal Plain Acidic Seepage Swale............................................................................................................ 34 Coastal Plain Dwarf-Shrub Peatland............................................................................................................ 37 Coastal Plain Emergent Millpond Bog......................................................................................................... 39 Fall-Line Terrace Gravel Bog ...................................................................................................................... 42 Coastal Plain Acidic Seepage Swamp.......................................................................................................... 47 Conservation Implications ............................................................................................................................... 50 LITERATURE CITED ........................................................................................................................................ 52 APPENDIX I. LIST OF 343 VASCULAR AND NONVASCULAR TAXA REPORTED FROM 51 VEGETATION SAMPLE PLOTS. ..................................................................................................................... 57 APPENDIX II. COMPOSITIONAL SUMMARY STATISTICS FOR 7 COMMUNITY TYPES .................... 69 APPENDIX III. STATE AND GLOBAL CONSERVATION RANKS ............................................................. 95 APPENDIX IV. SAMPLE DATA FORMS ........................................................................................................ 98 3 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of study area with fall line separating Piedmont and Coastal Plain physiographic provinces indicated in red......................................................................................................................................................8 Figure 2. Color-coded dendrogram identifying the two major ecological groups resulting from cluster analysis . ............................................................................................................................................................................20 Figure 3. Dendrogram showing the five early successional herbaceous and/or shrub dominated wetland community types that emerged from cluster analysis .........................................................................................21 Figure 4. Dendrogram showing the two forested wetland community types that emerged from cluster analysis . ............................................................................................................................................................................22 Figure 5. Ordination of 14 sample plots dominated by herbaceous vegetation...................................................24 Figure 6. Ordination of 14 forested wetland plots...............................................................................................26 Figure 7. Map of study area and plot locations for five early successional community types. ...........................41 Figure 8. Map of study area and plot locations for two forested community types. ...........................................49 4 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Cover class scores used in field sampling and data analysis.................................................................10 Table 2. Topographic / hydrologic environmental indices recorded at each plot sampling site. ........................11 Table 3. Generic and higher-level taxa deleted from dataset. .............................................................................12 Table 4. Ordinal values for scalar topographic and soil moisture variables........................................................12 Table 5. Compositional Summary Statistics .......................................................................................................14 Table 6. Summary of general floristics at sample sites in study. ........................................................................17 Table 7. Families represented in the study with the greatest number of taxa.....................................................17 Table 8. The most common Genera observed and their associated number of taxa............................................17 Table 9. Summary of rare taxa reported from 7 community types classified in this study. ................................18 Table 10. Classification of Community Types and USNVC Vegetation Associations identified in the study area. ............................................................................................................................................................................19