A Guide to the Natural Communities of the Delaware Estuary June 2006 Citation: Westervelt, K., E. Largay, R. Coxe, W. McAvoy, S. Perles, G. Podniesinski, L. Sneddon, and K. Strakosch Walz. 2006. A Guide to the Natural Communities of the Delaware Estuary: Version 1. NatureServe. Arlington, Virginia. PDE Report No. 06-02 Copyright © 2006 NatureServe COVER PHOTOS Top L: Eastern Hemlock - Great Laurel Swamp, photo from Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Top R: Pitch Pine - Oak Forest, photo by Andrew Windisch, photo from New Jersey Natural Heritage Bottom R: Maritime Red Cedar Woodland, photo by Robert Coxe, photo from Delaware Natural Heritage Bottom L: Water Willow Rocky Bar and Shore in Pennsylvania, photo from Pennsylvania Natural Heritage A GUIDE TO THE NATURAL COMMUNITIES OF THE DELAWARE ESTUARY Kellie Westervelt Ery Largay Robert Coxe William McAvoy Stephanie Perles Greg Podniesinski Lesley Sneddon Kathleen Strakosch Walz. Version 1 June 2006 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................................................................................11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. 12 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 13 CLASSIFICATION APPROACH..................................................................................................... 14 International Terrestrial Ecological Systems Classification ..................................................................... 14 National Vegetation Classification System.............................................................................................. 14 DATA COLLECTION & MAINTENANCE ......................................................................................... 15 NatureServe............................................................................................................................................ 15 Data Gaps............................................................................................................................................... 15 FORMAT OF THIS REPORT ........................................................................................................ 15 Ecological Systems................................................................................................................................. 16 Natural Communities............................................................................................................................... 17 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................. 19 Dichotomous Key.................................................................................................................................... 19 ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES OF THE DELAWARE ESTUARY ...................... 21 Ecological System: Appalachian (Hemlock)-Northern Hardwood Forest................................................ 22 Central Appalachian Forested Acid Seep...........................................................................................................23 Central Appalachian White Pine - Eastern Hemlock Forest ...............................................................................23 East-central Hemlock Hardwood Forest .............................................................................................................24 Golden-saxifrage Forested Seep........................................................................................................................26 Hemlock - Beech - Oak Forest ...........................................................................................................................26 Hemlock / White Pine - Red Oak - Mixed Hardwood Forest...............................................................................27 High Allegheny Rich Red Oak - Sugar Maple Forest..........................................................................................28 Northern Hardwood Forest .................................................................................................................................29 Red Maple - Blackgum Basin Swamp ................................................................................................................31 Red Maple Upland Forest...................................................................................................................................32 Red Oak - Northern Hardwood Forest................................................................................................................33 White Pine - Hemlock Dry-Mesic Coniferous Forest...........................................................................................34 Ecological System: Appalachian Serpentine Woodland......................................................................... 36 Serpentine Emergent Wetland............................................................................................................................36 Serpentine Indiangrass - Little Bluestem Grassland...........................................................................................37 Serpentine Little Bluestem - Prairie Dropseed Grassland ..................................................................................38 Serpentine Red Maple - Oak - Catbrier Serpentine Forest.................................................................................39 Serpentine Red Maple - Pine Forest ..................................................................................................................40 Serpentine Red-cedar - Virginia Pine - Catbrier Serpentine Forest....................................................................41 Virginia Pine Serpentine Forest..........................................................................................................................42 Ecological System: Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest................................... 44 Atlantic White-cedar / Seaside Alder Swamp .....................................................................................................44 Coastal Plain Atlantic White-cedar - Red Maple Swamp....................................................................................45 Ecological System: Atlantic Coastal Plain Brownwater Stream Floodplain Forest ................................. 47 Coastal Plain Oak Floodplain Swamp ................................................................................................................47 Ecological System: Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest........................................................ 49 Basic Mesic Ravine Forest .................................................................................................................................49 4 Mesic Coastal Plain Oak Forest .........................................................................................................................50 Mid-Atlantic Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest .......................................................................................................51 Northern Coastal Plain/Piedmont Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest.......................................................................53 Ecological System: Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Basin Peat Swamp ................................................ 54 Atlantic White-cedar / Seaside Alder Swamp .....................................................................................................54 Blueberry Wetland Thicket..................................................................................................................................55 Coastal Plain Atlantic White-cedar - Red Maple Swamp....................................................................................56 Coastal Plain Atlantic White-cedar Swamp ........................................................................................................57 Red Maple / Seaside Alder Woodland................................................................................................................58 Southern Red Maple - Black Gum Swamp Forest..............................................................................................59 Ecological System: Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest.............. 61 Cape May Lowland Swamp................................................................................................................................61 Chesapeake Red Maple Swamp ........................................................................................................................62 Coastal Loblolly Pine Wetland Forest.................................................................................................................63 Coastal Plain Calcareous Seepage Swamp.......................................................................................................64 Red Maple - Sweetgum Swamp .........................................................................................................................64 Southern New England Red Maple Seepage Swamp ........................................................................................65 Southern Red Maple - Black Gum Swamp Forest..............................................................................................66 Ecological