Red River Large Floodplain Forest

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Nature Serve ID: CES203.065

Geology

Quaternary alluvial deposits.

Landform

Floodplain of the Red River and its major tributaries. Some local topographic variation exists and includes terraces and oxbows.

Soils

Bottomland soils.

Parent Description

This system is somewhat unique to Red River drainage, but shares many of the species common to the West Gulf Coastal Plain Large River Floodplain. Platanus occidentalis (American sycamore), Populus deltoids (eastern cottonwood), Salix nigra (black willow), Betula nigra (river birch), Acer negundo (boxelder), and Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash) tend to occupy riverfront sites and newly exposed or disturbed sites. Seasonally flooded portions of the system do occur, and may contain species such as Quercus lyrata (overcup oak), Carya aquatica (water hickory), Taxodium distichum (baldcypress), Nyssa aquatica (water tupelo), Nyssa biflora (swamp tupelo), Quercus phellos (willow oak), Gleditsia aquatica (water honeylocust), and Planera aquatica (water elm). Less frequently flooded areas may be dominated by numerous hardwood species, such as Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum), Quercus nigra (water oak), Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus shumardii (Shumard oak), Quercus macrocarpa (bur oak), Quercus michauxii (swamp chestnut oak), Quercus falcata (southern red oak), Carya illinoinensis (pecan), Celtis laevigata (sugar hackberry), Ulmus alata (winged elm), Ulmus americana (American elm), Ulmus crassifolia (cedar elm), Ulmus rubra (slippery elm), Gleditsia triacanthos (common honeylocust), Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum), and Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash). Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar), Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), and, to a lesser extent, Pinus echinata (shortleaf pine) may be found in the canopy. A mid-story component may include young individuals of the overstory, as well as species such as Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam), Ostrya virginiana (American hop-hornbeam), Acer rubrum (red maple), Sassafras albidum (sassafras), Maclura pomifera (bois d'arc), and Morus rubra (red mulberry). Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush) may dominate some open sites within the floodplain. In addition to these species, shrubs such as Crataegus viridis (green hawthorn), Crataegus marshallii (parsley hawthorn), Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry), Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet), and Arundinaria gigantea (giant cane) may be found in the understory of forests. Numerous woody vines may be encountered, including Smilax rotundifolia (common greenbriar), Brunnichia ovata (eardrop vine), Berchemia scandens (Alabama supplejack), Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), Ampelopsis arborea (peppervine), and Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy). Herbaceous species may be present in the understory of the forest, occur as marshy areas, or occupy herbaceous-dominated sites on areas less frequently flooded. Saururus cernuus (lizard's tail), Nymphaea odorata (American waterlily), Rhynchospora spp. (beaksedges), Carex spp. (sedges), Dichanthelium spp. (rosette grasses), Chasmanthium spp. (woodoats), Juncus spp. (rushes), Leersia spp. (cutgrass), Geum canadense (white avens), Sanicula canadensis (Canada snakeroot), Woodwardia areolata (chain fern), Mikania scandens (climbing hemp-weed), and Polygonum spp. (smartweeds) are among the herbaceous species that may be commonly encountered in this system.

Ecological Mapping Systems

Red River: Floodplain Hardwood / Evergreen Forest

Mapping System ID: 5103

This minor component of the system may represent pine plantations. In the west, these sites have a canopy where Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar) shares dominance with the hardwoods described for the system.

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Hardwood / Evergreen Forest

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Hardwood/Evergreen Forest.jpg

Public Land Occurrence

  • None.

Red River: Floodplain Hardwood Forest

Mapping System ID: 5104

This mapped type makes up about half of the area mapped as this system. Dominants include the hardwood species mentioned above for areas not seasonally flooded. This type may have a well-developed mid-story, and some shrub cover. Herbaceous cover may be patchy to almost continuous.

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Hardwood Forest

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Hardwood Forest.jpg

Red River: Floodplain Evergreen Shrubland

Mapping System ID: 5105

This is a very minor component of the system and may represent young pine plantations or sites dominated by Juniperus virginiana (eastern redcedar).

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Evergreen Shrubland

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Evergreen Shrubland.jpg

Public Land Occurrence

  • None.

Red River: Floodplain Deciduous Shrubland

Mapping System ID: 5106

This mapped type may represent areas of sparse woodland canopy or young forests recovering from disturbance. Such sites may contain species such as Salix nigra (black willow), Ulmus alata (winged elm), Celtis laevigata (sugar hackberry), Acer negundo (boxelder), Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), or Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum), among others. This type may also represent shrublands dominated by species such as Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush).

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Deciduous Shrubland

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Deciduous Shrubland.jpg

Public Land Occurrence

  • None.

Red River: Floodplain Herbaceous Wetland

Mapping System ID: 5107

This relatively minor component of the system represents marsh landcover mapped on bottomland soils of the region. This type tends to be wetter than the Red River: Floodplain Wet Prairie.

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Herbaceous Wetland

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Herbaceous Wetland.jpg

Red River: Floodplain Seasonally Flooded Hardwood Forest

Mapping System ID: 5114

This mapped type occupies wetter sites that experience frequent flooding and tend to be dominated by more flood-tolerant species such as Quercus lyrata (overcup oak), Taxodium distichum (baldcypress), and Quercus phellos (willow oak).

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Seasonally Flooded Hardwood Forest

Photos

Exampl Red River: Floodplain Seasonally Flooded Hardwood Forest.jpg

Red River: Floodplain Wet Prairie

Mapping System ID: 5117

This mapped type makes up a significant portion of the area mapped at this system. It represents areas of herbaceous cover, not mapped as marsh landcover, in bottomland soils of the region. It may often represent managed pastures. This type tends to be drier than the Red River: Floodplain Herbaceous Wetland.

Distribution Map

Red River: Floodplain Wet Prairie

Photos

Example Red River: Floodplain Wet Prairie.jpg