Altavista & Congaree
Plant Layer
Alluvial forest
Morgan Creek, Mason Farm Biological Reserve
The Alluvial Forest occurs in the narrow floodplains of small streams or on large rivers where the floodplain is narrowed by bedrock. These floodplains are too small to differentiate communities by depositional landform. Flooding occurs for shorter periods and is more variable than on the larger floodplains of bottomland forests. The canopy is mixed, including floodplain species, widespread species, and upland species but with widespread species dominating.
Most of the canopy is widespread species such as sweet gum and tulip-tree but characteristic alluvial species such as sycamore, river birch or Southern hackberry are common.
Plant List
Detailed Guidesheet
Local Sites
Bottomland forest
Eno River Geology Destinations: Floodplain deposits
Bottomland Forests that are located on the higher parts of large floodplains are flooded for brief to moderate periods during the growing season. These sites occur on terraces, on the higher parts of depositional ridge and swale systems, and on some wide flat floodplains. Natural vegetation is a mix of bottomland oaks, tulip-tree, sweet gum, and sometimes American beech mixed with upland oaks and hickories. Bottomland Forests that are located on lower terraces, ridges, and flat floodplains lack an appreciable number of upland species.
Bottomland Forests vary in composition depending on whether they are close to the river or higher up the floodplain. Oaks are usually a prominent feature and may include willow oak, basket oak, cherrybark oak, overcup oak, water oak, and sometimes white oak.
Plant List
Detailed Guidesheet
Local Sites
Mesic Mixed hardwood forest