Natural Communities of North Georgia
  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests

Piedmont Bottomlands, Floodplains, and Riparian Zones

This natural community occurs along rivers and streams.  It consists of: 
 
1) Bottomland and Floodplain(Alluvial) Forests:  flat, low-lying areas beyond the stream channel that flood at least occasionally.  Sediments from the floodwaters (called "alluvium"), often nutrient-rich, settle in these areas.  Often called "alluvial forests", they are close to the water table.  Seepage wetlands are often embedded within them.  Plants are adapted to shady, soggy, low oxygen conditions.  The topography, shaped by floods, varies greatly, with hummocks that are nearly mesic, and depressional areas that temporarily hold water.
 2)  
Riparian zone - the land along the river channel,  and islands within the river. This zone is flooded often.  Some stream sides are rocky, with plants rooted among the boulders, while others consist of easily eroded sediments. Plants in this zone are adapted to sunnier conditions and can withstand the force of floodwaters.  Rivers meander in S-shaped patterns.  The outer side of the meanders form cutbanks, where erosion is occurring, while the inner sides form pointbars: river bars that pioneer plants colonize.
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What's special:  The high nutrient levels and moisture foster rich, lush vegetation layers, with many food and shelter resources.  This variety of habitats supports a diversity of amphibians, birds and stream-side mammals. These communities also keep water resources clean by stabilizing stream banks and absorbing rainwater, creating buffers.

Indicator species:  Box elder, river birch, green ash, sycamore, overcup oak, black willow
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Related communities: High areas in the bottomlands, and those farthest from the flood zone grade into Mesic Forests.  Seepage Wetlands  are often embedded and grade into Wet Meadows.  ​
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Landscapes

Birds
Plants  
 Click on a plant name to see images. 
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Trees
Southern sugar maple Acer floridanum (esp. calcareous and mafic )
River birch Betula nigra
​Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis
Shagbark hickory Carya ovalis
Sugarberry Celtis laevigata
Green ash  Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Black walnut Juglans nigra
Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua
Tulip-tree Liriodendron tulipifera
Sycamore Platanus occidentalis
Overcup oak Quercus lyrata
Swamp chestnut oak  Quercus michauxii
Water oak Quercus nigra
Cherrybark oak Quercus pagoda
Willow oak Quercus phellos
Shumard oak Quercus shumardii
Winged elm Ulmus alata
Slippery elm Ulmus rubra
   
Understory (to medium size) trees
Box elder Acer negundo
Red maple Acer rubrum
Devil's walking stick Aralia spinosa 
Musclewood/American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana
Flowering dogwood Cornus florida 
Littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata (esp. basic)
Persimmon (American)  Diospyros virginiana
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana (esp. over calcareous and mafic rock)
American holly Ilex opaca
Sweetbay Magnolia virginiana
Red mulberry Morus rubra
Black willow Salix nigra
Ironwood/ Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana (esp. basic)
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Shrubs
Painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica (nutrient-rich forests)
Tag alder Alnus serrulata
Chokeberry (red) Aronia arbutifolia
Giant cane  Arundinaria gigantea
Pawpaw  Asimina triloba (nutrient-rich forests)
Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
Sweet shrub Calycanthus floridus
Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
Silky/Swamp dogwood Cornus amomum
Hearts-a-bustin' Euonymus americanus
Witch-alder Fothergilla major
Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana
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Smooth hydrangea  Hydrangea arborescens
Oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
Possumhaw Ilex decidua
Winterberry Ilex verticillata
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica
Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia
Doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
Spicebush  Lindera benzoin
Piedmont azalea Rhododendron canescens (acidic)
Swamp azalea  Rhododendron viscosum
​Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
American snowbell/storax Styrax americana
​Horse sugar Symplocus tinctoria
Mayberry/Elliott's blueberry Vaccinium elliottii
Mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium
Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum
Blackhaw/Nannyberry Viburnum prunifolium
Yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Vines
Ground nut Apios americana
Crossvine  Bignonia capreolat
Trumpet vine Campsis radicans
Virgin's bower Clematis virginiana
Climbing hydrangea  Decumaria barbara
Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens
Wild potato vine Ipomoea pandurata
Carolina spinypod  Matelea carolinensis (nutrient rich soils/rock)
Climbing hempweed Mikania scandens
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Greenbrier (whiteleaf/sawbrier) Smilax glauca
Poison ivy  Toxicodendron radicans
Muscadine Vitis rotundifolia 

​Ground Layer Forbs
​Ragweed Ambrosia trifida
Jack-in-the-pulpit  Arisaema triphyllum ​
False nettle  Boehmeria cylindrica
Fairywand/Devil's bit  Chamaelirium luteum
Turtlehead (white) Chelone glabra
Mist flower Conoclinium coelistinum
Trout lily Erythronium umbilicatum
Hollow-stem Joe-Pye-weed Eutrochium fistulatum
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Avens Geum canadense
Shuttleworth's ginger Hexastylis shuttleworthii
Swamp (eastern) rose mallow  Hibiscus moscheutos
Jewelweed (orange) Impatiens capensis
Cardinal flower  Lobelia cardinalis
Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
Seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
Fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
Monkey flower Mimulus ringens
Partridgeberry Mitchella repens
Kidney-leaved grass-of-Parnassus  Parnassia asarifolia
Arrow arum  Peltandra virginica
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May-apple Podophyllum peltatum
Calico aster Symphyotrichum laterifolum
​​Cutleaf coneflower   Rudbeckia laciniata
Duck potato/Broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia
Lizard's-tail  Saururus cernuus
Skullcap Scutellaria integrifolia
Foamflower Tiarella wherryi
Tassel-rue  Trautvetteria caroliniensis
Sweet Betsy/Toadshade trillium Trillium cuneatum (bottomland)
​Wingstem (common) Verbesina alternifolia
Ironweed (common) Vernonia gigantea
Blue marsh violet  Viola cucullata
Atamasco lily  Zephyranthes atamasco
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Golden Alexander  Zizia aurea

Ferns
Rattlesnake fern Botrypus virginianus 
Netted chain fern  Lorinseria areolata
Royal fern  Osmunda spectabilis
​Cinnamon fern  Osmundastrum cinnamomeum​
New York fern Parathelypteris novaboracensis

Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes
Shallow sedge Carex lurida
River oats Chasmanthium latifolium
Longleaf spikegrass Chasmanthium sessiliflorum
Virginia wild rye grass  Elymus virginicus
Common rush Juncus effusis
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Nimblewill/Nimbleweed  Muhlenbergia schreberi
Beaked panic grass  Panicum anceps/Coleataenia anceps  
Woolgrass bulrush Scirpus cyperinus
​Gamma grass Tripsacum dactyloides

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​Representative Trees in order by scientific name
Representative shrubs in order by scientific name.
Representative vines. in order by scientific name.  
Representative wildflowers in order by scientific name,
Representative Ferns, in order by scientific name
Representative Graminoids, in order by scientific name
Picture

​Contents of this site are based on the book The Natural Communities of Georgia, which can be purchased from the University of Georgia Press, Amazon, and other vendors.
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This site is a work in progress: comments and suggestions are welcome.  Email: ​naturalcommsga@gmail.com

  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests