Natural Community Fact Sheets

The forests of this formation characterize our coldest regions. At higher elevations and in low, cold, moist areas, red spruce and balsam fir may dominate the canopy. Warmer or better-drained sites have significant amounts of hardwoods (yellow birch, sugar maple, and beech) along with softwoods in the canopy. 

• Subalpine Krummholz – State Rank S1
• Montane Spruce-Fir Forest – State Rank S3
• Lowland Spruce-Fir Forest – State Rank S3
• Montane Yellow Birch-Red Spruce Forest – State Rank S3
• Red Spruce-Northern Hardwood Forest – State Rank S5
• Red Spruce-Heath Rocky Ridge – State Rank S3
• Boreal Talus Woodland – State Rank S3
• Cold Air Talus Woodland – State Rank S1  

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The forests of this formation are best developed at Vermont’s middle elevations, and forests of this formation are widespread in the state. Beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch are the prominent tree species, but hemlock, red oak, red maple, and white pine can be common as well, and red spruce makes an occasional appearance.

• Northern Hardwood Forest – State Rank S5
• Rich Northern Hardwood Forest – State Rank S4
• Red Oak-Northern Hardwood Forest – State Rank S4
• Hemlock Forest – State Rank S4
• Hemlock-Northern Hardwood Forest – State Rank S5
• Red Pine Forest – State Rank S2
• Northern Hardwood Talus Woodland – State Rank S3

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The forests of this formation are best developed in the warmer regions of Vermont and generally occur as large patches or small patches: a typical situation is a dry hilltop with a forest of the Oak-Pine-Northern Hardwood Forest Formation, surrounded by lower slopes of forests in the Northern Hardwood Forest Formation. Hardwoods such as sugar maple, beech, and yellow birch are common, but warmer climate species such as red oak, shagbark hickory, and white oak can be present in significant numbers. White pine is a prominent part of this formation.

• Limestone Bluff Cedar-Pine Forest – State Rank S2
• Dry Oak-Maple Limestone Forest – State Rank S3
• Dry Oak-Hickory-Hophornbeam Forest – State Rank S3
• Pitch Pine-Oak-Heath Rocky Summit – State Rank S1
• Red Cedar Woodland – State Rank S1
• Dry Chestnut Oak Woodland – State Rank S2
• Dry Oak Forest – State Rank S3
• Dry Red Oak-White Pine Forest – State Rank S3
• Dry Transition Hemlock Forest – State Rank S4
• Dry Hemlock-Oak Forest – State Rank S3
• Mesic Maple-Ash-Hickory-Oak Forest – State Rank S3
• Mesic Clayplain Forest – State Rank S2
• Sand-Over-Clay Forest – State Rank S2
• Dry Pine-Oak-Heath Sandplain Forest – State Rank S1
• Mesic Pine-Oak Sandplain Forest – State Rank S2
• Oak-Black Birch Talus Woodland – State Rank S3
• Oak-Maple Limestone Talus Woodland – State Rank S3

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These are openings adjacent to rivers, streams, lakes, or ponds that are maintained by flooding, ice scour, and/or wave action. The substrate may be bedrock, cobble, gravel, shale, sand, or occasionally clay.

• Riverside Outcrop – State Rank S3
• Erosional Bluff – State Rank S2
• Lake Shale or Cobble Beach – State Rank S3
• Lake Sand Beach – State Rank S2
• Sand Dune – State Rank S1

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These are areas of exposed bedrock, with slopes less than 60 degrees, that are open because of excessive dryness, thin soils, fire, or cold winds. They are generally not adjacent to rivers, streams, lakes, or ponds.

• Alpine Meadow – State Rank S1
• Boreal Outcrop – State Rank S4
• Serpentine Outcrop – State Rank S1
• Temperate Acidic Outcrop – State Rank S4
• Temperate Calcareous Outcrop – State Rank S3

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These are areas of bedrock exposure that are very steep, with slopes greater than 60 degrees, or areas of rockfall below cliffs.

• Boreal Acidic Cliff – State Rank S4
• Boreal Calcareous Cliff – State Rank S2
• Temperate Acidic Cliff – State Rank S4
• Temperate Calcareous Cliff – State Rank S3
• Open Talus – State Rank S2

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These areas are closely associated with river and lake floodplains and have exposed mineral soils of alluvial origin. Typical dominants in floodplain forests include silver maple, sugar maple, cottonwood, black cherry, and sycamore. Balsam fir and white spruce are characteristic in northern floodplain forests.

• Boreal Floodplain Forest – State Rank S2
• Silver Maple-Ostrich Fern Floodplain Forest – State Rank S3
• Silver Maple-Sensitive Fern Floodplain Forest – State Rank S3
• Sugar Maple Floodplain Forest – State Rank S2
• Lakeside Floodplain Forest – State Rank S3

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Hardwood swamps are dominated by broad-leaved deciduous trees but may have a minor component of conifers. Dominant trees may be red maple, black ash, green ash, yellow birch, silver maple, or black gum. Soils are mineral or organic.

• Calcareous Red Maple-Tamarack Swamp – State Rank S2
• Red Maple-Northern White Cedar Swamp – State Rank S3
• Red Maple-Black Ash Seepage Swamp – State Rank S4
• Maple-Green Ash Swamp – State Rank S3
• Red Maple-Sphagnum Basin Swamp – State Rank S3
• Red Maple-Black Gum Basin Swamp – State Rank S2
• Red Maple-White Pine-Huckleberry Swamp – State Rank S1
• Wet Clayplain Forest – State Rank S2
• Wet Sand-Over-Clay Forest – State Rank S2
• Northern Hardwood Seepage Forest – State Rank S3

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Softwood swamps are dominated by conifers, including northern white cedar, red spruce, black spruce, balsam fir, tamarack, or hemlock. Broad-leaved deciduous trees may be present but are less abundant than conifers. Soils are mineral or organic.

• Northern White Cedar Swamp – State Rank S3
• Northern White Cedar Seepage Forest– State Rank S3
• Boreal Cedar-Sphagnum Basin Swamp – State Rank S2
• Red Spruce-Cinnamon Fern Swamp – State Rank S3
• Spruce-Fir-Tamarack Swamp – State Rank S3
• Black Spruce Swamp – State Rank S2
• Hemlock-Balsam Fir-Black Ash Seepage Swamp – State Rank S3
• Hemlock-Sphagnum Basin Swamp – State Rank S2

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These are typically tiny wetlands surrounded by upland forests. Trees in these wetlands may be scarce, but there is an overhanging canopy from the adjacent forest. Seeps are areas of groundwater discharge that usually support a lush growth of herbs. Vernal pools are depressions that fill with water in the spring and fall and typically have little herbaceous cover.

• Woodland Seep – State Rank S4
• Vernal Pool – State Rank S3

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These peat-accumulating wetlands have stable water tables at or near the surface, generally lack seasonal flooding, and have abundant mosses and liverworts. Trees are absent or sparse, except in Black Spruce Woodland Bog and Pitch Pine Woodland Bog.

• Dwarf Shrub Bog – State Rank S2
• Black Spruce Woodland Bog – State Rank S2
• Pitch Pine Woodland Bog – State Rank S1
• Alpine Peatland – State Rank S1
• Poor Fen – State Rank S2
• Intermediate Fen – State Rank S2
• Rich Fen – State Rank S2

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These wetlands have standing or slowly moving water with depths that fluctuate seasonally. The soils are usually 
well-decomposed mucks, or mineral soils with a high organic content. Herbaceous plants are dominant.

• Shallow Emergent Marsh – State Rank S4
• Sedge Meadow – State Rank S4
• Cattail Marsh – State Rank S4
• Deep Broadleaf Marsh – State Rank S4
• Wild Rice Marsh – State Rank S3
• Deep Bulrush Marsh – State Rank S4

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These sparsely vegetated wetland communities occur along the shores of rivers and lakes and are subject to seasonal flooding and scouring. The mineral soils include mud, sand, gravel, and cobble.

• Outwash Plain Pondshore – State Rank S1
• River Mud Shore – State Rank S3
• River Sand or Gravel Shore – State Rank S3
• River Cobble Shore – State Rank S2
• Calcareous Riverside Seep – State Rank S1
• Rivershore Grassland – State Rank S3
• Lakeshore Grassland – State Rank S2

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These shrub-dominated wetlands have significant seasonal flooding and variable soil types. Dominant shrubs include speckled alder, willow, sweet gale, winterberry holly, and buttonbush.

• Alluvial Shrub Swamp – State Rank S3
• Alder Swamp – State Rank S4
• Sweet Gale Shoreline Swamp – State Rank S3
• Lakeside Buttonbush Swamp – State Rank S2
• Basin Shrub Swamp – State Rank S2

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