Department of Conservation and Recreation

THE NATURAL COMMUNITIES OF VIRGINIA
CLASSIFICATION OF ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY GROUPS

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Second Approximation (Version 2.5)
Information current as of February, 2012

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Sand / Gravel / Mud Bars and Shores

The intermittently exposed shores and depositional bars of rivers and large streams support specialized herbaceous vegetation. Communities in this group are small, localized in distribution, and distinctive both environmentally and floristically. They are widely scattered throughout Virginia, but are most frequent and best developed along large rivers. Habitats are typically submerged during the winter and spring, but draw down during the summer and may be extensively exposed during the late summers and falls of dry years. A small subset of these communities is associated with diurnally exposed, dense clay mud flats on tidal freshwater river shores. Substrates consist of fine-textured to moderately coarse alluvium. The vegetation is variable but generally dominated by herbaceous species that are specially adapted to cycles of flooding and exposure. Seed banks or perennial rootstocks of these species are capable of maintaining their viability during long periods of submersion, quickly germinating or sprouting when favorable draw-down conditions occur. Flood-battered shrubs and tree saplings occur sparsely in these habitats.

Species of relatively wide distribution on sandy or gravelly draw-down shores include creeping dayflower (Commelina diffusa), red-root flatsedge (Cyperus erythrorhizos), creeping lovegrass (Eragrostis hypnoides), dwarf bulrush (Hemicarpha micrantha), common water-willow (Justicia americana), thin-leaf flatsedge (Kyllinga pumila), false-pimpernels (Lindernia dubia var. dubia and var. anagallidea), seedboxes (Ludwigia spp.), fall witch grass (Panicum dichotomiflorum var. dichotomiflorum), horse-tail paspalum (Paspalum fluitans), marsh yellow-cress (Rorippa palustris ssp. fernaldiana), and toothcup (Rotala ramosior). Species characteristic of Piedmont and mountain draw-down shores include scarlet ammannia (Ammannia coccinea), nodding beggar-ticks (Bidens cernua), three-lobe beggar-ticks (Bidens tripartita), spreading broomspurge (Chamaesyce humistrata), awned flatsedge (Cyperus squarrosus), dock-leaf smartweed (Polygonum lapathifolium), and Carolina leaf-flower (Phyllanthus caroliniensis ssp. caroliniensis). Species most typical of Coastal Plain draw-down shores include white-edged flatsedge (Cyperus flavicomus), coastal flatsedge (Cyperus polystachyos var. texensis), shade mudflower (Micranthemum umbrosum), lax hornpod (Mitreola petiolata), American lipocarpha (Lipocarpha maculata), Bosc's bluets (Oldenlandia boscii), warty panic grass (Panicum verrucosum), and coastal rose-pink (Sabatia calycina).

References: DeBerry and Perry (2005), Fleming (2007), Lea (2000), Ludwig (1996).

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Click on the images below to open a larger image in a separate window.

	Exposed herbaceous sand bars along the Blackwater River in Isle of Wight County. Photo: © Irvine Wilson.
	Low herbaceous sand/gravel bar along the Potomac River in Fairfax County (Riverbend Park). Dominants here are creeping lovegrass (Eragrostis hypnoides), awned flatsedge (Cyperus squarrosus), and false pimpernel (Lindernia dubia var. dubia).Photo: Gary P. Fleming / © DCR Natural Heritage.
	Sparse graminoid vegetation on gravel bars along Back Creek near Blowing Springs, Bath County (George Washington and Jefferson National Forests). Dominants include fall witch grass (Panicum dichotomiflorum var. dichotomiflorum, in foreground) and redtop panic grass (Panicum rigidulum var. elongatum , large clumps in background). Photo: © Gary P. Fleming.

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REPRESENTATIVE COMMUNITY TYPES:
Quantitative data have been collected from 27 stands of vegetation belonging to this group (map). Three community types are recognized largely on the basis of data collected from the Potomac watershed (NatureServe in prep., Fleming 2007, Lea 2000) or the apparent correlation of field-observed stands with a USNVC association (CEGL004341). Scant existing data from other watersheds suggest that one or more additional community types occur. Click on any highlighted CEGL code below to view the global USNVC description provided by NatureServe Explorer.

• Eragrostis hypnoides - Micranthemum umbrosum - Lipocarpha micrantha - (Juncus repens) Herbaceous Vegetation
  Coastal Plain Sand Bar / River Shore
  USNVC: = CEGL004341
  Global/State Ranks: G2/S1
  
  
• Eragrostis hypnoides - Lindernia dubia - Ludwigia palustris - Cyperus squarrosus Herbaceous Vegetation
  Piedmont / Central Appalachian Sand Bar / River Shore (Low Herbs Type)
  USNVC: = CEGL006483
  Global/State Ranks: G3/S3
  
  
• Eupatorium serotinum - Polygonum (lapathifolium, punctatum, pensylvanicum) Herbaceous Vegetation
  Piedmont / Central Appalachian Sand Bar / River Shore (Tall Herbs Type)
  USNVC: = CEGL006481
  Global/State Ranks: GNR/S2S3

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