Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest

This system encompasses the floodplains of small to medium blackwater rivers in the Atlantic Coastal Plain which are intermediate in size between the smaller streams and the largest rivers. Blackwater rivers originate in the sandy areas of the Coastal Plain, carry little sediment, and have less well-developed depositional alluvial landforms. The water is usually strongly stained by tannins but has little suspended clay and is not cloudy. Soils are sandy or mucky, acidic and infertile. Vegetation is a mosaic of bald-cypress, pond-cypress and swamp tupelo swamps and bottomland hardwoods dominated by a limited set of oaks and other species. There are generally few plant species found in examples of this system. For more information, see NatureServe Explorer.

Go Straight to Your State

Learn about conservation and open space in your state.

Copyright © 2024 NatureServe. All Rights Reserved.