Terrestrial, Palustrine, and Estuarine Community Types

Formal and technical descriptions of the community types in the Classification of Natural Communities of Massachusetts, Version 2.0.

Terrestrial Community Types

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Terrestrial communities occur in upland on predominantly well-drained soils.

Acidic Rock Cliff Community Northern Hardwoods - Hemlock - White Pine Forest Acidic Rocky Summit/Rock Outcrop Community Oak - Hemlock - White Pine Forest Black Oak - Scarlet Oak Woodland Oak - Hickory Forest Calcareous Rock Cliff Community Oak - Tulip Tree Forest Calcareous Rocky Summit/Rock Outcrop Community Open Oak Forest/Woodland Chestnut Oak Forest/Woodland Open Talus/Coarse Boulder Community Circumneutral Rock Cliff Community Pitch Pine - Oak Forest/Woodland Circumneutral Rocky Summit/Rock Outcrop Community Pitch Pine - Scrub Oak Community Coastal Forest/Woodland Red Oak - Sugar Maple Transition Forest   Cultural Grassland Rich, Mesic Forest Dry, Rich Oak Forest/Woodland  Ridgetop Heathland Forest Seep Community  Ridgetop Pitch Pine - Scrub Oak Community Hemlock Forest Riverside Rock Outcrop Community Hickory - Hop Hornbeam Forest/Woodland Sandplain Grassland High Elevation Spruce - Fir Forest/Woodland Sandplain Grassland - Inland Variant Maritime Beach Strand Community   Sandplain Heathland    Maritime Dune Community Sandplain Heathland - Inland Variant Maritime Erosional Cliff Community Scrub Oak Shrubland Maritime Forest/Woodland Spruce - Fir - Northern Hardwoods Forest Maritime Juniper Woodland/Shrubland Successional Northern Hardwood Forest Maritime Pitch Pine Woodland on Dunes Successional White Pine Forest    Maritime Rock Cliff Community    Sugar Maple - Oak - Hickory Forest Maritime Shrubland White Pine - Oak Forest Mixed Oak Forest/Woodland Yellow Oak Dry Calcareous Forest

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Terrestrial Communities

Palustrine Communities

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Palustrine communities are wetland communities where there is flooding or saturated soil conditions.

Acidic Graminoid Fen  Inland Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Acidic Graminoid Fen - Spillway Fen Interdunal Marsh/Swale Acidic Pondshore/Lakeshore Community Kettlehole Level Bog Acidic Shrub Fen Kettlehole Wet Meadow Alluvial Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Level Bog  Alluvial Hardwood Flat Community Low-energy Riverbank Community     Alluvial Red Maple Swamp Major-river Floodplain Forest Atlantic White Cedar Bog Northern Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Black Gum - Pin Oak - Swamp White Oak Perched Swamp Red Maple - Black Ash - Bur Oak Swamp Calcareous Basin Fen Red Maple - Black Ash - Tamarack Calcareous Seepage Swamp Calcareous Pondshore/Lakeshore Community Red Maple - Black Ash Swamp Calcareous Seepage Marsh Red Maple - Black Gum Swamp  Calcareous Sloping Fen Red Maple Swamp     Coastal Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Red Spruce Swamp   Coastal Plain Pondshore Community Rich Conifer Swamp   Coastal Plain Pondshore Community - Inland Variant River and Lake Drawdown Community Cobble Bar Forest Riverine Pointbar and Beach Community Deep Emergent Marsh    Riverside Seep Community Freshwater Mud Flat Community Sea-level Fen    Hemlock Swamp  Shallow Emergent Marsh Highbush Blueberry Thicket Shrub Swamp   High-energy Riverbank Community Small-river Floodplain Forest    High-energy Rivershore Meadow Spruce - Tamarack Bog High-terrace Floodplain Forest     Transitional Floodplain Forest   Wet Meadow

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Palustrine Communities

Estuarine Communities

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Estuarine communities are tidal wetlands with fresh to salt water.

Brackish Tidal Marsh	Marine Intertidal Gravel/Sand Beach Community
Coastal Salt Pond Community	Marine Intertidal Rocky Shore Community
Fresh/Brackish Tidal Shrubland	Salt Marsh
Fresh/Brackish Tidal Swamp	Seagrass Community
Freshwater Tidal Marsh

Additional Resources

Estuarine Communities