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

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

 

Additional Resources

Terrestrial Communities

Palustrine Communities

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

 

Additional Resources

Palustrine Communities

Estuarine Communities

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