Natural Community Systems of New Hampshire
Particular associations of natural communities repeatedly co-occur in the landscape and are linked by a common set of driving forces, such as landforms, flooding, soils, and nutrient regime. These are referred to as natural community systems. Systems are at an appropriate scale for many conservation applications, including mapping and predictive modeling, correspondence to wildlife and wildlife habitats, and as direct conservation targets in conservation planning. They can be used as a tool to track locations and compare entire sites without having to refer to all communities at a site, particularly when these communities may intergrade and be difficult to map. They allow general classification of a system when detailed information is not available or detailed surveys are not feasible. Systems can provide a more practical scale for conservation planning and site comparisons. Finally, systems can sometimes make more suitable mapping units than communities for integrating wildlife occurrence data and habitat needs with plant information, for example in the case of a kettle hole bog system that contains multiple peatland communities. The classification and mapping of exemplary natural community systems can therefore be effective at identifying high priority conservation targets.
The following is a complete list of the natural community systems of New Hampshire, divided into uplands and wetlands, as organized in Natural Community Systems of New Hampshire (2005). Each system name links to a photo and complete description.
This index complements our comprehensive Photo Guide to the Natural Communities of New Hampshire.
UPLAND NATURAL COMMUNITY SYSTEMS
Open to Woodland Systems on Bedrock- or Sand-Controlled Landscapes
Alpine and subalpine systems
Subalpine heath - krummholz/rocky bald system
Montane ridges, cliffs, and talus
Temperate ridges, cliffs, and talus
Temperate ridge - cliff - talus system
Sand plains with a history of frequent fire
Coastal sand dunes and rocky shores
Primarily Forest and Woodland Systems on Till, Fluvial, Talus, or Rocky Substrates
Rich hardwood forests on till, rocky, or terrace substrates
Rich north-temperate talus/rocky woods system
Rich Appalachian oak rocky woods system
Forests on till, sand plain, and other fluvial materials with an infrequent fire history
Lowland spruce - fir forest/swamp system
High-elevation spruce - fir forest system
Northern hardwood - conifer forest system
Hemlock - hardwood - pine forest system
Appalachian oak - pine forest system
WETLAND NATURAL COMMUNITY SYSTEMS
Palustrine (Non-Tidal, Non-Riparian)
Peatlands
Open oligotrophic peatlands
Open weakly to strongly minerotrophic peatlands
Rich sloping fen system (previously calcareous sloping fen system)
Oligotrophic swamp peatlands (forests and woodlands)
Black spruce peat swamp system
Coastal conifer peat swamp system
Minerotrophic swamp peatlands
Near-boreal minerotrophic swamp system
Primarily mineral soil wetlands
Wooded swamps (weakly to strongly minerotrophic)
Temperate minerotrophic swamp system
Forest seep/seepage forest system
Open-basin and streamside wetlands
Emergent marsh - shrub swamp system
Sand plain pond shore and basin marshes
Riparian (Non-Tidal)
River channels and riverbanks
Low-gradient silty-sandy riverbank system
Moderate-gradient sandy-cobbly riverbank system
High-gradient rocky riverbank system
Floodplains
Montane/near-boreal floodplain system
Major river silver maple floodplain system
Temperate minor river floodplain system
Tidal (Estuarine)
Intertidal
Brackish tidal riverbank marsh system
Sparsely vegetated intertidal system
Subtidal