Upland plant communities
An "upland" refers to land that is at a higher elevation than alluvial (river) plains or terraces, which are considered to be "lowlands". The term "bottomland" refers to low-lying alluvial land near a river. Upland therefore refers to areas not subject to flooding and the oxygen-depleting effects of saturated soils. Put in a positive way, they represent regions of well-drained and usually well-aerated soils. In this part of the country, forests are the climax or default condition of upland habitats. Where trees are absent, there is usually some underlying reason related to site history, such as timber harvest or fire, that cleared the trees away.
Upland habitats can be mesic (having moist, but not saturated, soils) or xeric (having dry soils, relatively). Central NY soils tend to have enough clay, silt, and organic matter to hold moisture well (relative to sandy soils). Differences in soil moisture affect what plants grow where.
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and basswood (Tilia americana) occupied mesic sites around Onondaga Lake (APS 1800). Beech (Fagus grandifolia), chestnut (Castanea dentata), and oak (Quercus spp.) occurred in higher elevation sites. In 1656 Jesuit Claude Dablon writes that “The forests consist almost entirely of chestnut and walnut trees,” and describes basswood, with leaves “as large and as open as those of cabbages” (Thwaites 1899). Pierre Radisson, upon visiting Ste. Marie, reports that its walls were “tied in the top with twiggs of ashure,” presumably referring to ash. He also wrote that the forest was “full of chestnuts and oaks” (Anderson 1982).
Additional upland species in these forests, based on typical associations as well as lake pollen and military tract records, may have included hickory (Carya spp.), birch (Betula spp.), cherry (Prunus spp.) (Marks et al. 1992, Rowell 1992). These species are described in the accounts that follow.
Onondaga County straddles two vegetation zones and shares in the species from each one. Oaks, hickories, dogwoods, sassafras, and tulip tree are associated with the Central Hardwood Forest (CHF). Sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, white ash, black cherry and others cover a more northern distribution and make up the Northern Hardwood Forest (NHF). In general, CHF species occur in the northern part of the county on the low-elevation Lake Ontario plain. NHF forests dominate the southern highlands formed by the Allegheny Plateau. Of course there is no hard line and the species mix throughout the county.
Upland habitats can be mesic (having moist, but not saturated, soils) or xeric (having dry soils, relatively). Central NY soils tend to have enough clay, silt, and organic matter to hold moisture well (relative to sandy soils). Differences in soil moisture affect what plants grow where.
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and basswood (Tilia americana) occupied mesic sites around Onondaga Lake (APS 1800). Beech (Fagus grandifolia), chestnut (Castanea dentata), and oak (Quercus spp.) occurred in higher elevation sites. In 1656 Jesuit Claude Dablon writes that “The forests consist almost entirely of chestnut and walnut trees,” and describes basswood, with leaves “as large and as open as those of cabbages” (Thwaites 1899). Pierre Radisson, upon visiting Ste. Marie, reports that its walls were “tied in the top with twiggs of ashure,” presumably referring to ash. He also wrote that the forest was “full of chestnuts and oaks” (Anderson 1982).
Additional upland species in these forests, based on typical associations as well as lake pollen and military tract records, may have included hickory (Carya spp.), birch (Betula spp.), cherry (Prunus spp.) (Marks et al. 1992, Rowell 1992). These species are described in the accounts that follow.
Onondaga County straddles two vegetation zones and shares in the species from each one. Oaks, hickories, dogwoods, sassafras, and tulip tree are associated with the Central Hardwood Forest (CHF). Sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, white ash, black cherry and others cover a more northern distribution and make up the Northern Hardwood Forest (NHF). In general, CHF species occur in the northern part of the county on the low-elevation Lake Ontario plain. NHF forests dominate the southern highlands formed by the Allegheny Plateau. Of course there is no hard line and the species mix throughout the county.