Ecological Communities

Community	Description
Acidic talus slope woodland	An open to closed canopy woodland that occurs on slopes loose rocks (often below cliffs; these are talus slopes) composed of non-calcareous bedrock such as granite, quartzite, or schist.
Acidified lake	The aquatic community of a formerly alkaline lake that has received so much acid deposition (pH less than 4.7; sulfate and nitrate are now the dominant anions in precipitation in the Northeast) that the pH of the lake has decreased significantly.
Acidified stream	The aquatic community of a stream that has received so much acid deposition that the pH of the stream has decreased significantly.
Allegheny oak forest	A hardwood forest that occurs on well-drained sites in the unglaciated portion of southwestern New York. This is a narrowly defined community distinguished by a more diverse canopy and a richer ground flora than other mid to high elevation oak communities in the state. These mixed oak forests are characteristic of the rounded ridgetops and upper south-facing slopes of the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Codominant trees are white oak, red oak, chestnut oak, black oak, and red maple.
Alpine krummholz	A dwarf woodland dominated by balsam fir that occurs at or near the summits of the high peaks of the Adirondacks.
Alpine meadow	A meadow community that is similar to arctic tundra. Alpine meadows occur above timberline on the higher mountain summits and exposed ledges of the Adirondacks. This community consists of a mosaic of small grassy meadows, dwarf shrublands, small boggy depressions, and exposed bedrock covered with lichens and mosses.
Alvar grassland	A community that occurs on shallow soils over level outcrops of calcareous bedrock (limestone or dolomite). Apparently alvar grasslands are restricted to areas that are seasonally flooded in spring or after heavy rainfall, as well as seasonally dry by late summer.
Appalachian oak-hickory forest	A hardwood forest that occurs on well-drained sites, usually on ridgetops, upper slopes, or south- and west-facing slopes. The soils are usually loams or sandy loams. This is a broadly defined forest community with several regional and edaphic variants. The dominant trees include red oak, white oak, and/or black oak. Mixed with the oaks, usually at lower densities, are pignut, shagbark, and/or sweet pignut hickory.
Appalachian oak-pine forest	A mixed forest that occurs on sandy soils, sandy ravines in pine barrens, or on slopes with rocky soils that are well-drained. The canopy is dominated by a mixture of oaks and pines.
Aquatic cave community	The aquatic community of a subterranean stream or pond. These caves vary in their water chemistry and substrate type.
Artificial beach	A sand beach constructed on a lake or river shore by depositing sand from outside the site onto the natural substrate; a sandy beach neither created nor maintained by natural lake shore or river processes.
Artificial pool	The aquatic community of a small pool that is constructed for recreational activities (e.g. swimming) or as a decorative element in a landscape design. The water is typically chlorinated, and flushed on a regular basis to reduce or eliminate the growth of algae, and bacteria; there is minimal development of any aquatic biota.
Backwater slough	The aquatic community of quiet to stagnant waters in sloughs that form in embayments and old meanders that are cut off from an unconfined river or marsh headwater stream only at the upstream end by deposition of a levee.
Balsam flats	A conifer forest that occurs on moist, well-drained soils of low flats adjoining swamps, gentle low ridges, and knolls within swamps. The dominant tree is balsam fir, which occurs either in pure stands or in mixed stands with red spruce or black spruce.
Basement/building foundation	The biota of an underground structure that was built primarily as a support structure for a house, commercial building, or industrial building. This includes foundations of abandoned structures, as well as those that are actively used. Characteristic animals include a wide variety of insects, spiders, and small vertebrates.
Beech-maple mesic forest	A hardwood forest with sugar maple and American beech codominant. This is a broadly defined community type with several variants. These forests occur on moist, well-drained, usually acid soils. Common associates are yellow birch, white ash, hop hornbeam, and red maple.
Black spruce-tamarack bog	A conifer forest that occurs on acidic peatlands in cool, poorly drained depressions. The characteristic trees are black spruce and tamarack; in any one stand, either tree may be dominant, or they may be codominant. Canopy cover is quite variable, ranging from open canopy woodlands with as little as 20% cover of evenly spaced canopy trees to closed canopy forests with 80 to 90% cover.
Bog lake	The aquatic community of a lake that typically occurs in a small, shallow basin (e.g., a kettehole) that is protected from wind and is poorly drained. These lakes occur in areas with non-calcareous bedrock or glacial till; many are fringed or surrounded by a floating mat of vegetation.
Boreal heath barrens	A dwarf shrubland or shrub-savanna dominated by heath or heath-like shrubs. Boreal heath barrens occur on nearly level outwash plains of the Adirondacks, in frost pockets lying in valleys.
Brackish interdunal swales	Temporarily tidally flooded temperate marshes in interdunal swales dominated by salt-tolerant graminoids. Individual swales occur as small patches positioned between fore, primary, and secondary dunes in a maritime dunes system, typically on barrier islands.
Brackish intertidal mudflats	A sparsely vegetated community, characterized by low-growing, rosette-leaved aquatics. The community occurs on exposed intertidal mudflats where water salinity ranges from 0.5 to 18.0 ppt. This community is best developed where mudflats are nearly level so that broad expanses are exposed at low tide. The rosette-leaved aquatics are completely submerged at high tide, and they are usually coated with mud.
Brackish intertidal shore	A community of the intertidal gravelly or rocky shores of brackish tidal rivers and creeks where water salinity ranges from 0.5 to 18.0 ppt.
Brackish meadow	A moist, moderately well-drained brackish (salinity 0.5-18 ppt) perennial grassland with occasional isolated shrubs that is typically situated in a belt at the upper edge of salt marshes bordering sandy uplands, but may occupy large portions of interdunal basins. The community usually develops in areas with a unique combination of soils and hydrology, on deep deposits of periodically windblown or overwashed gleyed sands that are usually flooded only during spring tides and during major coastal storms, approximately two to three times per year.
Brackish subtidal aquatic bed	The aquatic community of continuously flooded substrates with rooted aquatic vegetation. The water is brackish (salinity between 0.5 and 18.0 ppt) and the water is usually less than 2 m (6 ft) deep at low tide.
Brackish tidal marsh	A marsh community that occurs where water salinity ranges from 0.5 to 18.0 ppt, and water is less than 6 ft (2 m) deep at high tide. The vegetation in a brackish tidal marsh is dense and dominated by tall grass-like plants.
Brushy cleared land	A former forest, woodland, or shrubland that has been clearcut or cleared by brush-hog. The cut stumps of trees and shrubs are evident and usually common. There may be a lot of woody debris such as branches and slashings from trees that were logged. Vegetation is patchy, with scattered herbs, shrubs, and tree saplings.
Calcareous cliff community	A community that occurs on vertical exposures of resistant, calcareous bedrock (such as limestone or dolomite) or consolidated material; these cliffs often include ledges and small areas of talus.
Calcareous pavement barrens	A savanna community that occurs on nearly level outcrops of calcareous bedrock (limestone or dolomite). The community consists of a mosaic of shrub-savanna, grass-savanna, and rock outcrop vegetation.
Calcareous red cedar barrens	A small-patch calcareous rocky summit community occurring on dry, south-facing to southwest-facing slopes and low summits. These sites are characterized by stunted, sparse woodlands with small grassland openings.
Calcareous shoreline outcrop	A community that occurs along the shores of lakes and streams on outcrops of calcareous rocks such as limestone and dolomite. The vegetation is sparse, most plants are rooted in rock crevices.
Calcareous talus slope woodland	An open or closed canopy community that occurs on talus slopes composed of calcareous bedrock such as limestone or dolomite. The soils are usually moist and loamy; there may be numerous rock outcrops.
Canal	The aquatic community of an artificial waterway or modified stream channel constructed for inland navigation or irrigation.
Chestnut oak forest	A hardwood forest that occurs on well-drained sites in glaciated portions of the Appalachians, and on the coastal plain. This forest is similar to the Allegheny oak forest; it is distinguished by fewer canopy dominants and a less diverse shrublayer and groundlayer flora. Dominant trees are typically chestnut oak and red oak.
Cliff community	A community that occurs on vertical exposures of resistant, non-calcareous bedrock (such as quartzite, sandstone, or schist) or consolidated material; these cliffs often include ledges and small areas of talus.
Coastal oak-beech forest	A hardwood forest with oaks and American beech codominant that occurs in dry well-drained, loamy sand of morainal coves of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Some occurrences are associated with maritime beech forest.
Coastal oak-heath forest	A large patch to matrix low diversity hardwood forest that typically occurs on dry, well-drained, sandy soils of glacial outwash plains or moraines of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The forest is usually codominated by two or more species of scarlet oak, white oak, and black oak.
Coastal oak-hickory forest	A hardwood forest with oaks and hickories codominant that occurs in dry well-drained, loamy sand of knolls, upper slopes, or south-facing slopes of glacial moraines of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Coastal oak-holly forest	A semi-deciduous to mixed deciduous-evergreen broadleaf forest that occurs on somewhat moist and moderately well drained silt and sandy loams in low areas on morainal plateaus. In New York State this forest is best developed on the narrow peninsulas of eastern Long Island. The trees are usually not stunted, and are removed from the pruning effects of severe salt spray. The dominant canopy trees are black oak, black gum, red maple, and American beech. American holly is abundant in the subcanopy and tall shrub layers.
Coastal oak-laurel forest	A large patch low diversity hardwood forest with broadleaf canopy and evergreen subcanopy that typically occurs on dry well-drained, sandy and gravelly soils of morainal hills of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The dominant tree is typically scarlet oak. The shrub layer is well-developed typically with a tall, often nearly continuous cover of the evergreen heath, mountain laurel.
Coastal plain Atlantic white cedar swamp	A swamp that occurs on organic soils along streams and in poorly drained depressions of the coastal plain. Atlantic white cedar makes up over 50% of the canopy cover. In mixed stands in New York, red maple is the codominant tree.
Coastal plain pond	The aquatic community of the permanently flooded portion of a coastal plain pond with seasonally, and annually fluctuating water levels. These are shallow, groundwater-fed ponds that occur in kettle-holes or shallow depressions in the outwash plains south of the terminal moraines of Long Island, and New England. A series of coastal plain ponds are often hydrologically connected, either by groundwater, or sometimes by surface flow in a small coastal plain stream.
Coastal plain pond shore	The gently sloping shore of a coastal plain pond with seasonally and annually fluctuating water levels. Plants growing on the pond shore vary with water levels. In dry years when water levels are low there is often a dense growth of annual sedges, grasses, and herbs. Submerged and floating-leaved aquatic plants, such as fragrant waterlily and pondweeds, may become “stranded” on the exposed shore. In wet years when the water level is high only a few emergents and floating-leaved aquatics may be noticeable. The vegetation of this pond shore community can change dramatically from one year to the next depending on fluctuations in groundwater levels.
Coastal plain poor fen	A wetland on the coastal plain fed by somewhat mineral-rich groundwater and slow decomposition rates of plant materials in the wetland (and thus develops peat). Plants are generally growing in peat composed primarily of Sphagnum mosses with some grass-like and woody components.
Coastal plain stream	The aquatic community of slow-moving, often darkly-stained streams of the coastal plain of Long Island.
Coastal salt pond	A community inhabiting marine shoreline lakes or ponds formed by sandspits that close off a lagoon or bay. The water typically averages brackish or slightly brackish over long periods of time, but may range rapidly from fresh to saline.
Cobble shore	A community that occurs on the well-drained cobble shores of lakes and streams. These shores are usually associated with high-energy waters (such as high-gradient streams), and they are likely to be scoured by floods or winter ice floes.
Cobble shore wet meadow	A community that occurs on the cobble shores of lakes and streams where the substrate is moist from seepage or intermittent flooding. These communities are likely to be scoured by floods or winter ice floes, but there is apparently no significant accumulation of pack ice.
Conifer plantation	A stand of softwoods planted for the cultivation and harvest of timber products, or to provide wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, windbreaks, or landscaping. This is a broadly defined community that excludes stands in which pine, spruce, or fir are dominant. Softwoods that are typically planted in these plantations include European larch, Japanese larch, and northern white cedar.
Construction/road maintenance spoils	A site where soil from construction work and/or road maintenance materials have been recently deposited. There is little, if any, vegetation.
Cropland/field crops	An agricultural field planted in field crops such as alfalfa, wheat, timothy, and oats. This community includes hayfields that are rotated to pasture.
Cropland/row crops	An agricultural field planted in row crops such as corn, potatoes, and soybeans. This community includes vegetable gardens in residential areas.
Cultural eutrophic lake	The aquatic community of a formerly eutrophic to mesotrophic lake that has received an increase in nutrients (especially phosphorus, and nitrogen) from sewage effluent, agricultural runoff, and other pollutants.
Deep emergent marsh	A marsh community flooded by waters that are not subject to violent wave action. Water depths can range from 6 in to 6.6 ft (15 cm to 2 m). Water levels may fluctuate seasonally, but the substrate is rarely dry, and there is usually standing water in the fall.
Ditch/artificial intermittent stream	The aquatic community of an artificial waterway constructed for drainage or irrigation of adjacent lands. Water levels either fluctuate in response to variations in precipitation and groundwater levels, or water levels are artificially controlled.
Dredge spoil lake shore	A lake shore or pond shore that is composed of dredge spoils. The vegetation may be sparse.
Dredge spoil wetland	A wetland in which the substrate consists of dredge spoils; reedgrass is a characteristic species.
Dredge spoils	An upland site where dredge spoils have been recently deposited. On sandy dredge spoils along the Hudson River, characteristic species of early successional deposits include winged pigweed, lovegrass, purple sandgrass, tall crabgrass, and field sandbur; cottonwood is common on late successional deposits. Maritime dredge spoil islands along the seacoast of Long Island provide nesting habitat for herring gull, least tern, and piping plover.
Dwarf pine plains	A woodland community dominated by dwarf individuals of pitch pine and scrub oak that occurs on nearly level outwash sand and gravel plains in eastern Long Island. The soils are infertile, coarse textured sands that are excessively well-drained.
Dwarf pine ridges	A woodland community dominated by dwarf individuals of pitch pine and black huckleberry, which occurs on flat-topped summits of rocky ridges. The bedrock is a white quartzite conglomerate; soils are very thin, and they are rich in organic matter from litter that has accumulated on the bedrock.
Dwarf shrub bog	A wetland usually fed by rainwater or mineral-poor groundwater and dominated by short, evergreen shrubs and peat mosses. The surface of the peatland is usually hummocky, with shrubs more common on the hummocks and peat moss throughout. The water in the bog is usually nutrient-poor and acidic.
Eroding slope	A sparsely vegetated community that occurs on vertical exposures of unconsolidated material, such as small stone, gravel, sand, and clay, that is exposed to erosional forces, such as water, ice, or wind.
Estuarine channel/artificial impoundment	The aquatic community of an estuarine channel or bay that was created or modified by a barrier or dam which obstructs the outflow of water; an artificial estuarine deepwater community.
Estuarine ditch	The aquatic community of a ditch or narrow channel excavated in an estuarine marsh for the intended purpose of reducing mosquito populations. These ditches have not been very effective in reducing mosquito populations; the ditches have probably done more harm to the salt marsh vegetation than is justified by the effectiveness of the mosquito control efforts
Estuarine dredge spoil shore	The wetland community of a constructed estuarine shore in which the substrate is composed of dredge spoils. This is a community with minimal vegetative cover and relatively low species diversity
Estuarine impoundment marsh	A marsh community that occurs in a wetland created or modified by a barrier or dam that obstructs the outflow or inflow of water, and which has a biological composition significantly different from the composition of a natural estuarine marsh.
Estuarine riprap/artificial shore	The wetland community of a constructed estuarine shore in which the substrate is composed of broken rocks, wooden bulkheads, or concrete placed so as to reduce erosion. Vegetative cover and species diversity are low compared to natural estuarine shores.
Eutrophic dimictic lake	The aquatic community of a nutrient-rich lake that occurs in a broad, shallow basin. These lakes are dimictic: they have two periods of mixing or turnover (spring and fall); they are thermally stratified in the summer, and they freeze over and become inversely stratified in the winter.
Eutrophic pond	The aquatic community of a small, shallow, nutrient-rich pond. The water is usually green with algae, and the bottom is mucky. Eutrophic ponds are too shallow to remain stratified throughout the summer; they are winter-stratified, monomictic ponds.
Farm pond/artificial pond	The aquatic community of a small pond constructed on agricultural or residential property. These ponds are often eutrophic, and may be stocked with panfish such as bluegill and yellow perch.
Floodplain forest	A hardwood forest that occurs on mineral soils on low terraces of river floodplains and river deltas. These sites are characterized by their flood regime; low areas are annually flooded in spring, and high areas are flooded irregularly.
Flower/herb garden	Residential, commercial, or horticultural land cultivated for the production of ornamental herbs and shrubs. This community includes gardens cultivated for the production of culinary herbs.
Freshwater intertidal mudflats	A sparsely vegetated community characterized by low rosette-leaved aquatics. This community occurs on exposed intertidal mudflats where the water is fresh (salinity less than 0.5 ppt). This community is best developed where mudflats are nearly level so that broad expanses are exposed at low tide. The plants are completely submerged in 0.9 to 1.2 m (3 to 4 ft) of water at high tide; and they are usually coated with mud.
Freshwater intertidal shore	A community of the intertidal gravelly or rocky shores of freshwater tidal rivers and creeks, sometimes occurring at the base of cliffs. The vegetation may be very sparse.
Freshwater subtidal aquatic bed	The aquatic community of continuously flooded substrates with rooted aquatic vegetation. The water is fresh (salinity less than 0.5 ppt) and the water is usually less than 2 m (6 ft) deep at low tide.
Freshwater tidal marsh	A marsh community that occurs in shallow bays, shoals, and at the mouth of tributaries of large tidal river systems, where the water is usually fresh (salinity less than 0.5 ppt), and less than 2 m (6 ft) deep at high tide. Typically there are two zones in a freshwater tidal marsh: a low-elevation area dominated by short, broadleaf emergents bordering mudflats or open water, and a slightly higher-elevation area dominated by tall grass-like plants.
Freshwater tidal swamp	A forested or shrub-dominated tidal wetland that occurs in lowlands along large river systems characterized by gentle slope gradients coupled with tidal influence over considerable distances. The swamp substrate is always wet and is subject to semidiurnal flooding by fresh tidal water (salinity less than 0.5 ppt).
Gravel mine	An excavation in a gravel deposit from which gravel has been removed. Often these are dug into glacial deposits such as eskers or kames. Vegetation may be sparse if the mine is active; there may be substantial vegetative cover if the mine has been inactive for several years. Near-vertical slopes are used by bank swallows for nesting sites.
Great Lakes aquatic bed	The aquatic community of the protected shoals of the Great Lakes or Lake Champlain. They occur in quiet bays that are protected from extreme wave action by islands, shoals or barrier bars, and typically support large areas of "weeds" or aquatic macrophytes.
Great Lakes deepwater community	The open water community in any of the Great Lakes. In general, the Great Lakes are summer-stratified monomictic lakes: they usually do not freeze over in winter, they are mixed of equal temperature throughout in winter, and temperature-stratified in summer.
Great Lakes dunes	A community dominated by grasses and shrubs that occurs on active and stabilized sand dunes along the shores of the Great Lakes. Unstable dunes are sparsely vegetated, whereas the vegetation of stable dunes is more dense, and can eventually become forested.
Great Lakes exposed shoal	The aquatic community of the shallow littoral zone of the Great Lakes that occurs along windswept shores that are exposed to wave action, typically associated with islands and points. The lake substrate may be sandy, gravelly, cobbly, bouldery, or with submerged bedrock outcrops.
Hardwood plantation	A stand of commercial hardwood species planted for the cultivation and harvest of timber products. These plantations are usually monocultures: more than 90% of the canopy cover consists of one species. Species typically planted in New York are: black cherry, red oak, white oak, black walnut, hybrid poplars, and black locust.
Hemlock-hardwood swamp	A swamp that occurs on mineral soils and deep muck in depressions which receive groundwater discharge. These swamps usually have a fairly closed canopy (70 to 90% cover), sparse shrub layer, and low species diversity. The tree canopy is typically dominated by eastern hemlock, and co-dominated by yellow birch, and red maple.
Hemlock-northern hardwood forest	A mixed forest that typically occurs on middle to lower slopes of ravines, on cool, mid-elevation slopes, and on moist, well-drained sites at the margins of swamps. Eastern hemlock is present and often the most abundant tree in the forest.
Hempstead Plains grassland	A tall grassland community that occurs on rolling outwash plains in west-central Long Island. This community occurs inland, beyond the influence of offshore winds and salt spray.
Herbicide-sprayed roadside/pathway	A narrow strip of low-growing vegetation along the side of a road, or along utility right-of-way corridors (e.g., power lines, telephone lines, gas pipelines) that is maintained by spraying herbicides.
High salt marsh	A coastal marsh community that occurs in sheltered areas of the seacoast, in a zone extending from mean high tide up to the limit of spring tides. It is periodically flooded by spring tides and flood tides. High salt marsh typically consists of a mosaic of patches that are mostly dominated by a single graminoid species.
Highbush blueberry bog thicket	A wetland usually fed by rainwater or mineral-poor groundwater and dominated by tall shrubs and peat mosses. The most abundant shrub is usually highbush blueberry. The water in the bog is usually nutrient-poor and acidic.
Ice cave talus community	A community that occurs on rocks and soil at the base of slopes of loose rocks (often below cliffs; these are talus slopes) that emit cold air. The emission of cold air results from air circulation among the rocks of the talus slope where winter ice remains through the summer. The vegetation is distinctive because it includes species characteristic of climates much cooler than the climate of the area where the ice caves occur.
Impounded marsh	A marsh (with less than 50% cover of trees) in which the water levels have been artificially manipulated or modified, often for the purpose of improving waterfowl habitat.
Impounded swamp	A swamp (with at least 50% cover of trees) where the water levels have been artificially manipulated or modified, often for the purpose of improving waterfowl habitat. Red maple is a characteristic tree. Often there are many standing dead tree trunks. Purple loosestrife and duckweed may become dominant in the understory.
Industrial cooling pond	The aquatic community of an artificial pond constructed as a holding pond to allow for cooling of high temperature industrial effluents.
Industrial effluent stream	The aquatic community of a stream or a small section of a stream in which the temperature, chemistry, or transparency of the water is significantly modified by discharge of effluent from an industrial, commercial, or sewage treatment plant. The water or sediments may contain elevated concentrations of heavy metals, PCBs, ammonia, and other pollutants.
Inland Atlantic white cedar swamp	A swamp that occurs on organic soils (usually peat) in poorly drained depressions and along pond edges in southeastern New York and northern New Jersey. The characteristic tree is Atlantic white cedar. In mixed stands the codominants are typically red maple, black gum, and eastern hemlock.
Inland calcareous lake shore	The gravelly, sandy, or muddy shore of an inland lake or pond with calcareous water and seasonally fluctuating water levels. There may be few plants and those that are present are usually herbaceous.
Inland non-calcareous lake shore	The gravelly, sandy or muddy shore of an inland lake or pond with seasonally fluctuating water levels where the water is not calcareous. There may be few plants and those that are present are usually herbaceous.
Inland poor fen	A wetland fed by acidic water from springs and seeps. Plant remains in these fens do not decompose rapidly and thus the plants in these fens usually grow on older, undecomposed plant parts of mostly sphagnum mosses.
Inland salt marsh	A wetland that occurs on saline mudflats associated with inland salt springs. The mucky substrate is permanently saturated and seasonally flooded. Plant cover is sparse and the number of different kinds of plants is relatively low.
Inland salt pond	The aquatic community of a small, spring-fed pond in which the water is salty from flowing through salt beds in the aquifer. These salt springs occur in central New York, and were once common around Onondaga Lake in Syracuse, and near Montezuma. Most of the springs have been exploited for the production of salt, and are very disturbed or completely destroyed.
Interior of barn/agricultural building	The interior spaces of a barn or other agricultural building which provides shelter for livestock or storage space for agricultural products (hay, straw, silage, etc.).
Interior of non-agricultural building	The interior spaces of a house, garage, commercial building, or industrial building that is used primarily by people for living space, work space, or storage space.
Intermittent stream	The community of a small, intermittent or ephemeral streambed in the uppermost segments of stream systems where water flows only during the spring or after a heavy rain and often remains longer, ponded in isolated pools. These streams typically have a moderate to steep gradient and hydric soils.
Junkyard	A site that has been cleared for disposal or storage of primarily inorganic refuse, including discarded automobiles, large appliances, mechanical parts, etc. Small pockets of water that collect within the junk piles and in discarded tires provide abundant breeding sited for mosquitoes.
Landfill/dump	A site that has been cleared or excavated, where garbage is disposed. The bulk of the material in a landfill or dump is usually paper and other organic biodegradable waste (e.g., food waste, yard waste, and wood). Examples of inorganic materials in landfills include construction waste and items made of plastic, glass, and metal.
Limestone woodland	A woodland that occurs on shallow soils over limestone bedrock in non-alvar settings, and usually includes numerous rock outcrops. There are usually several codominant trees, although one species may become dominant in any one stand.
Low salt marsh	A coastal marsh community that occurs in sheltered areas of the seacoast, in a zone extending from mean high tide down to mean sea level or to about 2 m (6 ft) below mean high tide. It is regularly flooded by semidiurnal tides. The mean tidal range of low salt marshes on Long Island is about 80 cm, and they often form in basins with a depth of 1.6 m or greater.
Main channel stream	The aquatic community of large, quiet, base level sections of streams with a very low gradient. These streams are typically dominated by runs with interspersed pool sections and a few short or no distinct riffles. Main channel streams usually have clearly distinguished meanders (i.e., high sinuosity) and well developed levees, are in unconfined valleys and are most typical of the lowest reaches of stream systems.
Maple-basswood rich mesic forest	A species rich hardwood forest that typically occurs on well-drained, moist soils of circumneutral pH. Rich herbs are predominant in the ground layer and are usually correlated with calcareous bedrock, although bedrock does not have to be exposed. The dominant trees are sugar maple, basswood, and white ash.
Marine deepwater community	A broadly-defined community that includes both quiet and rough waters of the open ocean below the lowest tide level and beyond the seaward limits of rooted vascular vegetation. This community includes all benthic substrate types (ranging from rock bottom to unconsolidated bottom), as well as the overlying water column, or pelagic component.
Marine dredge spoil shore	The wetland community of a constructed, intertidal or subtidal, marine shore in which the substrate is composed of dredge spoils. This community has minimal vegetative cover and relatively low species diversity. Dredge spoil shores provide foraging habitat for terns, gulls, and several shorebirds.
Marine eelgrass meadow	A community of subtidal aquatic beds dominated or codominated by eelgrass and typically occurring in quiet shallow polyhaline (18 to 30 ppt salinity) waters of temperate tidal embayments below the lowest tide level where fluctuations in salinity are minor.
Marine intertidal gravel/sand beach	A community washed by rough, high-energy waves, with sand or gravel substrates that are well-drained at low tide. These areas are subject to high fluctuations in salinity and moisture. A relatively low diversity community, it is perhaps best characterized by the benthic invertebrate fauna including polychaetes, and amphipods.
Marine intertidal mudflats	A community of quiet waters, with substrates composed of silt or sand that is rich in organic matter and poorly drained at low tide. The substrate may be covered with algae.
Marine riprap/artificial shore	The wetland community of a constructed marine shore in which the substrate is composed of broken rocks, stones, wooden bulkheads, or concrete placed to reduce erosion.
Marine rocky intertidal	A community inhabiting rocky shores that are washed by rough, high-energy ocean waves. Characteristic organisms are attached marine algae, mussels, sea stars, urchins, and barnacles that can withstand the impact of the waves and periodic desiccation. Examples of this community in New York typically have gently sloping rocky shores comprised of boulders (0.25 to 3 m diameter) and/or cobbles (6.4 to 25 cm). Bedrock outcrops may be present in a few examples, but not to the extent, or as steep, as those described in other New England states, such as Maine. The community is typically rich in species. Attached organisms cover usually more than 60% of the substrate, especially at the lower intertidal zone.
Marine submerged artificial structure/reef	The aquatic community associated with an artificially introduced structure submerged in marine waters that provides habitat for marine fish and other marine organisms. This includes structures that have been intentionally sunk for the purpose of attracting fish, as well as sunken ships, disposed waste, submerged bridge abutments, or any other introduced material that provides suitable habitat.
Maritime beach	A community with extremely sparse vegetation that occurs on unstable sand, gravel, or cobble ocean shores above mean high tide, where the shore is modified by storm waves and wind erosion.
Maritime beech forest	A hardwood forest with American beech as a dominant that usually occurs on north-facing exposed bluffs and the back portions of rolling dunes in well-drained fine sands. Wind and salt spray cause the trees to be stunted (average height 4 m to 15 m) and multiple-stemmed with contorted branches, especially on the exposed bluffs.
Maritime dunes	A community dominated by grasses and low shrubs that occurs on active and stabilized dunes along the Atlantic coast. The composition and structure of the vegetation is variable depending on stability of the dunes, amounts of sand deposition and erosion, and distance from the ocean.
Maritime freshwater interdunal swales	A mosaic of wetlands that occur in low areas between dunes along the Atlantic coast; the low areas (swales) are formed either by blowouts in the dunes that lower the soil surface to groundwater level, or by the seaward extension of dune fields. Water levels fluctuate seasonally and annually. Sedges and herbs are usually the most abundant types of plants. These wetlands may be quite small (less than 0.25 acre).
Maritime grassland	A grassland community that occurs on rolling outwash plains of the glaciated portion of the Atlantic coastal plain, near the ocean and within the influence of offshore winds and salt spray.
Maritime heathland	A dwarf shrubland community that occurs on rolling outwash plains and moraine of the glaciated portion of the Atlantic coastal plain, near the ocean and within the influence of onshore winds and salt spray.
Maritime holly forest	A broadleaf evergreen maritime strand forest that occurs in low areas on the back portions of maritime dunes. The trees are usually stunted and flat-topped because the canopies are pruned by salt spray and exposed to winds; the canopy of a mature stand may be only 16 to 23 ft (5 to 7 m) tall. The dominant tree is American holly.
Maritime pitch pine dune woodland	A maritime woodland that occurs on stabilized parabolic dunes. The substrate is wind and wave deposited sand that is usually excessively well-drained and nutrient poor. The community is subject to high winds, sand-blasting, salt spray, and shifting substrate.
Maritime post oak forest	An oak-dominated forest that borders salt marshes or occurs on exposed bluffs and sand spits within about 200 meters of the seacoast. The trees may be somewhat stunted and flat-topped from pruning by by salt spray and wind exposure. The forest is usually dominated by two or more species of oaks, including post oak, black oak, scarlet oak, and white oak.
Maritime red cedar forest	A conifer forest that occurs on dry sites near the ocean. Eastern red cedar is the dominant tree, often forming nearly pure stands. Other characteristic trees include post oak and black cherry.
Maritime shrubland	A shrubland community that occurs on dry seaside bluffs and headlands that are exposed to offshore winds and salt spray.
Marl fen	A wetland that occurs on a bed of marl. Marl is a whitish substance that is deposited from water that has a lot of calcium dissolved in it. The whitish substance is calcium carbonate, people used to harvest marl to lime agricultural fields. The marl substrate is always saturated, may be flooded, and has a very high pH, generally greater than 7.5. The main source of water is always groundwater. The plants are often sparse and stunted. Marl fens may occur as small patches within a rich graminoid fen.
Marl pond	The aquatic community of a small, shallow spring-fed pond in which the water has a high concentration of calcium. The calcium precipitates out of the water as calcium carbonate and forms a marl sediment.
Marl pond shore	The marly shore of an inland pond. Marl is a whitish substance that is deposited from water that has a lot of calcium dissolved in it. The whitish substance is calcium carbonate, people used to harvest marl to lime agricultural fields. Water levels of marl pond shores may fluctuate seasonally. There are usually only a few plants.
Marsh headwater stream	The aquatic community of a small, marshy perennial brook with a very low gradient, slow flow rate, and cool to warm water that flows through a marsh, fen, or swamp where a stream system originates. These streams usually have clearly distinguished meanders (i.e., high sinuosity) and are in unconfined landscapes.
Medium fen	A wetland fed by water from springs and seeps. These waters are slightly acidic (pH values generally range from 4.5 to 6.5) and contain some dissolved minerals. Plant remains in these fens do not decompose rapidly and thus the plants in these fens usually grow on older, undecomposed plant parts of woody material, grasses, and mosses.
Meromictic lake	The aquatic community of a relatively deep lake with small surface area that is so protected from wind-stirring that it has no annual periods of complete mixing, and remains chemically stratified throughout the year. These lakes may be protected from mixing by a sheltered surrounding landscape (e.g., a deep basin) or by adjacent tree cover.
Mesotrophic dimictic lake	The aquatic community of a lake that is intermediate between an oligotrophic lake and a eutrophic lake. These lakes are dimictic: they have two periods of mixing or turnover (spring and fall); they are thermally stratified in the summer, and they freeze over and become inversely stratified in the winter.
Midreach stream	The aquatic community of relatively large, fast flowing sections of streams with a moderate to gentle gradient. These streams have a well-defined pattern of alternating pools, riffles, and runs. Midreach streams usually have poorly defined meanders (i.e., low sinuosity), occur in confined valleys and are most typical of the midreaches of stream systems.
Mine spoil wetland	A sparsely vegetated wetland in which the substrate consists of mine spoils.
Mine spoils	A site where mine spoils have been deposited. These sites may be extensive. Mine spoils may include tailings, crushed rock, and overburden deposits.
Mine/artificial cave community	The biota of an abandoned mine or artificial underground excavation. Abandoned mines that are deep enough to maintain stable winter temperatures are important bat hibernacula. Mines, like natural caves, may be terrestrial or aquatic. Wells are also included here.
Mountain fir forest	A conifer forest that occurs at high elevations in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains, usually at elevations ranging from 3500 to 4500 ft. This forest typically occurs on cool upper slopes that are exposed to wind, at elevations above spruce northern hardwood forests, usually above mountain spruce fir forest, and below alpine krummholz. The vegetation typically has a low species diversity; the tree layer is almost entirely balsam fir.
Mountain spruce-fir forest	A conifer forest that occurs at high elevations in the Catskill and Adirondack mountains, usually at elevations ranging from 3000 to 4000 ft. This forest occurs on upper slopes that are somewhat protected from the prevailing westerly winds, usually at elevations above spruce-northern hardwood forests, and below mountain fir forests. The dominant trees are red spruce and balsam fir.
Mowed lawn	Residential, recreational, or commercial land, or unpaved airport runways in which the groundcover is dominated by clipped grasses and there is less than 30% cover of trees. Ornamental and/or native shrubs may be present, usually with less than 50% cover. The groundcover is maintained by mowing and broadleaf herbicide application.
Mowed lawn with trees	Residential, recreational, or commercial land in which the groundcover is dominated by clipped grasses and forbs, and it is shaded by at least 30% cover of trees. Ornamental and/or native shrubs may be present, usually with less than 50% cover. The groundcover is maintained by mowing and broadleaf herbicide application.
Mowed roadside/pathway	A narrow strip of mowed vegetation along the side of a road, or a mowed pathway through taller vegetation (e.g., meadows, old fields, woodlands, forests), or along utility right-of-way corridors (e.g., power lines, telephone lines, gas pipelines). The vegetation in these mowed strips and paths may be dominated by grasses, sedges, and rushes; or it may be dominated by forbs, vines, and low shrubs that can tolerate infrequent mowing.
Northern white cedar rocky summit	A community that occurs on cool, dry, rocky ridgetops and summits where the bedrock is calcareous (such as limestone or dolomite), and the soils are more or less calcareous. The vegetation may be sparse or patchy, with numerous rock outcrops. The species have predominantly boreal distributions.
Northern white cedar swamp	A swamp that occurs on organic soils in cool, poorly drained depressions in central and northern New York, and along lakes and streams in the northern half of the state. These swamps are often spring-fed with continually saturated soils. Soils are often rich in calcium. The characteristic tree is northern white cedar, which makes up more than 30% of the canopy cover.
Oak openings	A grass-savanna community that occurs on well-drained soils. In New York, these savannas originally occurred as openings within extensive oak-hickory forests. The best remnants occur on dolomite knobs.
Oak-tulip tree forest	A hardwood forest that occurs on moist, well-drained sites in southeastern New York. The dominant trees include a mixture of five or more of the following: red oak, tulip tree, American beech, black birch, red maple, scarlet oak, black oak, and white oak.
Oligotrophic dimictic lake	The aquatic community of a nutrient-poor lake that typically occurs in a deep, steeply-banked basin. These lakes are dimictic: they have two periods of mixing or turnover (spring and fall), they are thermally stratified in the summer, and they freeze over and become inversely stratified in the winter.
Oligotrophic pond	The aquatic community of a small, shallow, nutrient-poor pond. The water is very clear, and the bottom is usually sandy or rocky.
Orchard	A stand of cultivated fruit trees (such as apples, cherries, peaches, pears, etc.), often with grasses as a groundcover. An orchard may be currently under cultivation or recently abandoned.
Oxbow lake	The aquatic community of a small, shallow, usually stagnant lake or pond of fluvial origin that occurs in an old river meander or oxbow that has been cut off from an unconfined river or marsh headwater stream by deposition of a levee.
Pastureland	Agricultural land permanently maintained (or recently abandoned) as a pasture area for livestock.
Patterned peatland	A large peatland whose surface forms a gentle slope with a mosaic of high and low areas (relative to water levels). These high and low areas occur as narrow or broad bands of vegetation and pools that extend perpendicular to the direction of water flow across the slope of the peatland. Peat moss (Sphagnum) is the most abundant plant.
Paved road/path	A road or pathway that is paved with asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, etc. There may be sparse vegetation rooted in cracks in the paved surface.
Perched bog	A wetland that occurs in shallow depressions in rock outcrops where the water table is locally higher than expected (perched) because of an impervious soil or rock layer. The most abundant plants are peat mosses (Sphagnum) and ericaceous shrubs. The water is usually very acid and has low amounts of dissolved minerals.
Perched swamp white oak swamp	A swamp that occurs in a shallow depression on a forested hillside where the water table is locally perched above the surrounding groundwater level. The water level fluctuates seasonally; the swamp may be flooded in spring and nearly dry by late summer. The dominant tree is swamp white oak, which may form a nearly pure, open canopy stand in areas that are permanently saturated.
Pine barrens shrub swamp	A shrub-dominated wetland that occurs in shallow depressions in the coastal plain, often as the transition zone between a coastal plain pond shore and either pitch pine-scrub oak barrens or pitch pine-oak forest.
Pine barrens vernal pond	A seasonally fluctuating pond and its associated wetlands that typically occurs in pine barrens. The water is intermittent, usually a pond in the spring but sometimes losing water through the summer to become a mostly vegetated wetland at the end of the summer. These ponds and wetlands may be small.
Pine plantation	A stand of pines planted for the cultivation and harvest of timber products, or to provide wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, windbreaks, or landscaping. Pines that are typically planted in New York include white pine, red pine, Scotch pine, pitch pine, and jack pine.
Pine-northern hardwood forest	A mixed forest that occurs on gravelly outwash plains, delta sands, eskers, and dry lake sands in the Adirondacks. The dominant trees are white pine and red pine.
Pitch pine-blueberry peat swamp	A swamp that occurs in shallow depressions in sand plains where peat has accumulated over a poorly drained sandy soil. This soil has a horizon cemented by iron oxide; the cemented horizon impedes drainage and causes seasonal flooding. The dominant tree is pitch pine. Gray birch and red maple are present at a low density. The canopy is open, with about 50 to 60 percent cover.
Pitch pine-heath barrens	A shrub-savanna community that occurs on well-drained, sandy or rocky soils. The most abundant tree is pitch pine and the shrublayer is dominated by heath shrubs.
Pitch pine-oak forest	A mixed forest that typically occurs on well-drained, sandy soils of glacial outwash plains or moraines; it also occurs on thin, rocky soils of ridgetops. The dominant trees are pitch pine mixed with one or more of the following oaks: scarlet oak, white oak, red oak, or black oak.
Pitch pine-oak-heath rocky summit	A community that occurs on warm, dry, rocky ridgetops and summits where the bedrock is non-calcareous (such as quartzite, sandstone, or schist), and the soils are more or less acidic. This community is broadly defined and includes examples that may lack pines and are dominated by scrub oak and/or heath shrubs apparently related to fire regime.
Pitch pine-oak-heath woodland	A pine barrens community that occurs on well-drained, infertile, sandy soils. The structure of this community is intermediate between a shrub-savanna and a woodland. Pitch pine and white oak are the most abundant trees.
Pitch pine-scrub oak barrens	A shrub-savanna community that occurs on well-drained, sandy soils that have developed on sand dunes, glacial till, and outwash plains.
Post oak-blackjack oak barrens	Open barrens on upper slopes and low ridges characterized by the presence of stunted individuals of post oak, scarlet oak, and blackjack oak. There is a sparse heath and grass ground cover growing in very dry, deep, exposed sand overlying a clay subsoil.
Quarry pond	The aquatic community of an excavated basin that is created as part of a rock quarrying operation. The sides of the basin are often very steep, thereby eliminating any shallow shoreline habitats. Water levels usually fluctuate, reflecting recent precipitation patterns.
Railroad	A permanent road having a line of steel rails fixed to wood ties and laid on a gravel roadbed that provides a track for cars or equipment drawn by locomotives or propelled by self-contained motors. There may be sparse vegetation rooted in the gravel substrate. The railroad right of way may be maintained by mowing or herbicide spraying.
Red cedar rocky summit	A community that occurs on warm, dry, rocky ridgetops and summits where the bedrock is calcareous (such as limestone or dolomite, but also marble, amphibolite, and calcsilicate rock), and the soils are more or less calcareous. The vegetation may be sparse or patchy, with numerous lichen covered rock outcrops.
Red maple-blackgum swamp	A maritime, coastal, or inland hardwood swamp that occurs in poorly drained depressions, sometimes in a narrow band between a stream and upland. Red maple and black gum are often codominant or black gum may be the dominant tree. Pitch pine may occur on drier hummock islands in pine barrens settings.
Red maple-hardwood swamp	A hardwood swamp that occurs in poorly drained depressions, usually on inorganic soils. Red maple is usually the most abundant canopy tree, but it can also be codominant with white, green, or black ash; white or slippery elm; yellow birch; and swamp white oak.
Red maple-sweetgum swamp	A hardwood swamp that occurs on somewhat poorly drained seasonally wet flats, usually on somewhat acidic soils. Red maple-sweetgum swamps often occur as a mosaic with upland forest communities. Sweetgum is often the dominant tree or may be codominant with red maple. Other codominant trees include pin oak and black gum.
Red maple-tamarack peat swamp	A swamp that occurs on organic soils (peat or muck) in poorly drained depressions. These swamps are often spring fed or enriched by seepage of mineral-rich groundwater resulting in a stable water table and continually saturated soil. The dominant trees are red maple and tamarack. These species usually form an open canopy (50 to 70% cover) with numerous small openings dominated by shrubs or sedges.
Reedgrass/purple loosestrife marsh	A marsh that has been disturbed by draining, filling, road salts, etc. in which reedgrass or purple loosestrife has become dominant. This community is common along highways and railroads.
Reservoir/artificial impoundment	The aquatic community of an artificial lake created by the impoundment of a river with a dam. Reservoirs are constructed to collect water for municipal and/or agricultural water use, to provide hydroelectric power, and to improve opportunities for recreational activities (e.g. boating, swimming), and development.
Reverted drained muckland	A wetland with muck soils that has been drained and cultivated (e.g., for vegetable crops), and subsequently allowed to flood and thereby revert to a wetland.
Rich graminoid fen	A wetland of mostly grasses usually fed by water from highly calcareous springs or seepage. These waters have high concentrations of minerals and high pH values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. Plant remains do not decompose rapidly and these grasses usually grow on older, undecomposed plant parts.
Rich hemlock-hardwood peat swamp	A swamp that occurs in central New York in depressions or concave slopes which receive groundwater discharge. These swamps usually have a fairly open canopy (50 to 70% cover), scattered shrubs, and a diverse groundlayer with sedges, mosses, and forbs. The characteristic canopy trees are eastern hemlock which usually has at least 20% cover, red maple, yellow birch, black ash, tamarack, white pine, smooth serviceberry, balsam fir, and northern white cedar.
Rich mesophytic forest	A hardwood or mixed forest that resembles the mixed mesophytic forests of the Allegheny Plateau south of New York but is less diverse. It occurs on rich, fine-textured, well-drained soils that are favorable for the dominance of a wide variety of tree species. A canopy with a relatively large number of codominant trees characterizes this forest. Canopy codominants include five or more of the following species: red oak, red maple, white ash, American beech, sugar maple, black cherry, cucumber tree, and black birch.
Rich shrub fen	A wetland with many shrubs that is usually fed by water from springs and seeps. These waters have high concentrations of minerals and high pH values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. Plant remains in these fens do not decompose rapidly and thus the plants in these fens usually grow on older, undecomposed woody plant parts.
Rich sloping fen	A small, gently sloping wetland that occurs in a shallow depression on a slope composed of calcareous glacial deposits. Sloping fens are fed by small springs or groundwater seepage. Like other rich fens, their water sources have high concentrations of minerals and high pH values, generally from 6.0 to 7.8. They often have water flowing at the surface in small channels or rivulets.
Riprap/artificial lake shore	A lake shore or pond shore that is covered with coarse stones, cobbles, concrete slabs, etc. placed for erosion control. The vegetation is usually sparse.
Riprap/erosion control roadside	A sparsely vegetated slope along a road that is covered with coarse stones, cobbles or other structures placed for erosion control.
Riverside ice meadow	A meadow community that occurs on gently sloping cobble shores and rock outcrops along large rivers in areas where winter ice floes are pushed up onto the shore, forming an ice pack that remains until late spring. The ice scours the meadow, cutting back woody plants.
Riverside sand/gravel bar	A meadow community that occurs on sand and gravel bars deposited within, or adjacent to, a river channel. The community may be very sparsely vegetated, depending on the rates of deposition and erosion of the sand or gravel.
Roadcut cliff/slope	A sparsely vegetated cliff or steep slope, along a road, that was created by blasting or digging during road construction.
Rock quarry	An excavation in bedrock from which building stone (e.g., limestone, sandstone, slate) has been removed. Vegetation may be sparse; plants may be rooted in crevices in the rock surface.
Rocky headwater stream	The aquatic community of a small- to moderate-sized perennial rocky stream typically with a moderate to steep gradient, and cold water that flows over eroded bedrock, boulders or cobbles in the area where a stream system originates.
Rocky summit grassland	A grassland community that occurs on rocky summits and exposed rocky slopes of hills. Woody plants are sparse and may be scattered near the margin of the community. Small trees and shrubs may be present at low percent cover.
Rural structure exterior	The exterior surfaces of metal, wood, or concrete structures (such as commercial buildings, barns, houses, bridges) or any structural surface composed of inorganic materials (glass, plastics, etc.) in a rural or sparsely populated suburban area. These sites may be sparsely vegetated with lichens, mosses, and terrestrial algae; occasionally vascular plants may grow in cracks. Nooks and crannies may provide nesting habitat for birds and insects, and roosting sites for bats.
Salt panne	A shallow depression in a salt marsh where the marsh is poorly drained. Pannes occur in both low and high salt marshes. Pannes in low salt marshes usually lack vegetation, and the substrate is a soft, silty mud. Pannes in a high salt marsh are irregularly flooded by spring tides or flood tides, but the water does not drain into tidal creeks. After a panne has been flooded the standing water evaporates and salinity of the soil water is raised well above the salinity of sea-water.
Salt shrub	A shrubland community that forms the ecotone between salt marsh and upland vegetation. Salinity levels are generally lower here than in the salt marsh (soil pore salinity ranges 7 ppt to 27 ppt); and the elevation is higher. Salt shrub does not usually develop on deep peat. More often, it occurs on a thin (0-10 cm) layer of peat, and soils share characteristics of both estuarine and maritime terrestrial settings.
Sand beach	A sparsely vegetated community that occurs on unstable sandy shores of large freshwater lakes, where the shore is formed and continually modified by wave action and wind erosion. Characteristic species are usually present at very low percent cover include various grasses and other herbs.
Sand mine	An excavation in a sand deposit or sand dune from which sand has been removed. Vegetation is usually sparse.
Sandstone pavement barrens	An open canopy woodland that occurs on very shallow soils over sandstone bedrock; this community is best developed where the bedrock is nearly level, thus forming a pavement. The best developed examples are found on Potsdam Sandstone in Clinton County. Large examples often include wetlands, such as perched bogs and inland poor fens.
Sea level fen	A wetland that occurs at the upper edge of salt marshes but is fed primarily by acidic groundwater seeping out along the upland edge. This freshwater sometimes mixes with salt or brackish water during unusually high tides. There is a high abundance of sedges that decompose slowly and create a deep substrate of peat. This peat is underlain by deep sand or gravel. These fens usually have a high diversity of herbs but may also have scattered trees and shrubs.
Sedge meadow	A wet meadow community that has organic soils (muck or fibrous peat). Soils are permanently saturated and seasonally flooded. The dominant herbs must be members of the sedge family, typically of the genus Carex.
Serpentine barrens	A grass-savanna community that occurs on shallow soils over outcrops of serpentine bedrock. In New York this community is known only from Staten Island, where the remnants are relatively disturbed.
Sewage treatment pond	The aquatic community of an artificial pond constructed for sewage treatment (chemical, and biological decomposition of sewage) prior to release to a stream or aquifer.
Sewer	The biota of a subterranean conduit constructed to carry off sewage and sometimes runoff from an urban or developed area. A characteristic rodent is the Norway rat.
Shale cliff and talus community	A community that occurs on nearly vertical exposures of shale bedrock and includes ledges and small areas of talus. Talus areas are composed of small fragments that are unstable and steeply sloping; the unstable nature of the shale results in uneven slopes and many rock crevices.
Shale talus slope woodland	An open to closed canopy woodland that occurs on talus slopes composed of shale. These slopes are rather unstable, and they are usually very well-drained, so the soils are shallow and dry. The canopy cover is usually less than 50%, due to the instability of the substrate.
Shallow emergent marsh	A marsh meadow community that occurs on soils that are permanently saturated and seasonally flooded. This marsh is better drained than a deep emergent marsh; water depths may range from 6 in to 3.3 ft (15 cm to 1 m) during flood stages, but the water level usually drops by mid to late summer and the soil is exposed during an average year.
Shoreline outcrop	A community that occurs along the shores of lakes and streams on outcrops of non-calcareous rocks such as anorthosite, granite, quartzite, sandstone, gneiss, or schist. The shoreline is exposed to wave action and ice scour. The vegetation is sparse; most plants are rooted in rock crevices.
Shrub swamp	An inland wetland dominated by tall shrubs that occurs along the shore of a lake or river, in a wet depression or valley not associated with lakes, or as a transition zone between a marsh, fen, or bog and a swamp or upland community. Shrub swamps are very common and quite variable.
Silver maple-ash swamp	A hardwood basin swamp that typically occurs in poorly-drained depressions or along the borders of large lakes, and less frequently in poorly drained soils along rivers. These sites are characterized by uniformly wet conditions with minimal seasonal fluctuations in water levels. The dominant trees are usually silver maple and green ash.
Sinkhole wetland	A small wetland, with or without a pond (a sinkhole pond), that occurs in a poorly drained sinkhole, typically underlain by limestone. Water levels fluctuate seasonally. In some areas there are many sinkholes in a group that are hydrologically connected underground, even though they are clearly separate at the ground surface.
Spruce flats	A mixed forest that occurs on moist sites along the borders of swamps and in low flats along lakes and streams in the Adirondacks. Soils are strongly podzolized, loamy to sandy, and seasonally moist, but not saturated and not peaty. Typically, the dominant trees are red spruce and red maple.
Spruce-fir rocky summit	A community that occurs on cool, dry, rocky ridgetops and summits where the bedrock is non-calcareous (such as anorthosite, quartzite, or sandstone), and the soils are more or less acidic. The vegetation may be sparse or patchy, with numerous rock outcrops and rock slides. The species have predominantly boreal distributions.
Spruce-fir swamp	A conifer swamp that typically occurs in a drainage basin but also can occur at the edge of a lake or pond or along gentle slopes of islands. These swamps are usually dense, with a fairly closed canopy (80 to 90% cover). The dominant tree is usually red spruce. Codominant trees include balsam fir and red maple. In the Catskills, balsam fir may be absent, and in the Adirondacks, black spruce or white spruce may replace red spruce as a dominant tree.
Spruce-northern hardwood forest	A mixed forest that occurs on lower mountain slopes and upper margins of flats on glacial till. This is a broadly defined community with several variants; it is one of the most common forest types in the Adirondacks. Codominant trees are red spruce, sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, and red maple, with scattered balsam fir.
Spruce/fir plantation	A stand of softwoods planted for the cultivation and harvest of timber products, or to provide wildlife habitat, soil erosion control, windbreaks, or landscaping. Softwoods that are typically planted in New York include Norway spruce, white spruce, balsam fir, and Douglas fir.
Successional blueberry heath	A shrubland dominated by ericaceous shrubs that occurs on sites with acidic soils that have been cleared (for logging, farming, etc.) or otherwise disturbed.
Successional fern meadow	A meadow dominated by ferns that occurs on sites that have been cleared (for logging, farming, etc.) or otherwise disturbed.
Successional maritime forest	A successional hardwood forest that occurs in low areas near the seacoast. This forest is a variable type that develops after vegetation has burned or land cleared (such as pastureland or farm fields). The trees may be somewhat stunted and flat-topped because the canopies are pruned by salt spray. The forest may be dominated by a single species, or there may be two or three codominants.
Successional northern hardwoods	A hardwood or mixed forest that occurs on sites that have been cleared or otherwise disturbed. Canopy trees are usually relatively young in age (25-50 years old) and signs of earlier forest disturbance are often evident. Characteristic trees and shrubs include any of the following: quaking aspen, big-tooth aspen, balsam poplar, paper birch, gray birch, pin cherry, black cherry, red maple, and white pine.
Successional northern sandplain grassland	A meadow community that occurs on open sandplains that have been cleared and plowed (for farming or development), and then abandoned. This community is usually dominated by low, dry turf of sedges and grasses less than 30 cm (12 inches) tall, and include patches of open sand, and patches of soil covered with mosses and lichens.
Successional old field	A meadow dominated by forbs and grasses that occurs on sites that have been cleared and plowed (for farming or development), and then abandoned or only occasionally mowed.
Successional red cedar woodland	A woodland community that commonly occurs on abandoned agricultural fields and pastures, usually at elevations less than 1000 ft (305 m). The dominant tree is eastern red cedar, which may occur widely spaced in young stands and may be rather dense in more mature stands.
Successional shrubland	A shrubland that occurs on sites that have been cleared (for farming, logging, development, etc.) or otherwise disturbed. This community has at least 50% cover of shrubs.
Successional southern hardwoods	A hardwood or mixed forest that occurs on sites that have been cleared or otherwise disturbed. Canopy trees are usually relatively young in age (25-50 years old) and signs of earlier forest disturbance are often evident. Characteristic trees and shrubs include any of the following: American elm, slippery elm, white ash, red maple, box elder, silver maple, sassafras, gray birch, hawthorns, eastern red cedar, and choke-cherry.
Summer-stratified monomictic lake	The aquatic community of a lake that is so deep (or large) that it has only one period of mixing or turnover each year (monomictic), and one period of stratification. These lakes generally do not freeze over in winter (except in unusually cold years) or form only a thin or sporadic ice cover during the coldest parts of midwinter, so the water circulates and is isothermal during the winter.
Talus cave community	The community that occurs in small crevices and caves with walls of boulders or cobbles, typically in a talus slope at the base of a cliff. This includes talus slopes that are cool enough to allow winter ice to remain within the talus through all or part of the summer; these are known as ice caves.
Terrestrial cave community	The terrestrial community of a cave with bedrock walls, including the biota of both solution caves (in limestone) and tectonic caves. Temperatures are stable in deep caves. Small or shallow caves may have a temperature gradient ranging from cold (below freezing) to cool (up to 50o F). Although many caves have ice on the cave floor in winter, the ceiling is warm enough for a bat hibernaculum.
Tidal creek	The aquatic community of a shallow creek under the influence of daily lunar tides. Water depth averages less than 2 m (6 ft) at low tide. The water is typically brackish to saline, but the community can also be freshwater.
Tidal river	The aquatic community of a river under the influence of daily lunar tides. We restrict this community to the continuously flooded portions of the river where plants do not grow out of the water. A deepwater zone has depths averaging more than 2 m (6 ft) at low tide. Salinities at any one place in the river may fluctuate as the tides flow in and out.
Tunnel	The biota of a subterranean passageway constructed to allow transportation routes to pass through rock or earth obstructions or underground, including tunnels for roads, footpaths, highways, railroads, and subways. Water-filled tunnels, such as aqueducts, and culverts are tentatively included here.
Undetermined barrens and woodlands	This subsystem includes upland communities that are structurally intermediate between forests and open canopy uplands. There are 24 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined estuarine cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that the physical conformation of the substrate, or the biological composition of the resident community is substantially different from the character of the substrate or community as it existed prior to human influence. There are six different community types in this subsystem.
Undetermined estuarine intertidal	This subsystem includes the area between the highest tide level and the lowest tide level; the substrate is periodically exposed and flooded by semidiurnal tides (two high tides and two low tides per tidal day). Some areas are only irregularly exposed at low tide, while other areas are only irregularly flooded at high tide. There are 14 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined estuarine subtidal	This subsystem includes the area below the lowest tide; the substrate is permanently flooded with tidal water; it is continuously submerged. There are four different community types in this subsystem.
Undetermined forested mineral soil wetlands	This subsystem includes seasonally flooded forests, and permanently flooded or saturated swamps. These forests and swamps typically have at least 50% canopy cover of trees. There are nine different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined forested peatlands	This subsystem includes peatlands with at least 50% canopy cover of trees. Substrates range from coarse woody or fibrous peat to fine-grained marl and organic muck. There are seven different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined forested uplands	This subsystem includes upland communities with more than 60% canopy cover of trees; these communities occur on substrates with less than 50% rock outcrop or shallow soil over bedrock. There are 28 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined lacustrine cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created, and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that the trophic state, morphometry, water chemistry, or biological composition of the resident community are substantially different from the character of the lake community as it existed prior to human influence. There are 9 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined marine cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or modified by human influence to such a degree that the physical conformation of the substrate, or the biological composition of the resident community, is substantially different from the character of the substrate or community as it existed prior to human influence. There are three different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined marine intertidal	This subsystem includes the area between the highest tide level and the lowest tide level; the substrate is periodically exposed and flooded by semidiurnal tides (two high tides and two low tides per tidal day). There are three different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined marine subtidal	This subsystem includes the area below the lowest tide that is permanently flooded with tidal water. There are two different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined natural caves	This subsystem includes caves and cavities in which the structure and hydrology have not been substantially modified by human activities, and the native biota are dominant. There are three different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined natural lakes and ponds	This subsystem includes the Great Lakes, and inland lakes and ponds in which the trophic state, morphometry, and water chemistry have not been substantially modified by human activities, or the native biota are dominant. There are 16 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined natural streams	This subsystem includes streams in which the stream flow, morphometry, and water chemistry have not been substantially modified by human activities, or the native biota are dominant. There are nine different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined open mineral soil wetlands	This subsystem includes wetlands with less than 50% canopy cover of trees. There are 11 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined open peatlands	This subsystem includes peatlands with less than 50% canopy cover of trees. There are 16 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined open uplands	This subsystem includes upland communities with less than 25% canopy cover of trees; the dominant species in these communities are shrubs, herbs, or cryptogammic plants (mosses, lichens, etc.). There are 27 different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined palustrine cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that the physical conformation of the substrate, the hydrology, or the biological composition of the resident community is substantially different from the character of the substrate, hydrology, or community as it existed prior to human influence. There are seven different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined riverine cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that stream flow, morphometry, water chemistry, or the biological composition of the resident community are substantially different from the character of the stream community as it existed prior to human influence. There are five different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined subterranean cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that the physical conformation of the substrate, or the biological composition of the resident community is substantially different from the character of the substrate or community as it existed prior to human influence. There are four different community types within this subsystem.
Undetermined terrestrial cultural	This subsystem includes communities that are either created and maintained by human activities, or are modified by human influence to such a degree that the physical conformation of the substrate, or the biological composition of the resident community is substantially different from the character of the substrate or community as it existed prior to human influence. There are 36 different community types within this subsystem.
Unpaved road/path	A sparsely vegetated road or pathway of gravel, bare soil, or bedrock outcrop. These roads or pathways are maintained by regular trampling or scraping of the land surface. The substrate consists of the soil or parent material at the site, which may be modified by the addition of local organic material (woodchips, logs, etc.) or sand and gravel. Abandoned railroad beds where tracks have been removed are included here. One characteristic plant is path rush.
Urban structure exterior	The exterior surfaces of metal, wood, or concrete structures (such as commercial buildings, apartment buildings, houses, bridges) or any structural surface composed of inorganic materials (glass, plastics, etc.) in an urban or densely populated suburban area. These sites may be sparsely vegetated with lichens, mosses, and terrestrial algae; occasionally vascular plants may grow in cracks.
Urban vacant lot	An open site in a developed, urban area, that has been cleared either for construction or following the demolition of a building. Vegetation may be sparse, with large areas of exposed soil, and often with rubble or other debris. Characteristic trees are often naturalized exotic species such as Norway maple, white mulberry, and tree of heaven, a species native to northern China and introduced as an ornamental. Tree of heaven is fast growing and tolerant of the harsh urban environment; it can dominate a vacant lot and form dense stands.
Vernal pool	An aquatic community of one or more intermittently ponded, small, shallow depressions typically within an upland forest. Vernal pools are typically flooded in spring or after a heavy rainfall, but are usually dry during summer. Substrate is typically dense leaf litter over hydric soils. Vernal pools typically occupy a confined basin (i.e., a standing waterbody without a flowing outlet), but may have an intermittent stream flowing out of it during high water. This community includes a diverse group of invertebrates and amphibians that depend upon temporary pools as breeding habitat. These include amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, mollusks, annelids, and insects.
Vineyard	A stand of cultivated vines (such as grapes or raspberries), often with grasses as a groundcover.
Water recharge basin	The aquatic community of a constructed depression near a road or development that receives runoff from paved surfaces and allows the water to percolate through to the groundwater, thereby recharging the groundwater. These basins are intermittently flooded during periods of heavy precipitation. On Long Island some of these are important as breeding habitat for amphibians such as tiger salamander.
Winter-stratified monomictic lake	The aquatic community of a large, shallow lake that has only one period of mixing each year because it is very shallow in relation to its size, and is completely exposed to winds. These lakes typically never become thermally stratified in the summer, and are only stratified in the winter when they freeze over, and become inversely stratified (coldest water at the surface). They are eutrophic to mesotrophic.