Life History and Disturbance Response of Acer pensylvanicum (striped maple)
Family: Aceraceae
Guild: persistent, slow-growing understory tolerant
Functional Lifeform: large shrub or small deciduous tree
Ecological Role: found on moist well-drained uplands; survives under heavy shade for many years and can rapidly respond to release; also common in small forest openings
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 100/Information Not Found
Shade Tolerance: very tolerant
Height, m: 9-15
Canopy Tree: no
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 11/Information Not Found/100
Mast Frequency, yrs: Information Not Found
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: late spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: no
Seedfall Begins: early fall
Seed Banking: 1 yr +
Cold Stratification Required: yes
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: winged/ to 200 m/ wind
Season of Germination: spring
Seedling Rooting System: shallow, spreading
Sprouting: occasional basal sprouting and layering
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: variable
Light: overstory shade
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: Fire is probably rare on the moist upland sites where striped maple commonly grows, occurring at intervals of decades to centuries. There is little information about the relationship of fire to this understory species but it is apparently moderately resistant to low-intensity fires. However, crown fires in the overstory trees that result in partial openings in the forest canopy create ideal conditions for striped maple regeneration.