Life History and Disturbance Response of Acer saccharinum (silver maple)
Family: Aceraceae
Guild: pioneer, spring-dispersed, moist-site tolerant
Functional Lifeform: large deciduous tree
Ecological Role: a pioneer on floodplains, bottomlands and other moist, well-drained sites; also reproduces under shade-intolerant hardwoods on moist sites; can withstand short periods of suppression
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 100/130
Shade Tolerance: tolerant
Height, m: 26-37
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 11/35/125
Mast Frequency, yrs: 1
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: early spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: yes
Seedfall Begins: late spring
Seed Banking: up to 1 yr
Cold Stratification Required: no
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: winged/ to 100 m/ wind, water
Season of Germination: spring -- early summer
Seedling Rooting System: shallow, spreading
Sprouting: common
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: mineral soil
Light: overstory shade
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: Silver maple grows on bottomland sites, where fire rarely occurs. It increases during long fire intervals. Silver maple is not well-adapted to survive fire even though it sprouts after other disturbances. The relatively soft wood, thin bark and tendency to rot allows it to succumb to fire-caused wounds. Its shallow roots are probably easily damaged by fire. It invades suitable sites where fire has been suppressed.
Weather: Silver maple seedlings are very tolerant of flooding. Silver maple is highly susceptible to ice damage.
Air pollution: Silver maple is tolerant to intermediate in sensitivity to sulphur dioxide. It is rated by some as sensitive to ozone, but no symptoms of foliar injury were noted by others in areas of high ambient ozone. Seedlings of silver maple exhibited reduced height growth and biomass accumulation under controlled fumigation with ozone.