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Life History and Disturbance Response of Ulmus alata (winged elm)
Family: Ulmaceae
Guild: pioneer, spring-dispersed, moist-site tolerant
Functional Lifeform: small to medium-size deciduous tree
Ecological Role: grows on a wide range of sites from moist flats to dry uplands; colonizes old fields and forest openings; usually occurs as scattered individuals in upland oak forests and bottomland hardwood mixtures
Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 125/Information Not Found
Shade Tolerance: tolerant
Height, m: 12-24
Canopy Tree: yes
Pollination Agent: wind
Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): Information Not Found
Mast Frequency, yrs: Information Not Found
New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts
Flowering Dates: early spring
Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: Information Not Found
Seedfall Begins: late spring
Seed Banking: seasonal, < 1 yr
Cold Stratification Required: no
Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: winged/ up to 100 m/ wind, water, birds
Season of Germination: spring
Seedling Rooting System: Information Not Found
Sprouting: Information Not Found
Establishment Seedbed Preferences:
Substrate: variable
Light: open areas only
Moisture: moist required
Temperature: neutral
Disturbance response:
Fire: There is no specific information available about the fire response of this species. Its association with upland Quercus species and bottomland hardwoods suggests that is grows on sites more fire-susceptible than moister sites typical of Ulmus americana and U. rubra. It is likely to sprout from the root crown in response to topkill during low-intensity fires.
Exotics: The dominance of all North American elm species has been significantly decreased by Dutch elm disease, caused by an exotic wilt fungus (Ceratocystis ulmi) which was introduced from Europe in 1930. It is spread by two species of elm bark beetles, one European (Scolytus multistriatus) and the other native (Hylurgopinus rufipes). Juvenile trees have some resistance to the disease, and elms produce wind-borne seeds before they die. Elms will likely persist in the forest as an understory species.