Name:
Fagus grandifolia - Quercus rubra - Quercus alba Forest Alliance
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
Forests in this alliance occur in non-montane or low-elevation montane mesic situations and are dominated by Fagus grandifolia typically with some combination of Quercus rubra and/or Quercus alba. Associated canopy and subcanopy species can include Liriodendron tulipifera, Acer saccharum, Magnolia tripetala, Magnolia acuminata (Ozarks), Tilia americana var. americana (Ozarks), Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Quercus muehlenbergii, Acer rubrum, Cornus florida, Ostrya virginiana, Aesculus sylvatica, and Ilex opaca. Some of these forests, particularly in the Piedmont of South Carolina, the southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama, or in Arkansas, may contain Acer barbatum instead of Acer saccharum. Shrubs in this alliance include Vaccinium stamineum, Viburnum rafinesquianum, Euonymus americana, and, in some occurrences, Kalmia latifolia. The herb layer can be relatively lush with such species as Polystichum acrostichoides, Galium circaezans, Hexastylis arifolia, Hexastylis minor, Desmodium nudiflorum, Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. umbilicatum, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa, Epifagus virginiana, Tiarella cordifolia var. collina, Trillium spp., Heuchera americana, Stellaria pubera, Podophyllum peltatum, Botrychium virginianum, and others present. These forests often occur on concave and sheltered landforms such as north-facing slopes, low slopes, high terraces along streams, and possibly other situations. The core concept of the range of this alliance includes areas inland from the Coastal Plain, as Quercus rubra is absent from large areas of the Coastal Plain (as in North Carolina). Forests in this alliance occur in the Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley, Piedmont and Interior Low Plateau, and on protected slopes and ravines in the Ozarks, central Ouachita Mountains, and Arkansas Valley.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.17823.FAGUSGRANDIFOLI
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
