Name:
Pinus taeda Forest Alliance
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This alliance includes both successional forests, following cropping or site conversion, and natural forests in the Piedmont, Cumberlands and Ridge and Valley, and Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. Other canopy and subcanopy species that may be present in successional stands are Liriodendron tulipifera, Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus virginiana, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Quercus stellata, Quercus velutina, Ulmus rubra, Quercus alba, Nyssa sylvatica, Ulmus alata, Cornus florida, Prunus serotina var. serotina, and Carya spp. Vaccinium spp., especially Vaccinium stamineum, are common in these forests. One association in this alliance occurs on barrier islands in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Along with the dominant Pinus taeda, canopy associates often include Quercus falcata, Acer rubrum, Prunus serotina var. serotina, and Sassafras albidum. The tall-shrub layer is comprised of Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera) and Vaccinium formosum. Vines and lianas are always present in abundance; Vitis rotundifolia is most commonly present, but Toxicodendron radicans, Smilax rotundifolia, Smilax glauca, and Parthenocissus quinquefolia are usually present in abundance as well. The herbaceous layer may be sparse, particularly if shrubs and vines are dense, but Chasmanthium laxum may be fairly abundant in this community. Other herbs include Panicum amarum var. amarulum, Eupatorium hyssopifolium, and Elephantopus nudatus. In southern Virginia and North Carolina, Quercus virginiana and Gelsemium sempervirens may also be present, but Quercus virginiana is never abundant and when present is usually restricted to the understory. Pinus taeda may occur rarely in the Ouachita Mountains and Ozarks of Arkansas where the species is becoming naturalized, expanding from its native range in the Coastal Plain, where it naturally occurs in low, moist areas (e.g., deep, well-drained soils of floodplains). However, a natural Pinus taeda forest association is not recognized for the Ozark or Ouachita region.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.21139.PINUSTAEDAFORES
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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