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Castanea dentata - Quercus prinus Forest Alliance | Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
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Name: Castanea dentata - Quercus prinus Forest Alliance Reference: Southeastern Ecology Working Gro... Description: This alliance is now extirpated but included subxeric forests dominated by mixtures of Castanea dentata and Quercus prinus, formerly occurring in the Appalachian Mountains, the Cumberland Plateau, Knobs, and perhaps as far west as the Shawnee Hills of Kentucky. Castanea dentata was a major forest dominant in the eastern United States that has virtually been eliminated since 1900 by Cryphonectria parasitica (= Endothia parasitica) (Chestnut Blight), introduced on Asiatic chestnut. Forests in this alliance have been described as the most extensive forests of the middle and lower elevations (1220-1370 m, 4000-4500 feet) in the Great Smoky Mountains. Whittaker described both xeric and subxeric phases of this alliance. Forests on xeric ridges and upper slopes had a closed shrub stratum dominated by Kalmia latifolia, with an open tree stratum of Castanea dentata and Quercus prinus, and a sparse herbaceous stratum dominated by Galax urceolata. More mesic forests in this alliance occurred on less exposed slope positions and had canopies dominated by Castanea dentata and Quercus prinus occurring with lesser amounts of Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, Quercus velutina, Nyssa sylvatica, Acer rubrum, and Liriodendron tulipifera, with open or heath-dominated understories. Although replacement forests vary with geography, in the southern Appalachians, I.B.2.N.a Quercus prinus - (Quercus coccinea, Quercus velutina) Forest Alliance (A.248) and other forests dominated by Quercus rubra, Quercus prinus, and Acer rubrum have been the major replacement types. There is some hope for the potential recovery of this community, or something resembling it, if a blight-resistant chestnut can be developed and introduced.  Accession Code: VB.CC.21191.CASTANEADENTATA Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: Alliance This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Scientific: Castanea dentata - Quercus prinus Forest Alliance   Translated: American Chestnut - Rock Chestnut Oak Forest Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.124473 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.224