Name:
Carya (glabra, ovata) - Fraxinus americana - Quercus (alba, rubra) Forest Alliance
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
Communities of this alliance include dry, relatively 'rich' forests dominated by Quercus species and include Carya species as a prominent (rarely codominant) feature. Fraxinus americana, although sometimes a sporadic member, is generally characteristic of these forests. Associated canopy species include Quercus alba, Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Carya ovalis, Carya glabra, as well as other oaks and hickories. Communities of this alliance generally occur on dry upper slopes or ridgetops. Soils are usually rich, and may range from slightly acidic to circumneutral pH, on well-drained loams or sandy loams, predominantly on southern or eastern exposures. The shrub layer is usually interrupted to absent. When present, it includes Viburnum rafinesquianum, and occasional Vaccinium species. Viburnum acerifolium is characteristic of some communities of this alliance. Although ericaceous species may be present and occasionally locally abundant, they are not characteristic. The herbaceous layer is characterized by forbs and may be quite diverse. A characteristic sedge is Carex pensylvanica. Other forbs found in these communities include Asplenium platyneuron, Schizachyrium scoparium, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa (= Hepatica americana), Asclepias quadrifolia, Desmodium spp., and Arabis canadensis. The relatively open canopy, sparse shrub layer, and dense herbaceous layer impart a park-like appearance to many of these forests. However, this vegetation is classified as forest rather than woodland because total canopy cover generally exceeds 60%, and few, if any, of the herbs may be thought of as truly shade-intolerant. Those herbs that require high light levels are generally confined to small openings. Portions of SAF type 52, White Oak - Black Oak - Northern Red Oak, are contained within this alliance. These forests are somewhat similar to Braun's (1950) 'oak-hickory forests' of the Midwest. They share many of the same canopy species, and in some cases, similar physiognomy. However, the Oak-Hickory Region of Braun supports forests that occur in close association and intergrade with prairies, and share many of the same species in the herb layer, particularly legumes. For example, Asclepias verticillata, Lithospermum canescens, Tephrosia virginiana, Desmodium spp., Euphorbia corollata, and Liatris spp. occur in many of the oak - hickory forests of the Ozark Plateau, and Braun (1950) suggests that they may be remnants of prairie openings invaded by forest. A few outliers of 'Oak - Hickory' forests do occur in the East, however, and these are placed within the Quercus velutina - Quercus alba - (Quercus coccinea) Forest Alliance (A.1911).
Accession Code:
VB.CC.21677.CARYAGLABRAOVAT
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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- status: accepted
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This Community's Level:
Alliance
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 This Community's Children:
[none]
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Names:
Scientific: Carya (glabra, ovata) - Fraxinus americana - Quercus (alba, rubra) Forest Alliance
Translated: (Pignut Hickory, Shagbark Hickory) - White Ash - (White Oak, Northern Red Oak) Forest Alliance
UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.125925
NatureServe
Explorer
Code: A.258
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