Name:
Liriodendron tulipifera - Tilia americana var. heterophylla - Aesculus flava - Acer saccharum Forest Alliance
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This alliance represents the mixed mesophytic forests of the Southern Blue Ridge and Appalachian Plateau, with highly variable canopies, often with no clear canopy dominant. These forests are locally referred to as 'Cove Forests.' Characteristic canopy species include Liriodendron tulipifera, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Aesculus flava, and Acer saccharum. Other species that may occur in the canopy include Prunus serotina var. serotina, Fraxinus americana, Acer rubrum, Quercus rubra, Fagus grandifolia, Carya cordiformis, Betula alleghaniensis, Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, and Magnolia fraseri. Species composition will vary with geology and/or elevation. Shrub strata are open to sparse and can include Hydrangea arborescens, Lindera benzoin, Calycanthus floridus, and Cornus alternifolia. Herbaceous strata are typically lush and diverse. A partial list of typical species includes Actaea racemosa (= Cimicifuga racemosa), Trillium erectum, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Impatiens pallida, Impatiens capensis, Laportea canadensis, Adiantum pedatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Hepatica nobilis var. acuta, Asarum canadense, Stellaria pubera, Tiarella cordifolia, Clintonia umbellulata, Sedum ternatum, Mitella diphylla, Osmorhiza claytonii, Dryopteris intermedia, Arisaema triphyllum, Cystopteris protrusa, Trillium grandiflorum, Viola canadensis, Dicentra canadensis, Dicentra cucullaria, Hydrophyllum canadense, Hydrophyllum virginianum, Phacelia bipinnatifida, Phacelia fimbriata, Delphinium tricorne, Carex austrocaroliniana, Carex manhartii, Carex plantaginea, and Carex platyphylla. These forests mainly occur on protected, mesic, low to moderate elevation (2000-4500 feet, 610-1370 m) sites, primarily broad coves and lower slopes. Forests in this alliance are known from the Southern Blue Ridge of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Cumberland Mountains of Kentucky. More information is needed to characterize forests provisionally assigned to this alliance that occur in the Allegheny Plateau of West Virginia and Ohio and in Indiana.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.21773.LIRIODENDRONTUL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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