Name:
Quercus alba - Carya ovata / Carex pensylvanica - Heuchera richardsonii Quartzite Glade Woodland
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This quartzite woodland is found on rocky, hilly regions in the upper midwestern United States, particularly in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. Stands occur on the brow of steep slopes that overlay quartzite, rhyolite or sandstone bedrock that contains some fractures. The stands themselves have gently slopes (2-11%), mostly with a southwestern aspect, but ranging from due east to due west. Glade soils are thin (10-30 cm deep) silt loams, acidic (pH of 4.5-5.0), fertile, and rich in organic matter (10-15% organic matter). These glades represent forest openings dominated by relatively even-spaced, small-statured trees and a sparse shrub and sapling layer. The tree canopy is fairly closed, averaging about 75% (range of 57-82%). Either Quercus alba or Carya ovata dominate the canopy. Quercus velutina and Quercus rubra are much less common. Shrubs are nearly absent from all glades, with Ribes spp. and Viburnum rafinesquianum the more common species. The most abundant saplings are Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Ostrya virginiana, and Quercus rubra. Excluding tree seedlings, the ten most common understory species found in these glades are Carex pensylvanica, Antennaria plantaginifolia, Poa compressa, Anemone quinquefolia, Solidago ulmifolia, Maianthemum racemosum (= Smilacina racemosa), Heuchera richardsonii, Dodecatheon meadia, Geranium maculatum, and Helianthus strumosus. No vascular plant species were restricted in distribution to the glades but several may be modal within the context of Wisconsin, including Carex pensylvanica, Heuchera richardsonii, Antennaria plantaginifolia, Solidago ulmifolia, Lespedeza virginica, Lespedeza violacea, and Agalinis gattingeri.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.23120.QUERCUSALBACARY
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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