Name:
Thuja occidentalis / Carex eburnea - Pellaea atropurpurea Woodland
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This white-cedar cliff woodland type is found in the Appalachian and Allegheny Plateau region of the United States. The type extends to near the southern limit of Thuja occidentalis, in the southeastern Highland Rim of Kentucky and Tennessee, where it tends to increase its distinctiveness from more northern communities. Stands occur on north-facing bluffs or cliffs of dolomite or limestone, where dip slopes provide slight seepage and maintain humidity higher than the regional average, or provide a cooler-than-normal microclimate. In Ohio it occurs as pure isolated patches on steep calcareous cliffs. It is also found as mixed stands on the uplands above the cliffs. Stands are dominated by coniferous trees but can have a significant amount of deciduous species. The structure of this association can vary from a stunted, very open canopy of Thuja to a mixed conifer-deciduous woodland approaching a forest structure. Canopy species other than Thuja occidentalis vary with geography. The most abundant tree species are Thuja occidentalis, Acer saccharum, Tsuga canadensis, Juniperus virginiana, Quercus alba, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Quercus rubra. Other associates include Celtis occidentalis and Ulmus rubra in more northern stands. Shrub and small tree species include Cercis canadensis, Cornus florida, Hydrangea arborescens, Ostrya virginiana, and Rhus aromatica. Closed-canopy stands have very few vascular species in the lower strata, while stands with broken canopies contain scattered shrubs and a substantial number of herbaceous species. Composition of the herbaceous and shrub strata can also vary due to seepage influence. Composition is quite variable, but some of the most constant herbaceous plants include Asarum canadense, Carex eburnea, Cystopteris bulbifera, and Hepatica nobilis var. acuta (= Hepatica acutiloba). In Kentucky, sites are small (0.1-1 acre), with scattered Thuja occidentalis codominating with Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, Ostrya virginiana, and Philadelphus hirsutus. Other associated species include Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Cercis canadensis var. canadensis, Pachysandra procumbens, Hamamelis virginiana, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Solidago flexicaulis, Solidago sphacelata, Symphyotrichum cordifolium (= Aster cordifolius), and Dioscorea quaternata.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.23436.THUJAOCCIDENTAL
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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