Name:
Quercus rubra - (Quercus prinus) / Vaccinium spp. / Deschampsia flexuosa Woodland
Reference:
Eastern Ecology Working Group of...
Description:
This dry, acidic oak woodland occurs on rocky upper slopes and summits from New England south to the highest peaks in West Virginia. Typical settings are low- to mid-elevation summits and south-facing, upper slopes. Elevations of known occurrences range from near sea level to about 2000 feet in New England, and to 4500 feet in West Virginia. Soils are shallow, well-drained, acidic, nutrient-poor gravels and coarse sands, often with prominent exposed bedrock. Canopy cover is variable, ranging from open and patchy to closed depending on site conditions. It overtops a dwarf-shrub layer that is frequently extensive and a sparse tall-shrub layer. Herb cover is patchy and variable. Bryoid cover is minor, scattered patches on the rocky substrate. The canopy is dominated by scattered, often stunted Quercus rubra with minor associates depending on geography and often including Quercus velutina, Quercus prinus, Betula populifolia, Betula papyrifera, and Acer rubrum or Quercus coccinea in more coastal regions. Quercus rubra tends to be the only oak at the northern end of the range. Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida, or other conifers may be present, but only in minor amounts. The dwarf-shrub layer is strongly dominated by heaths, especially Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium myrtilloides, and Gaylussacia baccata with Gaylussacia frondosa, Comptonia peregrina, and Kalmia angustifolia also common. Tall shrubs may include Quercus ilicifolia, Hamamelis virginiana, Amelanchier spp., and Prunus pensylvanica. The herbaceous layer is comprised of Deschampsia flexuosa, Danthonia spicata, Carex lucorum, Pteridium aquilinum, Comandra umbellata, Melampyrum lineare, Polygala paucifolia, Epigaea repens, Gaultheria procumbens, and Aralia nudicaulis. The bryophyte layer includes Polytrichum commune, Leucobryum glaucum, and others.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.23500.QUERCUSRUBRAQUE
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
