Name:
Pinus echinata - Quercus velutina - Quercus stellata / Vaccinium spp. Forest
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This shortleaf pine - oak forest is found primarily in the Interior Highlands of the United States, ranging from eastern Oklahoma to the southwestern corner of Illinois. Stands occur on gentle to moderately steep, mid and upper slopes of hills and plains, especially on southern and western aspects of steep-walled valleys and canyons. Soils are thin, somewhat rapidly to rapidly drained, and dry, rocky, and sandy. Bedrock is primarily sandstone and chert, although this forest can also occur on igneous rock, their commonality being acidic pH. Bedrock and rock fragments are often exposed near the surface. The tree canopy is short, spreading, open, and limby. It is dominated by Pinus echinata, which often forms an emergent canopy over a shorter canopy of oaks comprised of various combinations of Quercus stellata, Quercus velutina, Quercus marilandica, and Quercus alba. Carya texana is a common subcanopy component. Vaccinium arboreum and Sassafras albidum are common tall shrubs, while Vaccinium pallidum often dominates the short-shrub stratum. Other characteristic shrubs can include Castanea pumila var. ozarkensis (= Castanea ozarkensis) and Hypericum hypericoides. Woody vines include Smilax glauca and Vitis rotundifolia. The ground cover is sparse and can be dominated by leaf litter with only scattered herbaceous species such as Antennaria plantaginifolia, Baptisia alba var. macrophylla, Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea, Clitoria mariana, Cunila origanoides, Danthonia spicata, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dichanthelium commutatum, Dichanthelium linearifolium, Elymus hystrix, Helianthus divaricatus, Helianthus hirsutus, Liatris aspera, Pityopsis graminifolia, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago odora, Solidago ulmifolia, and Tephrosia virginiana. Numerous lichens and mosses can be found on rocks and stumps.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.25500.PINUSECHINATAQU
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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