Name:
Quercus rubra / Carex pensylvanica - Ageratina altissima var. roanensis Forest
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This community includes forest vegetation, with a closed to very open canopy, where Quercus rubra makes up at least 75% of the tree canopy and with less than 20% shrub cover. Canopy trees may be gnarled and stunted, especially on ridge crests. Other canopy species may include Acer rubrum, Crataegus punctata, Crataegus flabellata, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula lenta, and, at high elevations, Picea rubens. An open subcanopy contains canopy species plus Hamamelis virginiana, Amelanchier arborea, Acer pensylvanicum, Halesia tetraptera, and Ilex montana. Herbaceous cover is dense and diverse, composed of sedges, ferns, and tall herbs, with dominance varying within and between occurrences. Typical herbaceous dominants include Carex pensylvanica, Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Eurybia chlorolepis (= Aster chlorolepis), Oclemena acuminata (= Aster acuminatus), and Laportea canadensis. This type occurs on most of the major mountain ranges of the southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee, at elevations over 1400 m (4500 feet) on broad ridges, and on steep rocky slopes at the heads of coves, often with northern or southeastern aspects. This forest often occurs adjacent to or grades into forests dominated by Picea rubens, Abies fraseri, or northern hardwood species (Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia, Aesculus flava). In some areas, this community is found adjacent to montane shrublands and grasslands. This community is often referred to as a 'Subalpine Oak Orchard Forest.'
Accession Code:
VB.CC.27204.QUERCUSRUBRACAR
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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