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 610 m (0-2000 feet) in New England, and to 1370 m (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 <i>Quercus rubra</i> with minor associates depending on geography and often including <i>Quercus velutina, Quercus prinus, Betula populifolia, Betula papyrifera, Betula lenta</i>, and <i>Acer rubrum</i> or <i>Quercus coccinea</i> in more coastal regions. <i>Quercus rubra</i> tends to be the only oak at the northern end of the range. <i>Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida</i>, or other conifers may be present, but only in minor amounts. The dwarf-shrub layer is strongly dominated by heaths, especially <i>Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium myrtilloides</i>, and <i>Gaylussacia baccata</i> with <i>Gaylussacia frondosa, Comptonia peregrina</i>, and <i>Kalmia angustifolia</i> also common. Tall shrubs may include <i>Quercus ilicifolia, Hamamelis virginiana, Amelanchier</i> spp., and <i>Prunus pensylvanica</i>. The herbaceous layer is comprised of <i>Deschampsia flexuosa, Danthonia spicata, Carex lucorum, Pteridium aquilinum, Comandra umbellata, Melampyrum lineare, Polygala paucifolia, Epigaea repens, Gaultheria procumbens</i>, and <i>Aralia nudicaulis</i>. The bryophyte layer includes <i>Polytrichum commune, Leucobryum glaucum</i>, and others.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31244.CEGL006134
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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