Name:
Quercus phellos - Quercus (michauxii, shumardii) - Fraxinus americana / (Quercus oglethorpensis) / Zephyranthes atamasca Gabbro Upland Depression Forest
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This association represents the wet hardwood forests (Iredell Flatwoods) which occur on gently sloping terrain or shallowly depressed upland flats over gabbro-derived clays in the Piedmont of Georgia and South Carolina. In Georgia, these sites are locally known as the "Monticello Glades," "Monticello Bottomlands," or "Gladesville Glades," from local placenames. Stands of this association are dominated by a variable combination of <i>Quercus phellos, Quercus shumardii, Quercus michauxii</i>, and <i>Fraxinus americana</i>. There are two apparent spatially intergrading phases of this association, the "wet-mesic" one (with an apparently shorter hydroperiod) which contains substantial <i>Quercus shumardii</i> and very little <i>Quercus phellos</i>; the other, longer hydroperiod one has much higher dominance by <i>Quercus phellos</i> and may lack <i>Quercus shumardii</i>. Other species that can be found in the canopy and/or subcanopy include <i>Ulmus americana, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus michauxii, Carya</i> spp., and <i>Juglans nigra</i>. Some other subcanopy species include <i>Acer barbatum, Cornus florida, Morus rubra, Crataegus viridis, Cercis canadensis, Sideroxylon lycioides</i>, and <i>Celtis occidentalis</i>. The composition of the shrub strata varies from one stand to another, but some examples may have dominance by <i>Sabal minor</i>. Vines are abundant and diverse. They may include <i>Vitis rotundifolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Berchemia scandens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Campsis radicans, Cocculus carolinus, Bignonia capreolata, Smilax bona-nox, Smilax glauca, Smilax rotundifolia, Matelea carolinensis, Trachelospermum difforme, Passiflora lutea</i>, and <i>Lonicera sempervirens</i>. Some of the more abundant herbs include <i>Dichanthelium boscii, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Glyceria striata</i> (which may dominate some more open, wetter stands), <i>Carex tribuloides, Carex</i> spp., and <i>Scutellaria integrifolia</i>. Landscape context and position, along with the distinctive geology and soil type, separate this community from alluvial bottomland communities with similar canopy composition. These forests are seasonally wet and are on the borderline between upland, saturated, and seasonally flooded. Because of the very subdued topography, the water table is never far from the surface, and the ground may be saturated for extended periods of time during the growing season.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.33359.CEGL008484
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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