Name:
Quercus alba - Quercus rubra - Carya alba / Cornus florida / Vaccinium stamineum / Desmodium nudiflorum Piedmont Forest
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This forest is found on submesic to subxeric upland sites throughout the Piedmont of Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and south-central Maryland. It favors mid- to upper-slope positions with northerly or easterly aspects, or mid- to lower slopes with more southerly aspects. In drier landscapes, this type occupies habitats considered relatively mesic (e.g., concave slopes, lower slopes, shallow ravines). These sites are described as dry to intermediate in soil moisture. The soils are moderately to strongly acidic and nutrient-poor, being weathered primarily from felsic metamorphic, metasedimentary, and sedimentary rocks, or composed of unconsolidated sediments. At some sites, soils are weathered from interbedded metasedimentary and mafic rocks, resulting in soil chemistry that is intermediate or slightly basic. Stands of this forest are closed to somewhat open and are dominated by mixtures of oaks and hickories, with <i>Quercus alba</i> being most prevalent, along with <i>Quercus rubra, Quercus coccinea, Quercus velutina, Quercus falcata, Carya alba, Carya ovalis</i>, and <i>Carya glabra</i>. <i>Carya</i> spp. are common in this type but often most abundant in the understory. In forests with a history of disturbance, such as selective logging or windstorms, early-successional species such as <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> or <i>Pinus</i> sp. may codominate. In Virginia examples, <i>Quercus prinus</i> is inconstant but sometimes important. In addition, <i>Pinus</i> spp., <i>Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua</i>, and <i>Acer rubrum</i> may be common. Understory species include <i>Acer rubrum, Cornus florida, Oxydendrum arboreum, Ilex opaca</i>, and <i>Nyssa sylvatica</i>. Shrubs include <i>Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium pallidum, Viburnum acerifolium, Viburnum rafinesquianum</i>, and <i>Euonymus americanus</i>. The woody vines <i>Vitis rotundifolia</i> and <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i> often are present. Herbs vary from sparse to moderately dense, with dry-mesophytic, acid-tolerant species such as <i>Hexastylis</i> spp., <i>Goodyera pubescens, Chimaphila maculata, Desmodium nudiflorum, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum biflorum, Viola hastata, Tipularia discolor</i>, and <i>Hieracium venosum</i> prevalent. This association occupies less nutrient-rich habitats than <i>~Quercus rubra - Quercus alba - Carya glabra / Geranium maculatum</i> Forest (CEGL007237)$$.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.34814.CEGL008475
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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