Name:
Quercus muehlenbergii - Quercus sinuata / Rhus aromatica / Liatris aspera - Allium canadense var. mobilense - Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This dry calcareous woodland community occurs on ridgetops and knobs within a blackland prairie matrix in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas. Overstory trees are short (to 20 feet), gnarly, and widely spaced. In a fire-maintained condition, the overstory is open and the understory consists of prairie vegetation typical of the surrounding matrix. The herbaceous layer is predominately forb and grass in composition and moderately dense. Bare soil may be present and is covered with <i>Nostoc commune</i>. The dominant tree species in the sparse overstory is overwhelmingly <i>Quercus muehlenbergii</i> to the northeast and <i>Quercus sinuata</i> to the southwest. Other overstory trees may include <i>Carya myristiciformis, Cercis canadensis, Fraxinus americana, Quercus shumardii, Ulmus crassifolia</i>, and <i>Ulmus alata</i>. <i>Juniperus virginiana</i> and <i>Juniperus ashei</i> (to the west) become prominent with fire suppression. <i>Rhus aromatica</i> is often a dominant woody shrub. Other shrubs may be present, including <i>Cornus drummondii, Diospyros virginiana, Frangula caroliniana, Ilex decidua, Juniperus virginiana, Rosa carolina, Sideroxylon lanuginosum, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus</i>, and <i>Viburnum rufidulum</i>. Woody vines include <i>Berchemia scandens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Smilax rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i> but are not particularly important to the structure of the community. The herbaceous layer is dominated by forbs and grasses (sedges). Dominant herbaceous species include <i>Allium canadense var. mobilense, Bouteloua curtipendula, Carex cherokeensis</i> (in fire-suppressed state), <i>Echinacea purpurea, Helianthus hirsutus, Liatris aspera</i>, and <i>Schizachyrium scoparium</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.35424.CEGL007968
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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