Name:
Kalmia latifolia - Rhododendron catawbiense - (Gaylussacia baccata, Pieris floribunda, Vaccinium corymbosum) Shrubland
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This community occurs in the mountains of Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, on ridges and steep, rocky slopes at intermediate elevations (1220-1524 m [4000-5000 feet]). It also occurs in very small patches at elevations higher than 1035 m (3400 feet) in the Cumberland Mountains along the Virginia-Kentucky border. It is a mostly evergreen shrubland, although deciduous shrubs may be present and even locally dominant. Shrubs form a dense, sometimes impenetrable thicket, 1-4 m tall. The most typical shrub dominants are <i>Kalmia latifolia</i> and <i>Rhododendron catawbiense</i>, although <i>Gaylussacia baccata, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Pieris floribunda, Rhododendron carolinianum, Rhododendron maximum</i>, and <i>Vaccinium corymbosum</i> are dominant or have high coverage in some occurrences. Other shrubs include <i>Photinia melanocarpa (= Aronia melanocarpa), Clethra acuminata, Ilex montana, Vaccinium stamineum, Leucothoe recurva</i>, and <i>Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides</i>. Small openings in the shrub canopy are dominated by lichens, bare rock or herbs, with some occurrences having up to 60% exposed rock. Herb cover beneath the shrub canopy is absent or very sparse (<5%) and may include <i>Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens, Goodyera pubescens, Melampyrum lineare, Mitchella repens</i>, and <i>Pteridium aquilinum</i>. <i>Smilax rotundifolia</i> is a common vine. Small, scattered trees are possible (<i>Acer rubrum, Amelanchier laevis, Betula alleghaniensis, Ilex montana, Magnolia fraseri, Nyssa sylvatica, Oxydendrum arboreum, Picea rubens, Prunus pensylvanica, Quercus rubra</i>, and <i>Sorbus americana</i>) and may be more typical of shrublands resulting from intense fires on less exposed sites. Windfall, landslides, and small, localized, lightning-caused fires are important in the establishment and maintenance of these shrublands. This community can result from secondary succession after fire or logging or can occur as a topo-edaphic climax on steep or exposed sites.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.35872.CEGL003814
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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- status: accepted
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This Community's Level:
association
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 This Community's Children:
[none]
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Names:
Common: Southern Appalachian Mountain Laurel Bald
Translated: Mountain Laurel - Catawba Rosebay - (Black Huckleberry, Mountain Fetterbush, Highbush Blueberry) Shrubland
Scientific: Kalmia latifolia - Rhododendron catawbiense - (Gaylussacia baccata, Pieris floribunda, Vaccinium corymbosum) Shrubland
Code: CEGL003814
UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689787
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