Name:
Quercus fusiformis - Persea borbonia Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
The natural forms of this community consist of closed to open canopy <i>Quercus fusiformis</i> [see comments on oak taxonomy below] forests on deep, hummocky sands, mostly on the Ingleside barrier-strandplain along the Texas Gulf Coastal Bend. Three variants of this community have been described. One type, the maritime variant, occurs on stabilized dunes composed of deep sand that stretch along San Antonio Bay. This variant is characterized by a relatively tall (8-12 m) forest dominated by <i>Quercus fusiformis</i>. Other trees that reach the canopy include <i>Persea borbonia</i> and <i>Quercus hemisphaerica</i>. The midcanopy is dominated by <i>Persea borbonia</i> and <i>Quercus hemisphaerica</i> with <i>Celtis laevigata</i> and <i>Quercus marilandica</i> occurring as occasional associates. The understory includes <i>Ilex vomitoria</i> and <i>Callicarpa americana</i>. A characteristic member of the sparse ground layer is <i>Scleria triglomerata</i>. On the backside of the dunes, the canopy becomes more open, and the forest supports a more diverse shrub and ground layer with the addition of <i>Vaccinium arboreum, Zornia bracteata, Helianthemum</i> sp., <i>Aeschynomene viscidula</i>, and <i>Croton argyranthemus</i>. This community may warrant separation as a unique association, but very few accessible examples of it remain. It has possibly been severely impacted by coastal development and in some cases by coastal erosion. The other two variants occur on the ridge-and-swale topography of the Ingleside barrier-strandplain. This area supports a "running-live oak" shrubland variant and the oak motte variant. The oak motte variant occurs on the higher "ridges" of the Ingleside barrier-strandplain. Though <i>Celtis laevigata</i> may be present in the canopy, it is dominated almost solely by <i>Quercus fusiformis</i>. <i>Tillandsia recurvata</i> is a common epiphyte of this community. The subcanopy and shrub layer may include <i>Celtis laevigata, Quercus hemisphaerica, Callicarpa americana, Ilex vomitoria, Persea borbonia, Morella cerifera</i>, and numerous woody vines, including <i>Smilax bona-nox, Nekemias arborea, Toxicodendron pubescens</i>, and <i>Vitis mustangensis</i>. The shrub layer may be dense at the edge of the motte but is often open beneath the dense canopy. Characteristic components of the sparse herbaceous layer include <i>Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii, Scleria triglomerata</i>, and <i>Erythrina herbacea</i>. The shrubland variant often appears to be a monoculture of shrubby (1.5-6 m in height) <i>Quercus fusiformis</i>, but other components of the oak motte variant are also found here, including larger <i>Quercus fusiformis</i> trees, <i>Quercus hemisphaerica, Persea borbonia, Morella cerifera</i> (usually in swales), <i>Toxicodendron pubescens, Callicarpa americana, Vitis mustangensis, Ilex vomitoria, Erythrina herbacea</i>, and scattered <i>Quercus marilandica</i>. Small openings with <i>Sorghastrum nutans</i> hint at what is thought to have been the historical condition of these areas. These "running-live oak" thickets are thought to be a modified community that is the result of years of fire suppression and severe grazing pressures. Once this shrubland is established, it is difficult to restore the grassland community to these areas. This forest is associated with grasslands dominated by <i>Schizachyrium littorale, Paspalum plicatulum, Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans</i>, and, in swales, <i>Paspalum monostachyum</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31026-{B904B627-7417-4D60-B9E3-AA464C577083}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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