Name:
Pinus echinata - Quercus velutina - Quercus stellata / Vaccinium spp. Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This shortleaf pine - oak forest is found primarily in the Interior Highlands of the United States, ranging from eastern Oklahoma to the southwestern corner of Illinois. Stands occur on gentle to moderately steep, mid- and upper slopes of hills and plains, especially on southern and western aspects of steep-walled valleys and canyons. Soils are thin, somewhat rapidly to rapidly drained, dry, rocky, and sandy. Bedrock is primarily sandstone and chert, although this forest can also occur on igneous rock, their commonality being acidic pH. Bedrock and rock fragments are often exposed near the surface. The tree canopy is short, spreading, open, and limby. It is dominated by <i>Pinus echinata</i>, which often forms an emergent canopy over a shorter canopy of oaks composed of various combinations of <i>Quercus stellata, Quercus velutina, Quercus marilandica</i>, and <i>Quercus alba</i>. <i>Carya texana</i> is a common subcanopy component. <i>Vaccinium arboreum</i> and <i>Sassafras albidum</i> are common tall shrubs, while <i>Vaccinium pallidum</i> often dominates the short-shrub stratum. Other characteristic shrubs can include <i>Castanea pumila var. ozarkensis</i> and <i>Hypericum hypericoides</i>. Woody vines include <i>Smilax glauca</i> and <i>Vitis rotundifolia</i>. The ground cover is sparse and can be dominated by leaf litter with only scattered herbaceous species such as <i>Antennaria plantaginifolia, Baptisia alba var. macrophylla, Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea, Clitoria mariana, Cunila origanoides, Danthonia spicata, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dichanthelium commutatum, Dichanthelium linearifolium, Elymus hystrix, Helianthus divaricatus, Helianthus hirsutus, Liatris aspera, Pityopsis graminifolia, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago odora, Solidago ulmifolia</i>, and <i>Tephrosia virginiana</i>. Numerous lichens and mosses can be found on rocks and stumps.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:31309-{DEFF32A6-023F-48EF-BAA2-BE2ADAB42B9B}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
