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Rhododendron maximum Montane Ruderal Thicket | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Rhododendron maximum Montane Ruderal Thicket
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This community occurs along streams and on protected slopes in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and possibly Virginia. It can also occur on xeric ridges and sideslopes, or sites which have been subjected to extreme crown fires or other catastrophic disturbance that has removed the canopy. It is a broad-leaved, evergreen shrubland, dominated by <i>Rhododendron maximum</i> which forms a continuous, dense shrub canopy up to 5 m tall. <i>Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron minus</i>, and <i>Rhododendron catawbiense</i> may also occur as components of the shrub stratum. Shrub vegetation beneath the upper shrub canopy may be open to dense depending on the stand's age and topographic setting. The ground layer is dominated by leaf litter or bare soil, although scattered herbs and woody seedlings do occur. Seedlings and saplings of <i>Rhododendron maximum, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, Betula alleghaniensis</i>, and <i>Tsuga canadensis</i> are common and typical herbs include <i>Dryopteris intermedia, Heuchera villosa, Viola</i> spp., <i>Thelypteris noveboracensis, Listera smallii</i>, and <i>Galax urceolata</i>. This shrubland is typical along streams and on mesic, unexposed, often north-facing slopes at elevations of approximately 300-1100 m (1000-3000 feet), but can also occur on steep slopes and ridges where natural disturbances have removed the canopy. Soils supporting this community are typically acidic. Occurrences at edges of streams may flood during rainy seasons. This community can occur as the result of disturbance and will succeed to forest with an ericaceous understory without some form of disturbance. This community may have scattered woody species that are greater than 5 m tall but with generally less than 10% total cover. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:32679-{C2943870-57B8-4A05-A02A-BCF62A920138}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 1
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 16-Nov-2016 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687995 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL003819
  Translated: Great Laurel Montane Ruderal Thicket
  Common: Ruderal Montane Rhododendron Thicket
  Scientific: Rhododendron maximum Montane Ruderal Thicket
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) Rhododendron maximum Upland Shrubland
(similar) Rhododendron maximum Upland Shrubland
(similar) CEGL003819