Name:
Betula alleghaniensis - Acer saccharum - Aesculus flava / Acer pensylvanicum / Trillium undulatum Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This is a northern hardwoods forest of eastern Kentucky and adjacent Virginia, found only on Black Mountain, the highest elevation in Kentucky. The canopy has several codominants, including <i>Acer saccharum, Aesculus flava, Betula alleghaniensis, Prunus serotina var. serotina</i>, and <i>Tilia americana var. heterophylla</i> with lesser amounts of <i>Carya</i> sp., <i>Fagus grandifolia, Magnolia acuminata, Magnolia fraseri</i>, and <i>Quercus rubra</i>. This association has a very lush herb layer developed on deep soils over level bedded sandstone, shale, and coal, including many species typical of rich forests in the region, such as <i>Caulophyllum thalictroides, Laportea canadensis, Maianthemum racemosum</i>, and <i>Trillium grandiflorum</i>. However, the species that are characteristic of this type include <i>Angelica triquinata, Carex appalachica, Carex leptonervia, Carex roanensis, Eutrochium steelei, Lilium superbum, Maianthemum canadense, Veratrum parviflorum, Platanthera psycodes, Solidago curtisii, Solidago puberula, Solidago roanensis, Streptopus lanceolatus</i>, and <i>Trillium undulatum</i>. This association as defined is presently known only from Kentucky and Virginia, where it is apparently restricted to the highest elevations of Black Mountain (from around 900-1275 m [3000-4185 feet], extending lower on north- and east-facing slopes, and slightly higher on west- and south-facing slopes) in the Cumberland Mountains of the extreme southeastern part Kentucky.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:33207-{A4CA3D2B-5B56-4C2A-A45E-51AD35F0C1E0}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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