Name:
Quercus rubra - Quercus montana - Magnolia (acuminata, fraseri) / Acer pensylvanicum Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This mixed northern red oak - chestnut oak forest is known from the northern part of the Southern Appalachians and extreme southern part of the Central Appalachians in southwestern Virginia and adjacent parts of West Virginia and Tennessee. It occurs on submesic slopes at various topographic positions and aspects from 600 to 1200 m (2000-4000 feet) elevation. Geologic substrate includes various sedimentary rocks, quartzite, granitic rocks, biotite gneiss, and feldspathic metagraywacke. Soils are deep, extremely acidic, and infertile. Vegetation is a mixed oak forest with a well-developed canopy 30 m or more tall in mature stands. <i>Quercus rubra</i> and <i>Quercus montana</i> are the most characteristic canopy dominants, usually occurring in mixed stands with minor associates of <i>Magnolia acuminata, Magnolia fraseri, Quercus alba, Betula lenta, Acer rubrum, Carya</i> spp., <i>Fagus grandifolia, Tsuga canadensis</i>, and <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i>. <i>Acer pensylvanicum</i> is the leading small tree/shrub dominant, with frequent associates of <i>Oxydendrum arboreum, Pinus strobus, Amelanchier arborea, Amelanchier laevis, Castanea dentata</i> (sprouts), <i>Hamamelis virginiana, Rhododendron maximum, Ilex montana, Viburnum acerifolium</i>, and <i>Vaccinium pallidum</i>. The herb layer is typically patchy to sparse, with <i>Medeola virginiana, Galax urceolata, Convallaria majuscula, Thelypteris noveboracensis</i>, and <i>Dennstaedtia punctilobula</i> occasionally attaining 5% cover in a plot; at higher elevations, the ferns may dominate strongly and cover more substantial areas. Other relatively constant but low-cover herbs include <i>Dioscorea quaternata, Eurybia divaricata, Solidago curtisii, Polygonatum biflorum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Conopholis americana, Clintonia umbellulata, Viola hastata, Uvularia puberula, Chamaelirium luteum, Zizia trifoliata</i>, and <i>Carex appalachica</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:33593-{DB2579FA-3E62-4A5A-AF4F-290A7D590E51}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
36
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