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Quercus (montana, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Quercus (montana, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: This community includes subxeric ridgetop and exposed slope forests in the Southern Appalachians, ranging south and east into the upper Piedmont, north into the Central Appalachians, and north and west into the Ridge and Valley. This community occurs over shallow soils, primarily on south- to west-facing slopes and ridgetops where solar exposure is high. Soils are rocky, infertile, dry, acidic sandy loams typically derived from sandstone. The community includes forests with canopies strongly dominated by <i>Quercus montana</i> and/or <i>Quercus coccinea</i>, with lesser amounts of <i>Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Quercus falcata, Oxydendrum arboreum, Nyssa sylvatica, Pinus virginiana</i>, and <i>Acer rubrum</i>, occurring over a typically dense shrub stratum dominated by ericaceous species. The shrub layer may vary between evergreen and deciduous dominance. Typical shrub species include <i>Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron maximum, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium pallidum, Gaylussacia ursina, Gaylussacia baccata</i>, and (in the more southern portions of the range) <i>Eubotrys recurva</i>. In addition, <i>Castanea dentata</i> may occur abundantly as root sprouts. The herb layer is typically sparse and includes subshrubs such as <i>Epigaea repens</i> and <i>Gaultheria procumbens</i>. Other common species include <i>Chamaelirium luteum, Chimaphila maculata, Galax urceolata, Magnolia fraseri, Sassafras albidum, Symplocos tinctoria, Smilax rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Smilax glauca</i>. This community is distinguished by its overall floristic composition, with a high abundance of acid-loving ericaceous species, which are indicative of this community's extremely infertile, acidic soils. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34918-{735E6B17-5C6B-4C06-87FF-2E3838D6BE43}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 362
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 01-Apr-2010 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686512 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: CEGL006271
  Translated: (Chestnut Oak, Scarlet Oak) / Mountain Laurel / (Beetleweed, Eastern Teaberry) Forest
  Common: Chestnut Oak Forest (Subxeric Ridge Type)
  Scientific: Quercus (montana, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest
(convergence) and Synonyms:
(similar) CEGL006271
(similar) Quercus (prinus, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest
(similar) Quercus (prinus, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest