Name:
Abies fraseri / (Rhododendron catawbiense, Rhododendron carolinianum) Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community occurs as island-like stands in the southern Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina. It occurs on rocky spurs, steep ridges, and south-facing slopes above 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation, often adjacent to montane shrublands. This forest has a canopy strongly dominated by <i>Abies fraseri</i>, occurring over a shrub stratum dominated by evergreen species, typically <i>Rhododendron catawbiense, Rhododendron carolinianum</i>, or <i>Rhododendron maximum</i>. <i>Abies fraseri</i> in the canopy are 17-23 cm in diameter and 10-11 m tall, giving these forests a stunted appearance. Other species that may occur with low coverage in the canopy or subcanopy are <i>Picea rubens, Sorbus americana, Betula alleghaniensis, Prunus pensylvanica</i>. Herbaceous cover is typically sparse. On steep, rocky, northerly slopes, coverage by mosses, liverworts, and lichens can approach 100%. Bryophyte species include <i>Hylocomium splendens, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Sphagnum</i> spp., and <i>Polytrichum ohioense</i>. This forest may grade into forests dominated by <i>Picea rubens</i> and <i>Abies fraseri</i>, montane grasslands, high-elevation shrublands, or high-elevation rock outcrop communities.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:34955-{58629D97-6B8A-47C7-AC14-A5D563DEE83A}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
4
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