Name:
Quercus rubra / Carex pensylvanica - Ageratina altissima var. roanensis Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community occurs on most of the major mountain ranges of the Southern Appalachians in North Carolina and Tennessee, at elevations over 1400 m (4500 feet) on broad ridges, and on steep rocky slopes at the heads of coves, often with northern or southeastern aspects. It includes forest vegetation with a closed to very open canopy, where <i>Quercus rubra</i> makes up at least 75% of the tree canopy and with less than 20% shrub cover. Canopy trees may be gnarled and stunted, especially on ridge crests. Other canopy species may include <i>Acer rubrum, Crataegus punctata, Crataegus flabellata, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula lenta</i>, and, at high elevations, <i>Picea rubens</i>. An open subcanopy contains canopy species plus <i>Hamamelis virginiana, Amelanchier arborea, Acer pensylvanicum, Halesia tetraptera</i>, and <i>Ilex montana</i>. Herbaceous cover is dense and diverse, composed of sedges, ferns, and tall herbs, with dominance varying within and between occurrences. Typical herbaceous dominants include <i>Carex pensylvanica, Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Eurybia chlorolepis, Oclemena acuminata</i>, and <i>Laportea canadensis</i>. This forest often occurs adjacent to or grades into forests dominated by <i>Picea rubens, Abies fraseri</i>, or northern hardwood species (<i>Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia, Aesculus flava)</i>. In some areas, this community is found adjacent to montane shrublands and grasslands. This community is often referred to as a "Subalpine Oak Orchard Forest."
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35548-{61F3CB9E-2C29-4D82-ABFD-B836002CF608}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
48
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