Name:
Liriodendron tulipifera - Betula lenta - Tsuga canadensis / Rhododendron maximum Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This association includes hemlock-hardwood forests and acidic cove forests of lower to intermediate elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge, upper Piedmont, Cumberlands, and adjacent areas, ranging from southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia, south and west to northwestern Georgia. The concept for this association is intended to be broad and cover both mixed stands of evergreen and deciduous hardwoods as well as stands dominated exclusively by deciduous trees in mesic, acidic environments. These communities occur at low to middle elevations (200-1060 m [650-3500 feet]), generally in coves, gorges or sheltered slopes, over acidic soils. The canopy is usually dominated by <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> or <i>Betula lenta</i> mixed with <i>Tsuga canadensis</i>, but substantial portions may be comprised mainly of <i>Tsuga canadensis</i> and the occasional <i>Acer rubrum</i>, while other sites may have little or no <i>Tsuga</i> in the canopy. Other deciduous species more typical of "rich" coves may occur as scattered individuals, including <i>Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana</i>, and <i>Fagus grandifolia</i>. Other canopy/subcanopy species often include <i>Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Magnolia fraseri</i>, and <i>Pinus strobus</i>. <i>Rhododendron maximum</i> is usually dominant in the shrub stratum, often forming impenetrable thickets. South of Virginia, woody associates may also include <i>Ilex opaca var. opaca, Calycanthus floridus, Halesia tetraptera var. tetraptera</i>, and <i>Leucothoe fontanesiana</i>. Herbaceous cover is sparse but can be diverse and is composed of acid-loving species. Typical herbs include <i>Polystichum acrostichoides, Dryopteris intermedia, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Goodyera pubescens, Mitchella repens, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Galax urceolata, Viola rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Tiarella cordifolia</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35737-{59F9B08A-1CAD-4EDC-AF43-956A0268B931}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
348
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