Name:
Quercus shumardii - Quercus muehlenbergii - Acer (floridanum, saccharum) / Ostrya virginiana Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This deciduous forest association accommodates mesic forests dominated by <i>Quercus shumardii</i> and <i>Quercus muehlenbergii</i>, with one of several related <i>Acer</i> spp. (e.g., sugar maples - <i>Acer floridanum, Acer leucoderme, Acer saccharum</i>), depending on where the stand is located. The canopy composition varies considerably with geography. This forest occurs on soils derived from limestones, dolomites or other basic substrates, on sloping to steeply sloping topography on middle to lower slopes. In addition to the nominal species, the canopy may also contain various <i>Carya</i> spp. (including <i>Carya tomentosa, Carya glabra, Carya ovalis, Carya ovata</i>, and/or <i>Carya carolinae-septentrionalis</i>) and other basophilic and/or mesic hardwood species, including <i>Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus quadrangulata</i> (within its range), <i>Diospyros virginiana</i>, and <i>Ulmus</i> spp. (including <i>Ulmus alata, Ulmus americana, Ulmus rubra</i>, and/or <i>Ulmus serotina</i>). Other oaks, including <i>Quercus alba, Quercus rubra</i>, and <i>Quercus velutina</i>, may be present, but will not dominate the canopy. <i>Liriodendron tulipifera</i> and/or <i>Liquidambar styraciflua</i> may be present, perhaps grading in from adjoining mixed mesic forests. Subcanopy species include <i>Ostrya virginiana</i>, the <i>Acer</i> spp. mentioned above, <i>Aesculus</i> spp., <i>Cornus florida, Ulmus</i> spp., <i>Cercis canadensis, Celtis laevigata, Fraxinus quadrangulata</i>, and <i>Prunus</i> spp. Shrubs and woody vines, which vary considerably with geography and site moisture conditions, may include <i>Asimina triloba, Berchemia scandens, Calycanthus floridus, Crataegus</i> spp., <i>Euonymus americanus, Euonymus atropurpureus, Forestiera ligustrina, Frangula caroliniana, Lindera benzoin, Rhododendron canescens, Sideroxylon lycioides, Staphylea trifolia, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus</i>, and <i>Viburnum rufidulum</i>. Other common woody vines include <i>Bignonia capreolata, Lonicera sempervirens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i>, and <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i>. Herbs are a mixture of mesic and submesic limestone species, which also vary widely with geography. The range of this association includes the Interior Low Plateau of Kentucky and Tennessee, the Cumberlands of Alabama, and the Ridge and Valley of Georgia.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:36507-{9A052643-9B60-4842-A17D-B41924722893}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
8
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