Name:
Quercus alba - Quercus (coccinea, velutina, montana) / Gaylussacia baccata Forest
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community is a matrix forest of dry, nutrient-poor uplands of the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont Plateau, occurring locally in similar low-elevation landscapes of the Northern Blue Ridge and Ridge and Valley, Cumberland Plateau and Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain provinces. The type is well-documented across Virginia, and to a lesser extent in Tennessee, West Virginia and Maryland, but probably also occurs at similar sites in Pennsylvania. Stands are located between 30 and 700 m (100-2300 feet) elevation on rolling to sublevel sites of Piedmont and Inner Coastal Plain uplands, mountain valleys and lower mountain slope benches. In the mountains, many documented occurrences are located on ancient alluvial fan deposits, which are especially extensive along the western foot of the Blue Ridge. The vegetation is a closed to very open oak forest with mixed and variable canopy dominance by <i>Quercus alba, Quercus velutina, Quercus coccinea</i>, and <i>Quercus montana</i>. Various <i>Pinus</i> spp., including <i>Pinus virginiana, Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus</i>, and <i>Pinus rigida</i>, are frequent overstory associates, particularly following fire or logging disturbances. <i>Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, Carya glabra</i>, and <i>Carya tomentosa</i> are infrequent canopy trees. <i>Nyssa sylvatica, Amelanchier arborea</i> and, in the southern part of the range, <i>Oxydendrum arboreum</i> attain exceptional abundance and stature in these forests, dominating the subcanopy layers and occasionally reaching the overstory. <i>Acer rubrum</i> and <i>Sassafras albidum</i> are other common understory trees. In typical stands, the shrub layer is dominated by deciduous ericaceous species, herbaceous species are sparse, and species-richness is moderate to very low.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:36581-{B30B1052-4248-472A-B443-91250CB123DD}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
103
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