Name:
Juniperus virginiana - Pinus virginiana - Pinus echinata Ruderal Forest Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This semi-natural forest is found in locally disturbed areas, most commonly in old fields and pastures, and cleared land. Three dominance-based suballiances may be recognized: (1) <i>Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana</i> stands occur widely and are more common on calcareous sites. Stand may be very dense, and the stature may be rather low. Associated species include <i>Acer rubrum, Carya tomentosa, Carya ovata, Cercis canadensis, Fraxinus americana</i>, and <i>Pinus virginiana</i>. The midstory is typically sparse, with canopy species, as well as <i>Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Liquidambar styraciflua</i>, and <i>Prunus serotina var. serotina</i>. The vegetation may vary in structure from open-canopy woodland (particularly as it invades herbaceous old fields) to dense, closed-canopy forest. (2) A mixed <i>Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Quercus</i> spp. suballiance represents stands that may be fire-suppressed native stands, and may not be natural in character. Various oaks (including <i>Quercus coccinea, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina</i>) are present. (3) <i>Pinus</i> spp. (especially <i>Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus</i>, and <i>Pinus virginiana</i>) stands occur on old fields (often from abandoned farmland), old pastures, clearcuts, and eroded areas. Soils are typically dry, acidic, and infertile. This forest typically has a very dense canopy of <i>Pinus virginiana</i> and little understory vegetation. The dense canopy may also include admixtures of other <i>Pinus</i> species (e.g., <i>Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Pinus strobus</i>) or other early-successional deciduous trees (e.g., <i>Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica</i>). Associated woody and herbaceous species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species. Shrub and herb layers are frequently very sparse. <i>Lonicera japonica</i> and <i>Rosa multiflora</i> are common. The herb layer is characterized by weedy natives and exotics such as <i>Lycopodium digitatum, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Hieracium caespitosum</i>, and <i>Lespedeza cuneata</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38514-{51012682-63EA-46EF-B355-8DBF8F234449}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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