Name:
Pinus rigida - Quercus spp. / Morella pensylvanica Forest Group
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This northern coastal and maritime forest group ranges from Atlantic Canada and southern Maine to northern Virginia and is restricted to the coastal plain at the southern end of the range, and in coastal regions. It occurs as forests and scrub forests on maritime sand dunes with little to no soil profile development and subjected to heavy winds, salt spray and coastal storms. It ranges inland and encompasses taller, more closed forests that are near the coast but generally sheltered from maritime influences, and to the interior coastal plain at the southern end of the distribution. The elevation range is narrow, from near sea level to 30 m on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to 400 m on the inner coastal plain of the Delmarva peninsula. The group includes pine and pine-oak forests as well as deciduous forests comprised of native early-successional fruit-bearing tree species, as well as oaks, beech, and holly. These forests are characterized by variable height and canopy closure, ranging from closed-canopy forests, open woodlands to dense "scrub forest." The group is characterized by <i>Pinus rigida, Pinus taeda</i>, dry-site oaks such as <i>Quercus velutina, Quercus alba, Quercus falcata</i>, and <i>Quercus stellata</i>, and early-successional trees, most commonly <i>Prunus serotina</i>, but also including <i>Amelanchier</i> spp., <i>Sassafras albidum, Diospyros virginiana, Nyssa sylvatica</i>, and <i>Juniperus virginiana</i>. <i>Fagus grandifolia</i> and <i>Ilex opaca</i> are important in some areas. The shrub layer is characterized by <i>Morella pensylvanica</i>, with other associates including <i>Viburnum dentatum, Aronia</i> spp., <i>Gaylussacia baccata</i>, and <i>Vaccinium pallidum</i>. At the southern end of the range, <i>Morella cerifera</i> may be an important shrub component. Vines are usually abundant, including <i>Toxicodendron radicans, Smilax rotundifolia</i>, and <i>Parthenocissus quinquefolia</i>. At the northern end, in Atlantic Canada, the composition includes a more northern cool temperate flora.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40130-{CA1E5677-76CA-41F3-ACC8-7BAD46719EA1}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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