Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Post Oak - (Shortleaf Pine) / Little Bluestem - Georgia Aster Woodland

Colloquial Name: Piedmont Basic Hardpan Woodland (Southern Type)

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This community consists of one of two prairie-like woodlands associated with diabase in the Carolina Piedmont, representing the south-central North Carolina Piedmont and adjacent South Carolina type. This community has very variable structure and species composition, depending on land-use history and local fire regime. Historically, this community is believed to have been herbaceous-dominated with a widely scattered, open canopy of trees and patches of shrubs and fire-sprouting overstory species. Due largely to fire suppression, most known examples occur as a dense woody growth with generally closed canopy. A few examples which are being restored have a more typical, stunted woodland structure, with canopy cover ranging from 40-70%. High-quality examples are expected to have an open grass-dominated herb layer, and an overstory dominated by Quercus stellata, often with some component of Pinus echinata, Quercus marilandica, and Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana. Common subcanopy species may include Cercis canadensis and Cornus florida. Common shrubs include Viburnum rafinesqueanum, Ilex longipes, Vaccinium arboreum, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, and Hypericum prolificum. Common herb species include Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium, Andropogon virginicus, Silphium terebinthinaceum, Symphyotrichum patens var. patens, Symphyotrichum georgianum, Ionactis linariifolius, Solidago nemoralis, Coreopsis major, Eryngium yuccifolium, Phlox nivalis, Oligoneuron album, Oligoneuron rigidum, Opuntia humifusa, Phemeranthus teretifolius, Trichostema brachiatum, Ratibida pinnata, Sporobolus vaginiflorus, Sporobolus clandestinus, Ranunculus fascicularis, Symphyotrichum laeve, Veronicastrum virginicum, Liatris aspera, Liatris spp., Verbena simplex, Aquilegia canadensis, Senna marilandica, Physostegia virginiana, and Clematis ochroleuca.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type is known primarily from the south-central North Carolina Piedmont and adjacent South Carolina in areas underlain by gabbro plutons of the Charlotte Belt and possibly other mafic substrates in the region around Charlotte, North Carolina (M. Schafale pers. comm.). This type is closely related to ~Quercus stellata - (Pinus echinata) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Echinacea laevigata - Oligoneuron album Woodland (CEGL003558)$$, of the northern parts of the Deep River Triassic Basin, where the geology is typically referred to as diabase. Although diabase and gabbro rocks types are closely related, the general distributions of these two types do not appear to be contiguous or overlapping. In addition, there are floristic differences between basic hardpan communities in the two regions. For example, Symphyotrichum georgianum is largely confined to the southern region, Helianthus schweinitzii is nearly so. Characteristic species of the northern type, including Oligoneuron album, Baptisia australis var. aberrans, and Echinacea laevigata, are lacking in the southern type.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available