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CEGL007348 Quercus laurifolia / Carpinus caroliniana / Justicia ovata Riparian Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Laurel Oak / American Hornbeam / Loose-flower Water-willow Riparian Forest
Colloquial Name: Laurel Oak Bottomland Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This bottomland forest often borders blackwater streams in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. It is dominated by Quercus laurifolia, but Nyssa biflora is common as well. Other species that occur sparingly include Taxodium distichum, Quercus nigra, Nyssa aquatica, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Acer rubrum. Fraxinus caroliniana and Carpinus caroliniana are characteristic of the subcanopy. Dominance of the shrub layer may vary from stand to stand. Occasionally, Arundinaria gigantea or Sabal minor will form a conspicuous understory cover. Itea virginica may also dominate. The ground surface is covered by a combination of decaying leaves and exposed mud. The sparse herbaceous layer often contains only Justicia ovata, Saururus cernuus, and Proserpinaca palustris, but other species are possible, including Asclepias perennis and Campsis radicans.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: There are ACE (Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto) data; see also Jones et al.''s (1981b) Laurel oak - water oak community (22 stands sampled). This association is known from TNC''s Altamaha River Bioreserve. It is also reported from Fort Gordon, Georgia (L. Gawin pers. comm.). Related vegetation in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta WMA in Alabama is actually dominated primarily by Nyssa biflora (A. Schotz pers. comm.). This type is described as ~Nyssa aquatica - Fraxinus pennsylvanica - Taxodium distichum / Sabal minor Floodplain Forest (CEGL008463)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This bottomland forest is dominated by Quercus laurifolia, but Nyssa biflora is common as well. Other species that occur sparingly include Taxodium distichum, Quercus nigra, Nyssa aquatica, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Acer rubrum. Fraxinus caroliniana and Carpinus caroliniana are characteristic of the subcanopy. Dominance of the shrub layer may vary from stand to stand. Occasionally, Arundinaria gigantea or Sabal minor will form a conspicuous understory cover. Itea virginica may also dominate. The ground surface is covered by a combination of decaying leaves and exposed mud. The sparse herbaceous layer often contains only Justicia ovata, Saururus cernuus, and Proserpinaca palustris, but other species are possible, including Asclepias perennis and Campsis radicans. In a stand in the Ocala National Forest (Florida), the canopy includes Quercus laurifolia, Liquidambar styraciflua, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Acer rubrum, Carya aquatica, and Sabal palmetto; subcanopy species include canopy species and Nyssa biflora, Carpinus caroliniana, Taxodium distichum, and Persea palustris. Woody vines include Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Smilax bona-nox, Smilax glauca, Smilax laurifolia, Toxicodendron radicans, and Vitis aestivalis. Shrubs include Sabal minor, Itea virginica, Sideroxylon lycioides, and Viburnum obovatum. Herbs include Crinum americanum, Hypoxis curtissii, Dichanthelium sp., Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis, and Rhynchospora mixta. Also present are the epiphytes Tillandsia usneoides, Tillandsia bartramii, and Phlebodium aureum.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This bottomland forest often borders blackwater streams in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. The ground surface is covered by a combination of decaying leaves and exposed mud; the herbaceous layer is sparse.
Geographic Range: This forest is found in the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Alabama and possibly Mississippi.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683821
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.3 Temperate Flooded & Swamp Forest Formation | F026 | 1.B.3 |
| Division | 1.B.3.Nb Southeastern North American Flooded & Swamp Forest Division | D062 | 1.B.3.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.3.Nb.4 Swamp Chestnut Oak - Bald-cypress - Pecan Southern Floodplain Forest Macrogroup | M031 | 1.B.3.Nb.4 |
| Group | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a Swamp Chestnut Oak - Laurel Oak - Sweetgum Floodplain Forest Group | G034 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Alliance | A3628 Laurel Oak - Willow Oak - Loblolly Pine Coastal Plain Riparian Forest Alliance | A3628 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
| Association | CEGL007348 Laurel Oak / American Hornbeam / Loose-flower Water-willow Riparian Forest | CEGL007348 | 1.B.3.Nb.4.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IIA6a. Willow Oak Forest (Allard 1990)
= Laurel oak - water oak community (Jones et al. 1981b)
= Laurel oak - water oak community (Jones et al. 1981b)
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- Jones, S. M., D. H. Van Lear, and S. K. Cox. 1981b. Major forest community types of the Savannah River Plant: A field guide. USDE Savannah River Plant, National Environmental Research Park Program. Report No. SRO-NERP-9. 79 pp. plus 24 illustrations.
- MSNHP [Mississippi Natural Heritage Program]. 2006. Ecological communities of Mississippi. Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. 9 pp.
- Nelson, J. B. 1986. The natural communities of South Carolina: Initial classification and description. South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Columbia, SC. 55 pp.
- Nordman, C., M. Russo, and L. Smart. 2011. Vegetation types of the Natchez Trace Parkway, based on the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe Central Databases (International Ecological Classification Standard: Terrestrial Ecological Classifications). Arlington, VA. Data current as of 11 April 2011. 548 pp.
- Schotz, Al. Personal communication. Community Ecologist. Alabama Natural Heritage Program. Montgomery, AL.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.