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CEGL003890 Vitis aestivalis Vine-Scrub
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Summer Grape Vine-Scrub
Colloquial Name: Montane Grape Opening
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community is strongly dominated by the vine Vitis aestivalis. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, examples occur on steep to very steep, northerly, middle to upper slopes at intermediate elevations between 610 and 1070 m (2000-3500 feet). All areas sampled showed evidence of disturbance by wind, ice, or logging. Vitis aestivalis vines, extremely thick in patches and covering nearly every tree as well as the ground, have 50-100% coverage. Trees in the canopy and subcanopy have 0-50% coverage and vary from site to site. The shrub layer is sparse. The herb layer is sparse to moderate, decreasing with vine coverage. Herbaceous composition varies from site to site. Beneath the vine canopy, coarse woody debris and tip-up mounds are typical. The dynamics of this community are poorly understood. It apparently originates from disturbance, such as an ice or wind storm, and can persist for decades. Examples can range in size from less than one to ten hectares.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community is important for wildlife, especially bears. In the Great Smoky Mountains, forests previously occupying sites that support this community are mesic forest types, such as cove forests or mesic forest dominated by chestnut oak and red oak. Forests on steep, mesic sites may be more susceptible to treefall and gap formation.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is strongly dominated by the vine Vitis aestivalis. These vines, extremely thick in patches and covering nearly every tree as well as the ground, have 50-100% coverage. Trees in the canopy and subcanopy have 0-50% coverage and vary from site to site, but typical species include Acer rubrum, Acer saccharum, Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, and Liriodendron tulipifera. The shrub layer is sparse. The herb layer is sparse to moderate, decreasing with vine coverage. Herbaceous composition varies from site to site but is typical of mesic forests in the area. Some of the more common species from the sampled areas in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are Ageratina altissima var. altissima, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Sanguinaria canadensis, and Viola spp. Beneath the vine canopy, coarse woody debris and tip-up mounds are typical.
Dynamics: The dynamics of this community are poorly understood. It apparently originates from disturbance, such as an ice or wind storm; and can persist for decades. This community can range in size from less than a hectare to ten hectares. All areas sampled showed evidence of disturbance by wind, ice, or logging.
Environmental Description: In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this community occurs on steep to very steep, northerly, middle to upper slopes at intermediate elevations between 610 and 1070 m (2000-3500 feet) (MacKenzie 1993).
Geographic Range: This community is known from the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee and the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: KY, NC, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683889
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
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.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Na Eastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D008 | 1.B.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Na.2 Appalachian-Northeastern Oak - Hardwood - Pine Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M502 | 1.B.2.Na.2 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.2.a Chestnut Oak - Hickory species / American Chestnut Forest Group | G015 | 1.B.2.Na.2.a |
| Alliance | A0250 Chestnut Oak - Northern Red Oak Forest Alliance | A0250 | 1.B.2.Na.2.a |
| Association | CEGL003890 Summer Grape Vine-Scrub | CEGL003890 | 1.B.2.Na.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Grape Hole (MacKenzie 1993)
- MacKenzie, M. D. 1993. The vegetation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Past, present, and future. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 154 pp.
- Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. No date. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
- Schafale, M. P. 2012. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina, 4th Approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- White, R. D., Jr. 2006. Vascular plant inventory and ecological community classification for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. NatureServe, Durham, NC. 246 pp.