Print Report

CEGL007872 Fagus grandifolia - Magnolia grandiflora - Quercus alba / Carpinus caroliniana - Ostrya virginiana Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak / American Hornbeam / Hophornbeam Forest

Colloquial Name: West Gulf Coastal Plain Beech - Magnolia Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This West Gulf Coastal Plain beech-magnolia forest displays a well-developed three-layered structure. It has a closed upper canopy of Fagus grandifolia with occasional representatives of Magnolia grandiflora, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus nigra, and Quercus alba. Midstory trees are prevalent, with Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana and Ostrya virginiana being most important, although Ilex opaca var. opaca, Cornus florida, and Nyssa sylvatica are also common components. The relatively sparse shrub stratum is dominated by Ilex vomitoria, Callicarpa americana, Hamamelis virginiana, Frangula caroliniana, Styrax americanus, and Vaccinium elliottii. The woody vine Vitis rotundifolia can be abundant. An herbaceous stratum of species typical of mesic, acidic hardwood forests of the region is sparsely present amid dense hardwood leaf litter.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The narrative for this type is based largely on Nixon et al (1980a), in which Pinus taeda was of minor importance, while the data included in Marks and Harcombe (1981) show Pinus taeda as the single most important woody species. Examples are known from Magnolia Ridge (Evangeline District, Kisatchie National Forest), Mill Creek Cove Research Natural Area (Sabine National Forest, Texas), and Camp Beauregard.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The closed upper canopy consists of Fagus grandifolia with occasional representatives of Magnolia grandiflora, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus nigra, and Quercus alba. Pinus taeda is usually present to some degree. Other woody species may include Acer rubrum, Aesculus pavia, Amelanchier arborea, Aralia spinosa, Arundinaria gigantea, Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Carya glabra, Crataegus marshallii, Fraxinus americana, Gelsemium sempervirens, Halesia diptera, Magnolia virginiana, Morus rubra, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Prunus caroliniana, Quercus falcata, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus michauxii, Quercus pagoda, Quercus phellos, Smilax laurifolia, Styrax grandifolius, Ulmus alata, Sideroxylon lanuginosum, Symplocos tinctoria, Vaccinium arboreum, Viburnum dentatum, Ilex ambigua, and Sassafras albidum. In more easterly examples, Magnolia macrophylla and Hydrangea quercifolia can be present and common. Midstory trees are prevalent, with Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana and Ostrya virginiana being most important, although Ilex opaca var. opaca, Cornus florida, and Nyssa sylvatica are also common A sparse herbaceous stratum typical of mesic, acid, hardwood forests of the region may include Arisaema triphyllum, Aristolochia serpentaria, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Botrychium virginianum, Carex spp., Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Elephantopus carolinianus, Epifagus virginiana, Galium circaezans, Mitchella repens, Oxalis sp., Phegopteris hexagonoptera, Podophyllum peltatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Trillium ludovicianum, and Viola sp.

Dynamics:  Magnolia grandiflora may not be regenerating successfully in the best known example of this type in eastern Texas (Nixon et al. 1980). A large number of natural canopy gaps are present at this site. Due to the status of this site as a Research Natural Area, permanent vegetation plots were established, and additional data on successional trends may be available.
Environmental Description:  This community occurs on the Wilcox and Beaumont formations in eastern Texas on moist slopes and non-flooding flats. The classic example of this association, documented by Nixon et al. (1980a), occurred on loam to sandy loam soils that averaged about 54% sand, 32% silt, and 14% clay, with pH ranging from 4.4-4.6, and very low nutrient levels.
Geographic Range: This association occurs west of the Mississippi River where it has been documented in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of western Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  LA, TX


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2

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.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation F018 1.B.1
Division 1.B.1.Na Southeastern North American Forest & Woodland Division D006 1.B.1.Na
Macrogroup 1.B.1.Na.3 American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak Forest Macrogroup M008 1.B.1.Na.3
Group 1.B.1.Na.3.a American Beech - Southern Magnolia - Oak species Forest Group G007 1.B.1.Na.3.a
Alliance A0369 American Beech - Southern Magnolia Forest Alliance A0369 1.B.1.Na.3.a
Association CEGL007872 American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak / American Hornbeam / Hophornbeam Forest CEGL007872 1.B.1.Na.3.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < American Beech - White Oak / Mitchella Loamy Moist-Mesic Steep Slopes and Ravines (Turner et al. 1999)
< IA8e. Beech - Magnolia Forest (Allard 1990)
< Lower Slope Hardwood Pine Forest (Marks and Harcombe 1981)
Concept Author(s): West Gulf Coastal Plain Planning Team

Author of Description: West Gulf Coastal Plain Ecoregional Planning Team

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 02-02-99
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  • Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 pp.
  • LNHP [Louisiana Natural Heritage Program]. 2009. Natural communities of Louisiana. Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 46 pp. [http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/page_wildlife/6776-Rare%20Natural%20Communities/LA_NAT_COM.pdf]
  • MacRoberts, B. R., and M. H. MacRoberts. 1997c. Floristics of beech-hardwood forest in east Texas. Phytologia 82(1):20-29.
  • Marks, P. L., and P. A. Harcombe. 1981. Forest vegetation of the Big Thicket, southeast Texas. Ecological Monographs 51:287-305.
  • Martin, D. L., and L. M. Smith. 1993. A survey and description of the natural plant communities of the Kisatchie National Forest, Evangeline and Catahoula districts. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 274 pp.
  • McLeod, C. A. 1975. Southwestern limit of Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. Texas Journal of Science 26:179-184.
  • Nixon, E. S., K. L. Marietta, R. O. Littlejohn, and H. B. Weyland. 1980a. Woody vegetation of an American beech (Fagus grandifolia) community in eastern Texas. Castanea 45:171-180.
  • Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
  • TNHS [Texas Natural History Survey]. No date. Unpublished data. Texas Natural History Survey, The Nature Conservancy, San Antonio.
  • Turner, R. L., J. E. Van Kley, L. S. Smith, and R. E. Evans. 1999. Ecological classification system for the national forests and adjacent areas of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. The Nature Conservancy, Nacogdoches, TX. 95 pp. plus appendices.
  • Watson, G. 1979. Big Thicket plant ecology: An introduction. Big Thicket Museum Publication Series No. 5.