Print Report
CEGL004583 Quercus stellata - Juniperus virginiana / Ulmus alata - (Cotinus obovatus) Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Post Oak - Eastern Red-cedar / Winged Elm - (American Smoketree) Woodland
Colloquial Name: Cumberland Escarpment Dry Limestone Oak Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: Stands of this post oak woodland are found on south-facing slopes and narrow ridges over Mississippian limestones of the lower escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, Georgia and adjacent Alabama. Its northward extent is not known, but it is not reported from Kentucky. The open canopy is dominated by Quercus stellata and/or Quercus muehlenbergii with substantial Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana in the subcanopy. The canopy and subcanopy may contain Cotinus obovatus (within its range), Ulmus alata, Carya carolinae-septentrionalis, Quercus rubra, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus quadrangulata, Celtis laevigata, Ulmus serotina, and Cercis canadensis. Shrubs include Sideroxylon lycioides, Forestiera ligustrina, Rhus aromatica, Hypericum frondosum, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, and Viburnum rufidulum. Herbs include Cheilanthes lanosa, Pellaea atropurpurea, Elymus hystrix, and Scutellaria ovata. Herbaceous openings may contain Schizachyrium scoparium. This association probably extends on limestone strata to the north along the escarpment and may also be found on limestone slopes in the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee (outside of the range of Cotinus obovatus). Without fire, Juniperus will increase in importance and stature, eventually occupying part of the canopy with the oaks and presenting greater canopy closure. In intermediate stages, an oak canopy will overtop a subcanopy of Juniperus. Drier, rockier, or more frequently burned examples will tend to exhibit an oak woodland physiognomy.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Originally described as a distinct association due to the prominent presence of Cotinus obovatus in the subcanopy and its habitat being on limestone escarpments rather than flatter terrain, the concept has been broadened, and Cotinus obovatus is no longer an obligate nominal.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The open canopy of this association is dominated by Quercus stellata and/or Quercus muehlenbergii with substantial Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana in the subcanopy. The canopy and subcanopy may contain Cotinus obovatus (within its range), Ulmus alata, Ulmus serotina, Carya carolinae-septentrionalis, Quercus rubra, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus quadrangulata, Celtis laevigata, and Cercis canadensis. Shrubs include Sideroxylon lycioides, Forestiera ligustrina, Rhus aromatica, Hypericum frondosum, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus, and Viburnum rufidulum. Herbs include Cheilanthes lanosa, Pellaea atropurpurea, Elymus hystrix, and Scutellaria ovata. Herbaceous openings may contain Schizachyrium scoparium. The flora of this lower stratum is somewhat similar to that of areas adjacent to limestone glades in Tennessee''s Nashville Basin.
Dynamics: Without fire, Juniperus will increase in importance and stature, eventually occupying part of the canopy with the oaks and presenting greater canopy closure. In intermediate stages, an oak canopy will overtop a subcanopy of Juniperus. Drier, rockier, or more frequently burned examples will tend to exhibit an oak woodland physiognomy.
Environmental Description: This association is found on south-facing slopes and narrow ridges over Mississippian limestones of the lower escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee and adjacent Alabama, as well as slopes in the Ridge and Valley of Georgia and possibly Tennessee (outside of the range of Cotinus obovatus).
Geographic Range: This association occurs on the western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau in southern Tennessee, as well as in the Ridge and Valley of Georgia. It also presumably is found in the adjacent Cumberland Plateau of Alabama and the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, GA, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684540
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3
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.1 White Oak - Southern Red Oak - Shortleaf Pine Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M016 | 1.B.2.Na.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.1.c White Oak - Southern Red Oak - Northern Red Oak Forest & Woodland Group | G159 | 1.B.2.Na.1.c |
| Alliance | A3291 Post Oak - Southern Red Oak - White Oak Interior Low Plateau Woodland Alliance | A3291 | 1.B.2.Na.1.c |
| Association | CEGL004583 Post Oak - Eastern Red-cedar / Winged Elm - (American Smoketree) Woodland | CEGL004583 | 1.B.2.Na.1.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.