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CEGL008500 Pinus virginiana - (Pinus rigida, Pinus pungens) / Schizachyrium scoparium Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Virginia Pine - (Pitch Pine, Table Mountain Pine) / Little Bluestem Forest
Colloquial Name: Appalachian Low-Elevation Mixed Pine / Little Bluestem Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community includes primarily Pinus virginiana-dominated vegetation of low-elevation ridges and steep slopes, occurring in the transition zone between the Southern Blue Ridge and Piedmont / Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley, from eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, western South Carolina and northern Georgia. It occurs on thin soils over a variety of rocky substrates, including quartzite, sandstone, phyllite, and others. The canopy varies from open to closed and may be solely dominated by Pinus virginiana or in some cases Pinus rigida, or an admixture of other species, including Pinus pungens, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Quercus coccinea, Quercus montana, and Quercus velutina. An open midstory of often stunted hardwoods, including Quercus marilandica, Quercus falcata, Oxydendrum arboreum, and Acer rubrum, may also be present. The open shrub layer typically includes Vaccinium pallidum and may include other members of the Ericaceae, including Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium stamineum, Gaylussacia dumosa, Kalmia latifolia, Vaccinium hirsutum, Gaultheria procumbens, and Epigaea repens. The structure of the herbaceous layer is variable, but may provide up to 75% cover. It is dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium. Other characteristic herbaceous components include Clitoria mariana, Coreopsis major, Dichanthelium commutatum, Eurybia surculosa, Sericocarpus asteroides, Sericocarpus linifolius, Silphium compositum, Solidago odora, Solidago speciosa, Sorghastrum nutans, and Tephrosia virginiana.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community is described from the Chattahoochee and Cherokee national forests and along the Nantahala Gorge in Swain County, North Carolina. It is differentiated from the similar ~Pinus virginiana - Pinus (rigida, echinata) - (Quercus montana) / Vaccinium pallidum Forest (CEGL007119)$$ by the more open canopy and understory and the dense, grass-dominated herbaceous layer. In the Appalachian Trail project (Fleming and Patterson 2009a), these two associations emerged as distinct in ordination and cluster analysis. In the most typical examples of this association (e.g., CHER.17, CHAT.76, and 020-05-0362), over 50% of the total species composition is herbaceous plants.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy varies from open to closed and may be solely dominated by Pinus virginiana or Pinus rigida or an admixture of other species, including Pinus pungens, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Quercus coccinea, Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), and Quercus velutina. An open midstory of often stunted hardwoods, including Quercus marilandica, Quercus falcata, Oxydendrum arboreum, and Acer rubrum, may also be present. The open shrub layer typically includes Vaccinium pallidum and may include other members of the Ericaceae, such as Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium stamineum, Gaylussacia dumosa, Kalmia latifolia, Vaccinium hirsutum, Gaultheria procumbens, and Epigaea repens. The structure of the herbaceous layer is variable but may provide up to 75% cover. It is dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium. Other characteristic herbaceous components include Clitoria mariana, Coreopsis major, Dichanthelium commutatum, Eurybia surculosa, Sericocarpus asteroides, Sericocarpus linifolius, Silphium compositum, Solidago odora, Solidago speciosa, Sorghastrum nutans, and Tephrosia virginiana.
Dynamics: The open canopy and diverse understory of this community can be the result of management, edaphic factors, or natural disturbances. While Pinus virginiana is a fire-intolerant species, many species found in examples of this community are fire-adapted or thrive in open, sunny habitats.
Environmental Description: Stands of this forest occur on low-elevation ridges, steep slopes, and other exposed sites along the transition between the Southern Blue Ridge and Piedmont / Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley, from eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, western South Carolina and northern Georgia. They are found on thin soils over a variety of rocky substrates including quartzite, sandstone, phyllite, and others.
Geographic Range: This community occurs primarily in the transition zone between the Southern Blue Ridge and Piedmont / Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley, from eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, western South Carolina and northern Georgia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL?, GA, NC, SC, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684629
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.g Table Mountain Pine - Virginia Pine - Pitch Pine Woodland & Barrens Group | G905 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
| Alliance | A0677 Table Mountain Pine - Pitch Pine - Chestnut Oak Woodland Alliance | A0677 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
| Association | CEGL008500 Virginia Pine - (Pitch Pine, Table Mountain Pine) / Little Bluestem Forest | CEGL008500 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2009a. A vegetation classification for the Appalachian Trail: Virginia south to Georgia. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. In-house analysis, March 2009.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- 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.
- 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.
- Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.