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CEGL007097 Pinus pungens - Pinus rigida - (Quercus montana) / Kalmia latifolia - Vaccinium pallidum Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Table Mountain Pine - Pitch Pine - (Chestnut Oak) / Mountain Laurel - Blue Ridge Blueberry Woodland
Colloquial Name: Blue Ridge Table Mountain Pine - Pitch Pine Woodland (Typic Type)
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association includes mostly evergreen woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens and/or Pinus rigida, occurring over a dense ericaceous shrub stratum, on sharp ridges, mostly above 610 m (2000 feet) elevation in the Southern Blue Ridge. This type is also found in limited areas of the inner Piedmont and Cumberland Mountains. This woodland occurs across a wide elevational range (485-1220 m [1600-4000 feet]), on exposed ridges and upper slopes with southerly and westerly exposures, over thin, excessively drained, nutrient-poor soils, and can be associated with rock outcroppings. Canopy coverage can often approach that of a forest, especially in areas where fire has been excluded and deciduous species have significant coverage. Deciduous species that can be important, particularly in the subcanopy, include Quercus montana, Quercus coccinea, Quercus stellata, Nyssa sylvatica, Acer rubrum, and Oxydendrum arboreum. Pinus virginiana, Pinus echinata, and Pinus strobus can have high coverage and even codominate on some sites. The shrub stratum is dominated by ericaceous species, typically Kalmia latifolia and Eubotrys recurva in the tall-shrub stratum and Vaccinium pallidum as a low shrub. Other shrub species vary with location but include Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium simulatum, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium hirsutum, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rhododendron maximum, Rhododendron minus, Gaylussacia ursina, Gaylussacia baccata, Buckleya distichophylla, Pyrularia pubera, and Fothergilla major. Species commonly found in the sparse herb stratum include Chimaphila maculata, Galax urceolata, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Xerophyllum asphodeloides, Chamaelirium luteum, Comptonia peregrina, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Gaultheria procumbens, Iris verna, Dichanthelium spp., and Epigaea repens, although herbaceous species composition will vary within the range of this community. Smilax glauca is a common vine. Without periodic fire, this community will gradually succeed into forests dominated by Acer rubrum or Quercus montana and Quercus coccinea, except on the most extreme sites, where this vegetation is self-perpetuating. It is thought that woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens are associated with more xeric conditions than woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens in combination with other tree species.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Other communities with Pinus pungens occur in central Pennsylvania and in Virginia. These northern types are thought to have a different species composition and geology than the forests described here. Species associated with Pinus pungens in the northern part of its range that do not occur in this community include Quercus ilicifolia, Viburnum acerifolium, and Vaccinium angustifolium. [See ~Pinus (pungens, rigida) - Quercus montana / (Quercus ilicifolia) / Gaylussacia baccata Woodland (CEGL004996)$$.] Examples of this association studied on lands of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians in Cherokee County, North Carolina, include a substantial amount of Pinus echinata and lack Pinus pungens. These stands occur on low ridges (520-670 m [1700-2200 feet]) and otherwise, floristically, are a good match for this forest type. It is believed that they are transitional to low-elevation stands dominated by Pinus echinata in the Cumberlands and Southern Ridge and Valley. In the Appalachian Trail classification study, 22 plots from Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia were classified as this association with a homoteneity of 68% (Fleming and Patterson 2009a). The most constant species (>64%), in order of descending constancy, are Kalmia latifolia, Acer rubrum, Quercus montana, Quercus coccinea, Pinus rigida, Pinus pungens, Gaylussacia baccata, Gaylussacia ursina, Oxydendrum arboreum, Vaccinium pallidum, Nyssa sylvatica, Galax urceolata, and Gaultheria procumbens. Less constant species with high mean cover values (>5 cover class) in these plots are Pinus pungens, Pinus rigida, Gaylussacia baccata, Gaylussacia ursina, and Vaccinium hirsutum.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: These mostly evergreen woodlands are characteristically dominated by Pinus pungens and/or Pinus rigida, occurring over a dense ericaceous shrub stratum. Deciduous species that can be important, particularly in the subcanopy, include Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), Quercus coccinea, Quercus stellata (in lower elevation occurrences), Nyssa sylvatica, Acer rubrum, and Oxydendrum arboreum. Pinus virginiana, Pinus echinata, and Pinus strobus can have high coverage and even codominate on some sites. The shrub stratum is dominated by ericaceous species, typically Kalmia latifolia and Eubotrys recurva (= Leucothoe recurva) in the tall-shrub stratum and Vaccinium pallidum as a low shrub. Other shrub species vary with location, but include Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium simulatum, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium hirsutum, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rhododendron maximum, Rhododendron minus, Gaylussacia ursina, Gaylussacia baccata, Buckleya distichophylla, Pyrularia pubera, Castanea dentata, Castanea pumila, and Fothergilla major. Species commonly found in the sparse herb stratum include Chimaphila maculata, Galax urceolata, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Xerophyllum asphodeloides, Chamaelirium luteum, Comptonia peregrina, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Gaultheria procumbens, Iris verna, Melampyrum lineare, Dichanthelium spp., and Epigaea repens, although herbaceous species composition will vary within the range of this community. Smilax glauca is a common vine. Species in this community which have the bulk of their worldwide range in the Southern Blue Ridge include Leiophyllum buxifolium, Pieris floribunda, Pinus pungens, and Xerophyllum asphodeloides. Other rare species include Fothergilla major, Robinia hispida var. fertilis, Robinia hispida var. rosea, and Robinia viscosa var. viscosa.
Dynamics: Fire contributes to the maintenance of this community by destroying the litter layer, opening the canopy, releasing seed from the serotinous cones, and killing competing vegetation. Red squirrels are known to cut branches to remove the Pinus pungens cones. It is thought this "squirrel grazing" may decrease the growth and vigor of trees (Zobel 1969). Canopy removal by icestorms stimulate oak sprouting and release advanced regeneration (Williams and Johnson 1992). Canopy coverage in stands of this association can often approach that of a forest, especially in areas where fire has been excluded and deciduous species have significant coverage. Without periodic fire, this community will gradually succeed into forests dominated by Quercus montana and Quercus coccinea, except on the most extreme sites, where this vegetation is self-perpetuating (Newell and Peet 1994). However, recent regional pine beetle kills throughout large areas of the Southeast have accelerated the rate of succession in most of these stands. This acceleration of succession may lead to conversion of these forests to hardwoods in the long term (M. Jenkins pers. comm.).
Environmental Description: This association is typically found on sharp ridges mostly above 610 m (2000 feet) elevation in the Southern Blue Ridge. This woodland occurs across a wide elevation range from 488 to 1220 m (1600-4000 feet) in the Southern Appalachians, on exposed ridges and upper slopes with southerly and westerly exposures, over thin, excessively drained, nutrient-poor soils, and can be associated with rock outcroppings. It is thought that woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens are associated with more xeric conditions than woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens in combination with other tree species (Zobel 1969, Barden 1977).
Geographic Range: This community ranges throughout the Southern Blue Ridge and Cumberland Mountains, from southwestern Virginia and southeastern Kentucky, south through western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, into northeastern Georgia and northwestern South Carolina.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684865
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.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 | CEGL007097 Table Mountain Pine - Pitch Pine - (Chestnut Oak) / Mountain Laurel - Blue Ridge Blueberry Woodland | CEGL007097 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
Concept Lineage: This type has been merged into CEGL007097, per advice of Mike Schafale (2001-01-30).
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IA7b. Xeric Pitch Pine/Table Mountain Pine Ridge Forest (Allard 1990)
< Pine--Oak/Heath (Schafale and Weakley 1990)
< Pitch Pine: 45 (Eyre 1980)
? Table Mountain Pine type (Golden 1974)
? Xeric Pine Forest (McLeod 1988)
< Pine--Oak/Heath (Schafale and Weakley 1990)
< Pitch Pine: 45 (Eyre 1980)
? Table Mountain Pine type (Golden 1974)
? Xeric Pine Forest (McLeod 1988)
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- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
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