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CEGL007496 Pinus echinata - Quercus montana / Rhododendron minus / Vaccinium pallidum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Shortleaf Pine - Chestnut Oak / Piedmont Rhododendron / Blue Ridge Blueberry Forest
Colloquial Name: Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment Shortleaf Pine - Oak Forest (Tallulah Falls Type)
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is a mixed forest occurring in association with Tallulah Falls quartzite in the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition of South Carolina and Georgia. It occurs on convex landforms over rocky, shallow soil and on broad, low ridges and exposed, convex slopes with southerly exposures at 490 to 610 m (1600-2000 feet) elevation. This is an open forest with a stunted canopy and scattered rock outcroppings. Pinus echinata and Quercus montana dominate the canopy, but other species may occur, including Pinus rigida, Pinus virginiana, Quercus coccinea, Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, and Quercus marilandica. Rhododendron minus occurs as a tall shrub (greater than 2 m) and can be quite dense. Vaccinium pallidum is the dominant short shrub (less than 2 m), in areas where the Rhododendron is sparse or absent. Other shrubs may include Vaccinium arboreum, Rhododendron maximum, and Kalmia latifolia. Smilax glauca and Vitis rotundifolia are common vines. The herbaceous stratum is sparse, with scattered grasses and forbs, including Chimaphila maculata, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Dichanthelium dichotomum, Danthonia sericea, and Schizachyrium scoparium.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Defined from the Chattooga Basin Project (S. Simon pers. comm.). It is unclear if this is a unique association, or if it would be better considered as a subtype of ~Pinus echinata - Quercus (montana, falcata) / Oxydendrum arboreum / Vaccinium pallidum Forest (CEGL007493)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stands are dominated by Pinus echinata and Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), but other species may occur, including Pinus rigida, Pinus virginiana, Quercus coccinea, Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, and Quercus marilandica. Rhododendron minus occurs as a tall shrub (greater than 2 m) and can be quite dense. Vaccinium pallidum is the dominant short shrub (less than 2 m), in areas where the Rhododendron is sparse or absent. Other shrubs may include Vaccinium arboreum, Rhododendron maximum, and Kalmia latifolia. Smilax glauca and Vitis rotundifolia are common vines. The herbaceous stratum is sparse, with scattered grasses and forbs, including Chimaphila maculata, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Dichanthelium dichotomum, Danthonia sericea, and Schizachyrium scoparium. In an example on the Chattahoochee National Forest, the open canopy is dominated by Pinus echinata, and the midstory is dense and dominated by Quercus marilandica and Quercus montana. The dense shrub layer is dominated by Vaccinium pallidum and also includes Rhododendron minus, Asimina reticulata, and Kalmia latifolia. The herbaceous layer is generally sparse, but grassy openings are present and dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium and Danthonia sericea.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association occurs in association with Tallulah Falls quartzite in the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition of South Carolina and Georgia, on convex landforms over rocky, shallow soil and on broad, low ridges and exposed, convex slopes with southerly exposures at 490 to 610 m (1600-2000 feet) elevation.
Geographic Range: This community occurs in the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition of South Carolina and Georgia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: GA, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685177
Confidence Level: Low
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.g Table Mountain Pine - Virginia Pine - Pitch Pine Woodland & Barrens Group | G905 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
| Alliance | A3269 Shortleaf Pine - Table Mountain Pine - Chestnut Oak Appalachian Woodland Alliance | A3269 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
| Association | CEGL007496 Shortleaf Pine - Chestnut Oak / Piedmont Rhododendron / Blue Ridge Blueberry Forest | CEGL007496 | 1.B.2.Na.2.g |
Concept Lineage: The former association Pinus echinata - Quercus prinus / Vaccinium pallidum Forest (CEGL007497) was merged into this concept by the Southern Blue Ridge Community technical team.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IA7a. Xeric Shortleaf Pine - Oak Forest (Allard 1990)
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- 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., 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.
- Simon, Steve. Personal communication. Ecologist. USDA Forest Service, National Forests in North Carolina, Asheville, NC.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.