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CEGL008466 Fagus grandifolia - Quercus rubra / Aesculus sylvatica / Actaea racemosa - Adiantum pedatum Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: American Beech - Northern Red Oak / Painted Buckeye / Black Baneberry - Northern Maidenhair Forest

Colloquial Name: Piedmont Basic Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association represents intermediate and basic, mesic, mixed hardwood forests of the Piedmont, ranging from south-central Virginia south to Georgia. Stands of this association are closed-canopy forests dominated by Fagus grandifolia and Quercus rubra with Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus alba, Carya ovata, and Fraxinus americana. In addition, Acer floridanum or Acer leucoderme may be present within their ranges. Acer floridanum dominates the canopy of some stands. Prominent understory species include Aesculus sylvatica, Ostrya virginiana, and Asimina triloba. Herbs which appear to be abundant or characteristic include Polystichum acrostichoides, Asarum canadense, Actaea racemosa, Adiantum pedatum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Tiarella cordifolia var. collina, Carex laxiflora var. laxiflora, Carex grisea, Desmodium pauciflorum, Uvularia sessilifolia, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum biflorum, Tipularia discolor, Dicentra canadensis, Podophyllum peltatum, Cardamine concatenata, Erythronium americanum, and Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. umbilicatum.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: See Schafale and Weakley (1990) "Basic Mesic Forest, Piedmont Subtype." More information will be provided by M. Schafale.

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

Floristics: Stands of this association are closed-canopy forests dominated by Fagus grandifolia and Quercus rubra with Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus alba, Carya ovata, and Fraxinus americana also important. In addition, Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum) or Acer leucoderme may be present within their ranges. Prominent understory species include Aesculus sylvatica, Ostrya virginiana, and Asimina triloba. Herbs which appear to be abundant or characteristic include Polystichum acrostichoides, Asarum canadense, Actaea racemosa (= Cimicifuga racemosa), Adiantum pedatum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Tiarella cordifolia var. collina, Carex laxiflora var. laxiflora, Carex grisea, Desmodium pauciflorum, Uvularia sessilifolia, Maianthemum racemosum, Polygonatum biflorum, Tipularia discolor, Dicentra canadensis, Podophyllum peltatum, Cardamine concatenata, Erythronium americanum, and Erythronium umbilicatum ssp. umbilicatum. Nelson (1986) cites as components of the Basic Forest of the South Carolina Piedmont Quercus alba, Quercus shumardii, Quercus velutina, other oaks, Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), Carya glabra, Aesculus pavia, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fagus grandifolia, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharum (sic) (in fact Acer floridanum, Acer leucoderme). He also cites Nyssa sylvatica, Cornus florida, Euonymus americanus, Symplocos tinctoria, Viburnum spp., Vaccinium spp., Rhododendron spp., Luzula spp., Juncus spp., Stellaria pubera, Podophyllum peltatum, Anemone virginiana, Anemone quinquefolia var. quinquefolia, Anemone lancifolia, Trillium cuneatum, Trillium catesbaei, Trillium cernuum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa, Cynoglossum virginianum, Uvularia perfoliata, Hybanthus concolor, and Iris cristata. In Virginia, high-quality stands are codominated by variable combinations of Fagus grandifolia, Acer floridanum, Quercus rubra, Carya cordiformis, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Fraxinus americana. Carya ovata, Quercus shumardii, and Quercus muehlenbergii are important in a minority of stands. The most common understory species are Asimina triloba, Aesculus sylvatica, Ostrya virginiana, and Carpinus caroliniana. Characteristic herbs include Podophyllum peltatum, Actaea racemosa (= Cimicifuga racemosa), Cardamine concatenata, Tiarella cordifolia var. collina, Polystichum acrostichoides, Adiantum pedatum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Asarum canadense, and Erythronium americanum ssp. americanum.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This association represents intermediate and basic, mesic mixed hardwood forests of the Piedmont, ranging from Virginia south to Georgia. Stands occupy mesic sites with soils of moderately high to high base status. Typical sites include ravines and north- or east-facing, river-fronting slopes. Underlying bedrock may include diabase, gabbro, amphibolite, calcareous siltstone, base-rich granites, and closely interbedded mafic and metasedimentary rocks.
Geographic Range: This association is found in the Piedmont and localized areas of adjacent ecoregions of the southeastern United States. The northern limit is the Appomattox River (Dinwiddie County) in Virginia.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  GA, NC, SC, VA


Confidence Level: Low

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.3 Appalachian-Interior-Northeastern Mesic Forest Macrogroup M883 1.B.2.Na.3
Group 1.B.2.Na.3.a American Beech - Tuliptree - Yellow Buckeye Forest Group G020 1.B.2.Na.3.a
Alliance A3265 American Beech - Northern Red Oak Piedmont-Ridge & Valley Forest Alliance A3265 1.B.2.Na.3.a
Association CEGL008466 American Beech - Northern Red Oak / Painted Buckeye / Black Baneberry - Northern Maidenhair Forest CEGL008466 1.B.2.Na.3.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Acer barbatum - Fagus grandifolia - Carya cordiformis / Aesculus sylvatica / Asarum canadense Forest (Fleming and Patterson 2003)
= Basic Mesic Forest, Piedmont Subtype (Schafale and Weakley 1990)
Concept Author(s): M.P. Schafale and A.S. Weakley (1990)

Author of Description: M.P. Schafale, M. Pyne and G. Fleming

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-24-07
  • Fleming, G. P. 2002b. Preliminary classification of Piedmont & Inner Coastal Plain vegetation types in Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 02-14. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. 29 pp.
  • Fleming, G. P., K. D. Patterson, and K. Taverna. 2017. The natural communities of Virginia: A classification of ecological community groups and community types. Third approximation. Version 3.0. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/]
  • Fleming, G. P., K. Taverna, and P. P. Coulling. 2007b. Vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks, eastern region. Regional (VA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2007. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
  • Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2003. Preliminary vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks. Regional (VA-WVA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2003. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
  • Fleming, Gary P. Personal communication. Ecologist, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA.
  • 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.
  • Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. No date. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
  • 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.
  • Schafale, Mike P. Personal communication. Ecologist, North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
  • Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
  • White, R. D., Jr., and T. Govus. 2003. Vascular plant inventory and plant community classification for Ninety Six National Historic Site. Prepared for the National Park Service. NatureServe, Durham, NC. 146 pp.