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CEGL002149 Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica - Quercus velutina - Carya texana / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Post Oak - Blackjack Oak - Black Oak - Black Hickory / Little Bluestem Woodland

Colloquial Name: Ozark-Ouachita Post Oak - Blackjack Oak / Little Bluestem Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This post oak - blackjack oak woodland type occurs in the central United States, particularly in the Interior Low Plateau and Interior Highlands region. Stands occur on gentle to steep hills and plains, bluff escarpments, and broad ridges and flats with any aspect, but primarily south- and west-facing slopes. Soils are rapidly to very rapidly drained, shallow, and strewn with boulders, cobbles, gravel, and sand. Soil pH is neutral to slightly acidic. Bedrock can be sandstone, chert, or igneous rock and is often exposed. The tree canopy is short to medium (7-20 m), spreading, open, and limby. Dominant species include Quercus stellata and/or Quercus marilandica. Other species may form a minor canopy component, scattered in the canopy, and include (e.g., Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, and Carya tomentosa). The understory is very poorly developed, consisting of a few widely scattered shrubs and small trees, including, in addition to the dominant trees, Ulmus alata and Vaccinium spp. (Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium stamineum, or Vaccinium pallidum). Coverage of the herbaceous stratum can vary from quite sparse to moderately dense, consisting of mixed grasses and forbs. Typical species include Helianthus divaricatus, Gillenia stipulata, Danthonia spicata, Schizachyrium scoparium, Cunila origanoides, Andropogon gerardii, and Liatris aspera, but others may occur. Lichens and mosses can be abundant.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: The concept of this type is somewhat related to the Missouri state type Acid (Chert, Igneous, Sandstone) Savanna (Nelson 1985), and also includes woodland phases of Illinois'' Dry barren, including those in the Cretaceous Hills (White and Madany 1978). Illinois prefers Danthonia spicata as an herb layer nominal species (they have no Schizachyrium scoparium in this community). This type has been managed with fire in the Shawnee National Forest, forming a "woodland barrens" type [see ~Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica / Schizachyrium scoparium Wooded Grassland (CEGL002391)$$ for the "open barrens" type]. This association should be compared with and distinguished from ~Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica - Carya (glabra, texana) / Vaccinium arboreum Forest (CEGL002075)$$. ~Quercus alba - Quercus stellata - Quercus velutina / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL002150)$$ is a similar, moister type. Several related types are documented in the West Gulf Coastal Plain.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Shrub and herbaceous density and species composition may vary in accordance with soil depth, available water, and bedrock. Fire suppression and logging increase tree, shrub, and herbaceous densities and allow invasive mesophytic species (Acer saccharum, Fagus grandifolia) to become established. Presettlement vegetation of this type may have had basal areas as low as 8-9 m2/ha and tree densities of 125 stems/ha on rocky south slopes (Fralish et al. 1991).

Floristics: The tree canopy is short to medium (7-20 m), spreading, open, and limby. Dominant species include Quercus stellata and/or Quercus marilandica. Other species may form a minor canopy component, scattered in the canopy, and include Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, and Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba). The understory is very poorly developed, consisting of a few widely scattered shrubs and small trees, including, in addition to the dominant trees, Ulmus alata and Vaccinium spp. (Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium stamineum, or Vaccinium pallidum). Coverage of the herbaceous stratum can vary from quite sparse to moderately dense, consisting of mixed grasses and forbs. Typical species include Helianthus divaricatus, Gillenia stipulata (= Porteranthus stipulatus), Danthonia spicata, Schizachyrium scoparium, Cunila origanoides, Andropogon gerardii, and Liatris aspera, but others may occur. Lichens and mosses can be abundant (Nelson 1985, TNC 1995a).

This community is an edaphic climax natural community. Physiognomic variability is a result of effective soil depth and available water. Bedrock can influence vegetative species composition. This community often occupies habitats transitional between dry upland forest and xeric sparse woodland and prairie. Canopy composition within and among occurrences of this natural community is uniform. Herbaceous diversity may vary considerably from site to site, largely due to edaphic characteristics.

Dynamics:  Natural disturbance includes drought stress and occasional to frequent fire (frequency 4-10 years) (Nelson 1985, Robertson and Heikens 1994). Wind and storm damage are also often evident (Nelson 1985). Environmental extremes including rapidly drained, thin stony soils, summer droughts lasting 3 to 5 weeks or more, and extremely limited water availability select for this woodland natural community. Periodic fire has been shown to maintain this plant species association and is especially important after disturbance form logging or grazing. Fire discourages woody encroachment and invasion by mesophytic species such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum). When this community is disturbed (fire suppression, grazing, logging), succession from woodland to forest is likely to occur. Droughtiness and heat stress are common during summer months.
Environmental Description:  Stands occur on gentle to steep hills and plains, bluff escarpments, and broad ridges and flats with any aspect, but primarily south- and west-facing slopes. Soils are rapidly to very rapidly drained, shallow, and strewn with boulders, cobbles, gravel, and sand. Soil pH is neutral to slightly acidic. Bedrock can be sandstone, chert, or igneous rock and is often exposed (Nelson 1985, TNC 1995a). Drought and heat stress limit vegetative densities and woody recruitment, and high light levels are important for understory species (Fralish 1988b). Periodic naturally occurring fire is important for maintenance of this natural community.

Soils of this woodland (barrens) are extremely stony and rocky or areas of soils interspersed with many boulders, rock outcrops, and vertical bluffs. They are primarily Ultisols with a thermic temperature regime and udic moisture regime. Exposed rock is dominant. Conditions vary from site to site and may contain long, narrow sandstone bluffs to oblong areas strewn with boulders and small rock outcrops. Areas with many stones and flags are also common. Intervening soils may be from 10-150 cm thick over bedrock. Surface layers are silt loam or stony silt loam overlying subsurface layers which can be silty clay loam or stony loam. Silty clay occurs where shale is present and crops out on the surface. Soils information was collected from cores and pits and county soils map.

Bedrock is predominantly Ordovician dolomite and sandstone, with lesser amounts of Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian rocks (chert, sandstone, and shale). These rocks are sedimentary, formed by the accumulation of sediments from weathering, erosion, and deposition of existing rocks during the Paleozoic era. These rocks may consist of minerals, rock debris, or organic matter and have a layered appearance due to accumulation and compression processes. Sandstone and chert are the most frequently encountered bedrock supporting this community. Sandstones are variable in color, but most often gray, brown, yellowish, and/or reddish depending on the type, amount, and color of cementing agents. The degree of hardness is variable but is very hard when cemented by silica. Chert is formed by the precipitation of silica from sea water or the compaction and recrystallization of minute plant and animal skeletons. The oldest bedrock units are Proterozoic igneous rocks which include rhyolite to andesite, gabbro, and a large granitic pluton. Granite is a very hard igneous rock composed primarily of potash feldspars and quartz. The commonality of these bedrock types is their moderately acidic to very acidic pH and their resistance to erosion.
Geographic Range: This post oak - blackjack oak woodland type occurs in the central United States, particularly in the Interior Low Plateau and Interior Highlands region, ranging from southern parts of both Indiana and Illinois south and west to Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AR, IL, IN, MO, OK


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.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 A3290 Post Oak - Blackjack Oak - White Oak Ozark-Ouachita Woodland Alliance A3290 1.B.2.Na.1.c
Association CEGL002149 Post Oak - Blackjack Oak - Black Oak - Black Hickory / Little Bluestem Woodland CEGL002149 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: = Quercus stellata - Q. marilandica - Carya texana / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland Barrens (TNC 1995a)
= Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica - Quercus velutina - Carya texana / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (Diamond et al. 2013)
= Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica - Quercus velutina - Carya texana / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
? Eastern Broadleaf Forests: 100: Oak-Hickory Forest (Quercus-Carya) (Küchler 1964)
>< Igneous Savanna (Nelson 1985)
< Post Oak - Blackjack Oak: 40 (Eyre 1980)
>< Sandstone Savanna (Nelson 1985)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: M. Guetersloh, M. Pyne and D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-27-00
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