Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Loblolly Pine / Winged Sumac Forest Plantation

Colloquial Name: West Gulf Coastal Plain Managed Loblolly Pine Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Cultural Subtype

Type Concept: This mature or late-successional Pinus taeda forest occurs west of the Mississippi River in the West Gulf and Upper West Gulf coastal plains. It was initially described from Pinus taeda seed tree/shelterwood regeneration areas, but may also result from a number of other forestry management practices and/or historical land uses. Many existing examples on the national forests in Texas are derived, in part, from Red-cockaded Woodpecker management programs. These are mature stands with large diameter (usually "sawtimber" sized) pine stems which have been heavily thinned, removing all other overstory trees and leaving a Pinus taeda canopy of variable density, but which appears to have a quite open canopy. Early-successional, younger, and denser managed Pinus taeda stands are covered by other associations. In most of the region in which this type occurs, natural upland Pinus taeda stands are quite rare, and most examples of this type are believed to occur on sites formerly occupied by either Pinus echinata, Pinus palustris, or mixed pine-oak stands. In any given stand, the canopy closure varies temporally as different management techniques are applied, especially thinning, seed tree cuts, and seed tree removals. The understory composition of these stands is especially variable, depending largely upon stand level management objectives. For example, seed tree stands which were cut specifically to regenerate Pinus taeda are managed very infrequently with prescribed fire thus allowing the development of dense shrub thicket understories. Certain other stands, such as within Picoides borealis habitat management areas, are more actively burned to control understory vegetation. Given the relative intolerance of young and regenerating Pinus taeda to fire, pine regeneration may be either plentiful or absent in these stands, just as shrubs are scattered to dense, with composition and density dependent on management (as well as moisture conditions). Herbs are few to absent, in part due to lack of prescribed fire, but also due to a tendency for heavy canopy closure preceding harvesting operations, and occasionally due to previous site preparation practices.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association should be expanded to cover other geographic areas where ruderal Pinus taeda forests occur.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available