Print Report
CEGL008565 Quercus velutina - Carya pallida - Tilia americana var. heterophylla / Celtis laevigata / Aesculus pavia Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Oak - Sand Hickory - Appalachian Basswood / Sugarberry / Red Buckeye Forest
Colloquial Name: Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain Dry-Mesic Circumneutral Black Oak Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This open-canopied forest community is currently known from north-facing slopes on coarse-textured (circumneutral?) substrates in the Inner Coastal Plain of Georgia. It could also occur at similar sites in Alabama and/or Mississippi. Stands are located between 150 and 200 m (500-700 feet) elevation on flat to gently concave slopes in ravines in a topographically dissected landscape of low relief. Only one stand of this type has been observed, on an unusual combination of a well-drained, coarse-textured substrate, which apparently contains some calcareous (shell) fraction as indicated by the calciphilic flora. The vegetation is an open oak forest primarily dominated by large individuals of Quercus velutina. The apparent absence of other Quercus species, as well as of pines, is noteworthy; stumps are absent, and the canopy gaps appear to have been created by windthrow and other natural processes as well as the character of the substrate and the slopes. Other oaks which are common in the landscape (e.g., Quercus alba, Quercus falcata) are not consistently part of the canopy dominance. Carya pallida and Carya tomentosa are also prominent and high-value components of the canopy. The canopy also contains Tilia americana var. heterophylla, and the subcanopy contains Acer floridanum. The lower strata are occupied by basophilic taxa, including Celtis laevigata, Aesculus pavia, Cocculus carolinus, Spigelia marilandica, etc.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: A small-scale stand in the Talladega National Forest (Oakmulgee Ranger District) seems to be compatible with this type (M. Pyne pers. comm.). On Fort Benning, Georgia (near the intersection between East Gulf Coastal Plain sandhills, Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain and Piedmont), sites with clear dominance by Quercus velutina are decidedly rare - and apparently tend to be at least somewhat fire-sheltered, either slopes or isolated narrow ridges, with invariably coarse-textured soils. The site where this type is found is an odd combination of a coarse-textured soil (apparently with a calcareous/shell fraction), in a fire-sheltered and north-facing topographic position. This is one of two such forests found at Fort Benning. They are very different from one another in their slope position and associated species.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is an open oak forest primarily dominated by large individuals of Quercus velutina. The apparent absence of other Quercus species, as well as of pines, is noteworthy; stumps are absent, and the canopy gaps appear to have been created by windthrow and other natural processes as well as the character of the substrate and the slopes. Other oaks which are common in the landscape (e.g., Quercus alba, Quercus falcata) do not seen to have been part of the canopy dominance. Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba) and Carya pallida are also prominent and high-value components of the canopy. The canopy also contains Tilia americana var. heterophylla, and the subcanopy contains Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum). The lower strata are occupied by basophilic taxa, including Celtis laevigata, Aesculus pavia, Cocculus carolinus, Spigelia marilandica, etc. Other species present include Quercus muehlenbergii?, Chionanthus virginicus, Cornus florida, Hamamelis virginiana, Castanea dentata, Castanea pumila, Prunus serotina, Vaccinium stamineum, Viburnum rufidulum, Vitis rotundifolia, Symphyotrichum cordifolium, Polystichum acrostichoides, Smilax rotundifolia, Sideroxylon lanuginosum, Galium circaezans, Helianthus microcephalus, Dichanthelium boscii, Hexastylis arifolia, Ageratina altissima, Asplenium platyneuron, and Collinsonia serotina.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands are located between 150 and 200 m (500-700 feet) elevation on flat to gently concave slopes in ravines in a topographically dissected landscape of low relief. Only one stand of this type has been observed, on an unusual combination of a well-drained, coarse-textured substrate, which apparently contains some calcareous (shell) fraction as indicated by the calciphilic flora. Stands are on somewhat steep slopes, with northerly aspect in the one stand sampled. Soils of these sites are deep, very oligotrophic, gravelly loams with low pH and base status. Exposed sandstone boulders and outcrops are present on the slopes. Most sites appear to have a history of fires. At Fort Benning (Chattahoochee County, Georgia), the one stand sampled is located on a mapping complex of the Cowarts and Ailey soil series, with 18-25% slopes. The surface layer of the Ailey is a loamy coarse sand, that of the Cowarts a loamy sand. The geology is Cusseta sand over Blufftown Formation, the latter of which contains some unnamed members with inclusions of calcareous materials.
Geographic Range: This community is currently known from low-elevation landscapes in the Inner Coastal Plain of Georgia (Fort Benning). It could also occur at similar sites in Alabama and/or Mississippi.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL?, GA, MS?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685774
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F018 | 1.B.1 |
| Division | 1.B.1.Na Southeastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D006 | 1.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.1.Na.3 American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak Forest Macrogroup | M008 | 1.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Na.3.c Southern Red Oak - White Oak - Loblolly Pine Forest Group | G895 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
| Alliance | A4440 Southern Red Oak - White Oak - Sand Hickory Forest Alliance | A4440 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
| Association | CEGL008565 Black Oak - Sand Hickory - Appalachian Basswood / Sugarberry / Red Buckeye Forest | CEGL008565 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.