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CEGL006148 Pinus rigida - Quercus marilandica / Corema conradii Scrub
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Pitch Pine / Blackjack Oak / Broom Crowberry Scrub
Colloquial Name: New Jersey Pine Plains
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This dwarf pine plains community is restricted to the Outer Coastal Plain of New Jersey. The short stature of the vegetation is a result of very high fire frequency, which is fostered by dry sandy soil on flat to gently rolling topography and relative paucity of wetlands to act as firebreaks. Occurrences are found at elevations of 30.5-61 m (100-200 feet) above sea level in gently rolling terrain. Soils are well-drained to poorly drained, with high permeability, and a sand to sandy loam subsoil (Woodmansie-Lakehurst association). The dominant trees are dwarfed (less than 3.4 m tall), multi-stemmed Pinus rigida, Quercus marilandica, and Quercus ilicifolia. Pinus rigida makes up 25-65% of the trees, with the oak species making up the rest. There is a notable absence of Pinus echinata or any other oak species. Characteristic shrubs include Kalmia latifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Comptonia peregrina, and Leiophyllum buxifolium. The ground layer is comprised of dwarf-shrubs, forbs and grasses, including Gaultheria procumbens, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Pyxidanthera barbulata, Epigaea repens, Hudsonia ericoides, Carex pensylvanica, Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon virginicus, Danthonia spicata, Pteridium aquilinum, Helianthemum canadense, Hypericum gentianoides, and Polygonella articulata. Corema conradii is prominent in places. Lichens, such as Cladonia caroliniana and Cladonia strepsilis, sparsely cover the ground.
In New Jersey, pine plains (PP) is a shrubland type of the central Pinelands dominated by dwarf pitch pine and shrub oaks, with a ground cover dominated by heaths, herbs and bare sand, found in the broadest most frequently burned dry uplands with fewest wetland firebreaks to impede fire spread. The pine plains community is characterized by high genet and stem densities of dwarf serotinous Pinus rigida and shrub oak species including Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, Quercus x brittonii, and occasional Kalmia latifolia in an open to closed coppice shrubland. Also typical are low heaths such as Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum, as well as a diversity of ground cover herbs and subshrubs in sandy openings, including Corema conradii, Pyxidanthera barbulata, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Epigaea repens, Hudsonia ericoides, Comptonia peregrina, Schizachyrium scoparium, Panicum spp., Carex pensylvanica, Lechea spp., Tephrosia virginiana, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius, and many others.
In New Jersey, pine plains (PP) is a shrubland type of the central Pinelands dominated by dwarf pitch pine and shrub oaks, with a ground cover dominated by heaths, herbs and bare sand, found in the broadest most frequently burned dry uplands with fewest wetland firebreaks to impede fire spread. The pine plains community is characterized by high genet and stem densities of dwarf serotinous Pinus rigida and shrub oak species including Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, Quercus x brittonii, and occasional Kalmia latifolia in an open to closed coppice shrubland. Also typical are low heaths such as Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum, as well as a diversity of ground cover herbs and subshrubs in sandy openings, including Corema conradii, Pyxidanthera barbulata, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Epigaea repens, Hudsonia ericoides, Comptonia peregrina, Schizachyrium scoparium, Panicum spp., Carex pensylvanica, Lechea spp., Tephrosia virginiana, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius, and many others.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Low shrubland dominated by Pinus rigida maintained by frequent fire.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community type grades into the more widespread pitch pine - blackjack oak woodlands. In this community and other "dwarf pine" types it is the unique physiognomy of the community that is responsible for the high global rank rather than its floristic composition.
Several variants of pine plains are recognized in New Jersey: (1) dwarf pine plains (PP4/5, PP4, PP5) is a low, closed-canopy variant of pine plains typically 1-2 m tall but up to 3 m tall in older stands, recently maintained by 10-50 year intervals between crown fires, but with some decadent stands persisting 60-80 years without fire. Pitch pine shows a strong expression of dwarfing traits such as multiple dominant stems, multiple low basal stems, continued basal sprouting long after fire, and crooked/flat-topped growth forms in dominant stems. Dwarf Pinus rigida, shrub oaks and taller heaths form a closed or nearly closed shrub canopy. Most sites have Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, and their hybrids Quercus x brittonii (PP4/5), but warmer hilltops have only Quercus marilandica (PP4), and valley bottoms with cold-air drainage have only Quercus ilicifolia (PP5). (2) transitional pine plains (TP) is a generally taller variant of pine plains with pitch pine heights of 3-5 m, a lower density of pine stems and a somewhat weaker expression of the dwarfing pine traits. Transitional plains are found in: (a) less frequently or less severely burned ecotones between dwarf pine plains and arborescent pitch pine-shrub oak barrens or pitch pine lowlands, (b) less frequently or less severely burned pockets within dwarf pine plains missed by chance during the last crown fire, and (c) expanding taller patches within old decadent pine plains stands as dwarf genetic stock is gradually displaced by arborescent stock. Some large areas of arborescent pine barrens near the stable Pine Plains were temporarily converted to a "plains-like coppice" after a few stand-replacing fires, such as in the Forked River Mountains or north of Sym Place. While these were identified as large areas of pine plains or transitional plains in the past (Harshberger 1916, Lutz 1934), most have reverted back to forest with only small outliers of pine plains or transitional plains remaining. (3) pine plains coremal (PP-C) is a very open dwarf-shrub/herbaceous variant of pine plains historically maintained by 4- to 7-year fire intervals, with woody species "canopy" heights of less than 1 m and covers of about 25-50%, and with much more exposed bare sand and herbaceous ground cover relative to the dwarf pine plains variant. Coremal dominated the pine plains when fires were more frequent in the 1800s and early 1900s based on historical descriptions (Pinchot 1900, Harshberger 1916, Lutz 1934). Ground cover included greater cover of species such as Corema conradii, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Hudsonia ericoides, Schizachyrium scoparium, Carex pensylvanica, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius, and other herbs (Lutz 1934). Graminoid cover was abundant enough to support a heavily hunted, now-extinct subspecies of the prairie chicken known as the heath hen. Coremal historically occurred in large portions of what is currently occupied by dwarf pine plains, but persists today only in small remnant sandy openings maintained by frequent hot controlled burning, natural erosion on slopes or mechanical disturbance/management activities.
Several variants of pine plains are recognized in New Jersey: (1) dwarf pine plains (PP4/5, PP4, PP5) is a low, closed-canopy variant of pine plains typically 1-2 m tall but up to 3 m tall in older stands, recently maintained by 10-50 year intervals between crown fires, but with some decadent stands persisting 60-80 years without fire. Pitch pine shows a strong expression of dwarfing traits such as multiple dominant stems, multiple low basal stems, continued basal sprouting long after fire, and crooked/flat-topped growth forms in dominant stems. Dwarf Pinus rigida, shrub oaks and taller heaths form a closed or nearly closed shrub canopy. Most sites have Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, and their hybrids Quercus x brittonii (PP4/5), but warmer hilltops have only Quercus marilandica (PP4), and valley bottoms with cold-air drainage have only Quercus ilicifolia (PP5). (2) transitional pine plains (TP) is a generally taller variant of pine plains with pitch pine heights of 3-5 m, a lower density of pine stems and a somewhat weaker expression of the dwarfing pine traits. Transitional plains are found in: (a) less frequently or less severely burned ecotones between dwarf pine plains and arborescent pitch pine-shrub oak barrens or pitch pine lowlands, (b) less frequently or less severely burned pockets within dwarf pine plains missed by chance during the last crown fire, and (c) expanding taller patches within old decadent pine plains stands as dwarf genetic stock is gradually displaced by arborescent stock. Some large areas of arborescent pine barrens near the stable Pine Plains were temporarily converted to a "plains-like coppice" after a few stand-replacing fires, such as in the Forked River Mountains or north of Sym Place. While these were identified as large areas of pine plains or transitional plains in the past (Harshberger 1916, Lutz 1934), most have reverted back to forest with only small outliers of pine plains or transitional plains remaining. (3) pine plains coremal (PP-C) is a very open dwarf-shrub/herbaceous variant of pine plains historically maintained by 4- to 7-year fire intervals, with woody species "canopy" heights of less than 1 m and covers of about 25-50%, and with much more exposed bare sand and herbaceous ground cover relative to the dwarf pine plains variant. Coremal dominated the pine plains when fires were more frequent in the 1800s and early 1900s based on historical descriptions (Pinchot 1900, Harshberger 1916, Lutz 1934). Ground cover included greater cover of species such as Corema conradii, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Hudsonia ericoides, Schizachyrium scoparium, Carex pensylvanica, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius, and other herbs (Lutz 1934). Graminoid cover was abundant enough to support a heavily hunted, now-extinct subspecies of the prairie chicken known as the heath hen. Coremal historically occurred in large portions of what is currently occupied by dwarf pine plains, but persists today only in small remnant sandy openings maintained by frequent hot controlled burning, natural erosion on slopes or mechanical disturbance/management activities.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The dominant trees are dwarfed (less than 3.4 m), multiple-stemmed Pinus rigida, Quercus marilandica, and Quercus ilicifolia. Pinus rigida makes up 25-65% of the trees with the oak species making up the rest. There is a notable absence of Pinus echinata or any other oak species. Characteristic shrubs include Kalmia latifolia, Kalmia angustifolia, Comptonia peregrina, and Leiophyllum buxifolium. The ground layer includes Gaultheria procumbens, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and Epigaea repens. Corema conradii is prominent in places. Cladonia caroliniana and Cladonia strepsilis sparsely cover the ground.
In New Jersey, pine plains (PP) is a shrubland type of the central Pinelands dominated by dwarf pitch pine and shrub oaks, with a ground cover dominated by heaths, herbs and bare sand, found in the broadest most frequently burned dry uplands with fewest wetland firebreaks to impede fire spread. The pine plains community is characterized by high genet and stem densities of dwarf serotinous Pinus rigida and shrub oak species including Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, Quercus x brittonii, and occasional Kalmia latifolia in an open to closed coppice shrubland. Also typical are low heaths such as Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum, as well as a diversity of ground cover herbs and subshrubs in sandy openings, including Corema conradii, Pyxidanthera barbulata, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Epigaea repens, Hudsonia ericoides, Comptonia peregrina, Schizachyrium scoparium, Panicum spp., Carex pensylvanica, Lechea spp., Tephrosia virginiana, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius (= Aster linariifolius), and many others (Lutz 1934, Good et al. 1979, Windisch 1999).
In New Jersey, pine plains (PP) is a shrubland type of the central Pinelands dominated by dwarf pitch pine and shrub oaks, with a ground cover dominated by heaths, herbs and bare sand, found in the broadest most frequently burned dry uplands with fewest wetland firebreaks to impede fire spread. The pine plains community is characterized by high genet and stem densities of dwarf serotinous Pinus rigida and shrub oak species including Quercus marilandica, Quercus ilicifolia, Quercus x brittonii, and occasional Kalmia latifolia in an open to closed coppice shrubland. Also typical are low heaths such as Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum, as well as a diversity of ground cover herbs and subshrubs in sandy openings, including Corema conradii, Pyxidanthera barbulata, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Epigaea repens, Hudsonia ericoides, Comptonia peregrina, Schizachyrium scoparium, Panicum spp., Carex pensylvanica, Lechea spp., Tephrosia virginiana, Baptisia tinctoria, Ionactis linariifolius (= Aster linariifolius), and many others (Lutz 1934, Good et al. 1979, Windisch 1999).
Dynamics: Pine plains are found in the most fire-prone parts of the central Pinelands landscape, in the broadest dry uplands with the fewest wetland firebreaks to impede fire spread (Windisch 1986, 1999). A long history of frequent intense fire was the key ecological process in the creation and maintenance of pine plains, establishing its short serotinous phenotypes in dwarf pitch pine, unique species composition, and historically open structure. A prolonged regime of top-killing fires at 5- to 10-year return intervals selectively removed the tree-form pitch pine, shortleaf pine, oaks and hardwoods of peripheral Pinelands forests, and selectively favored dwarf pitch pine and shrub oaks in a low coppice, with an open sandy ground cover supporting a diversity of fire-tolerant, early-successional species. The dominant dwarf pitch pine has several traits adaptive to frequent fire, including serotiny rates approaching 100%, precocious prolific cone production, prolific basal sprouting, and dwarfing growth forms related to early loss of apical dominance expressed after topkill. These dwarf pitch pine traits increase the flammability of pine plains and helped maintain its frequent fire regime.
Environmental Description: Occurrences are found at elevations of 30.5-61 m (100-200 feet) above sea level in gently rolling terrain. Soils are well-drained to poorly drained, with high permeability, and a sand to sandy loam subsoil (Woodmansie-Lakehurst association).
Geographic Range: This vegetation is restricted to the Outer Coastal Plain of New Jersey.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: NJ
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686127
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2
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.9 Pitch Pine - oak spp. - American Holly North Atlantic Forest Macrogroup | M525 | 1.B.2.Na.9 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.9.a Pitch Pine Barrens Group | G161 | 1.B.2.Na.9.a |
| Alliance | A0809 Pitch Pine Dwarf-scrub Alliance | A0809 | 1.B.2.Na.9.a |
| Association | CEGL006148 Pitch Pine / Blackjack Oak / Broom Crowberry Scrub | CEGL006148 | 1.B.2.Na.9.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Dwarf pine plains (PP4/5, PP4, PP5) (Windisch 2014a)
? Pine Plains (Breden 1989)
= Pine Plains (Good and Good 1975a)
> Pine plains coremal (PP-C) (Windisch 2014a)
> Transitional pine plains (TP) (Windisch 2014a)
? Pine Plains (Breden 1989)
= Pine Plains (Good and Good 1975a)
> Pine plains coremal (PP-C) (Windisch 2014a)
> Transitional pine plains (TP) (Windisch 2014a)
- Breden, T. F. 1989. A preliminary natural community classification for New Jersey. Pages 157-191 in: E. F. Karlin, editor. New Jersey''s rare and endangered plants and animals. Institute for Environmental Studies, Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ. 280 pp.
- Breden, T. F., Y. R. Alger, K. S. Walz, and A. G. Windisch. 2001. Classification of vegetation communities of New Jersey: Second iteration. Association for Biodiversity Information and New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Office of Natural Lands Management, Division of Parks and Forestry, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton.
- Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
- Good, R. E., N. F. Good, and J. W. Andresen. 1979. The pine barren plains. Pages 283-295 in: R. T. Formann, editor. Pine barrens: Ecosystem and landscape. Academic Press, Inc., Orlando, FL.
- Good, R. E., and N. F. Good. 1975a. Growth characteristics of two populations of Pinus rigida from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. Ecology 56:1215-1220.
- Grossman, D. H., K. Lemon Goodin, and C. L. Reuss, editors. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States: An initial survey. The Nature Conservancy. Arlington, VA. 620 pp.
- Harshberger, J. W. 1916. The vegetation of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Reprinted 1970. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 329 pp.
- Lutz, H. L. 1934. Ecological relations in the pitch pine plains of southern New Jersey. Yale University School of Forestry Bulletin 38:1-80.
- McCormick, J., and M. F. Buell. 1968. The plains: Pigmy forest of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a review and annotated bibliography. Bulletin of the New Jersey Academy of Science 13:20-34.
- Pinchot, G. 1900. A study of forest fires and wood production in southern New Jersey. New Jersey Geological Survey, Annual Report State Geologist for 1898:1-102.
- Windisch, A .G. 2014a. Pinelands ecological communities and higher level groups with crosswalk / proposed 2008 revisions to NVC. November 16, 2014 draft. New Jersey Natural Heritage Program, Trenton.
- Windisch, A. G. 1986. Delination of the New Jersey pine plains and associated communities. Skenectada 3:1-16.
- Windisch, A. G. 1992. Review draft: Classification and community dynamics of pine barrens in New Jersey and Southern New York, 10 pp.
- Windisch, A. G. 1999. Fire ecology of the New Jersey Pine Plains and vicinity. Ph.D. dissertation, Rutgers-The State University, New Brunswick, NJ. 327 pp.