Print Report
CEGL007777 Quercus stellata / Forestiera ligustrina - Symphoricarpos orbiculatus / Carex cherokeensis - Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Post Oak / Upland Swamp-privet - Coralberry / Cherokee Sedge - Little Bluestem Woodland
Colloquial Name: Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain Prairie Periphery Oak Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This subcalcareous or circumneutral vegetation of the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain is dominated by Quercus stellata. Other species indicative of high pH and/or high nutrient status are also present, such as Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus shumardii, or Ulmus crassifolia. Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is also a characteristic species of this habitat in at least parts of the region; it is typically lacking from both calcareous prairies and acidic forests. A thick layer of Crataegus spp. is also often present. Sedges, especially Carex cherokeensis and Carex albicans, are abundant in the understory. Grass cover and composition are highly variable in part due to the openness of the stands and the influence of fire. This woodland community may occur in relatively narrow bands (15-60 m [50-200 feet] wide) or ecotones between forested uplands (usually pine-dominated) on neutral to slightly acidic soils and alkaline prairies. The location and size of the community appear to be dependent on the steepness of the transition between soil types. The larger post oak woodlands occur on shallower transitions and may also be a function of the fire regime.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Decent remnants of this community at Terre Noire Natural Area may resemble a relatively undisturbed condition. Fire-suppressed remnants of this community type occur on the Sam Houston National Forest and also occur at the International Paper Blackland Prairie, Townsend, Gaither, McElhannon, and Deltic Farm and Timber tracts. The type location is in Clark County, Arkansas. Other examples are known from Howard and Hempstead counties, and it should be found in Little River, Nevada, and Sevier counties, Arkansas.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Vegetation is dominated by Quercus stellata. Other species indicative of high pH and/or high nutrient status are also present, such as Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus shumardii, or Ulmus crassifolia. Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is also a characteristic species of this habitat in at least parts of the region; it is typically lacking from both calcareous prairies and acidic forests. A thick layer of Crataegus spp. is also often present. Sedges, especially Carex cherokeensis and Carex albicans, are abundant in the understory. Pinus echinata and/or Pinus taeda may be occasionally present in the overstory, although examples with a significant component of either would be accommodated under a different association, ~Pinus echinata - Pinus taeda - Quercus stellata / Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana / Cornus drummondii Woodland (CEGL007798)$$. Stands attributed to this association on the Sam Houston National Forest in Texas support the following additional woody species: Ulmus crassifolia, Carya texana, Fraxinus americana, Celtis laevigata, Quercus shumardii, and Ulmus alata over a diverse midstory. The most important midstory species were Forestiera ligustrina, Ostrya virginiana, Crataegus spathulata, and Ulmus alata. Other woody vegetation includes Carya tomentosa, Carya texana, Cercis canadensis var. canadensis, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Smilax bona-nox, and Smilax rotundifolia. Dominant herbaceous species are Chasmanthium sessiliflorum and Schizachyrium scoparium with Carex cherokeensis, Piptochaetium avenaceum, Centrosema virginianum, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Delphinium carolinianum, Ruellia humilis, Mimosa nuttallii (= Schrankia nuttallii), and Sorghastrum nutans. This habitat supports one of few known locales for Ribes curvatum in eastern Texas.
Dynamics: The prevalence of Chasmanthium sessiliflorum and Piptochaetium avenaceum seems to be indicative of degraded conditions resulting from fire suppression (R. Evans pers. obs.). In Arkansas, it has been observed that woody vegetation succession is rapid during periods of fire suppression allowing the development of almost impenetrable thickets at the edges and within this community, completely shading out the herbaceous layer. With fire suppression Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana rapidly invades both the interior and edges of this community, and Crataegus spp. stems may become extremely thick. In Texas, most examples of this community are heavily encroached by pines and may be considered ~Pinus echinata - Pinus taeda - Quercus stellata / Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana / Cornus drummondii Woodland (CEGL007798)$$, which may well represent vegetation degraded by fire suppression and other activities. A greater understanding of this community type should result with fire management.
Environmental Description: This oak woodland adjoins calcareous prairies on the Fleming Formation in the Southern Loam Hills subsection of the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of eastern Texas, and may also be found on isolated patches of rich substrate. One example of this type occurs on soils mapped as the Annona series, which was predominately sandy at the surface with a pH of 5.7; and although untested, it is believed the subsurface was richer. At least one other example has been sampled (SAMH.8, NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data) which was apparently situated on a dark, alkaline, clay surface soil.
Geographic Range: This upland woodland community is found in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas and Texas, and possibly Oklahoma.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, OK?, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686580
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1G2
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.f Post Oak - Blackjack Oak Forest & Woodland Group | G017 | 1.B.2.Na.1.f |
| Alliance | A3217 Post Oak - Cedar Elm Forest & Woodland Alliance | A3217 | 1.B.2.Na.1.f |
| Association | CEGL007777 Post Oak / Upland Swamp-privet - Coralberry / Cherokee Sedge - Little Bluestem Woodland | CEGL007777 | 1.B.2.Na.1.f |
Concept Lineage: merged
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Quercus stellata / Forestiera ligustrina - Symphoricarpos orbiculatus / Carex cherokeensis - Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (Zollner et al. 1993)
< Oak Savannah (Rice and Penfound 1959)
< Oak Savannah (Rice and Penfound 1959)
- Allred, B. W., and H. C. Mitchell. 1955. Major plant types of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas and their relation to climate and soils. Texas Journal of Science 7:7-19.
- Bruner, W. E. 1931. The vegetation of Oklahoma. Ecological Monographs 1:99-188.
- Collins, S. L., and S. C. Klahr. 1991. Tree dispersion in oak-dominated forests along an environmental gradient. Oecologia 86:471-477.
- Ewing, A. L., J. F. Stritzke, and J. D. Kulbeth. 1984. Vegetation of the Cross Timbers experimental range, Payne County, Oklahoma. Research Report P-856, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater.
- Hoagland, B. 2000. The vegetation of Oklahoma: A classification for landscape mapping and conservation planning. The Southwestern Naturalist 45(4):385-420.
- Johnson, F. L., and P. G. Risser. 1975a. A quantitative comparison between an oak forest and an oak savanna in central Oklahoma. The Southwestern Naturalist 20:75-84.
- Kennedy, R. K. 1973. An analysis of selected Oklahoma upland forest stands including both overstory and understory. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
- Klahr, S. C. 1989. Spatial pattern in post oak-blackjack oak forest along an environmental gradient in Oklahoma. Unpublished M.S. thesis, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
- Luckhardt, R. L., and H. G. Barclay. 1937. A study of the environment and floristic composition of an oak-hickory woodland in northeastern Oklahoma. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 18:25-32.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Penfound, W. T. The savanna concept in Oklahoma. Ecology 43(4):774-775.
- Rice, E. L., and W. T. Penfound. 1959. The upland forests of Oklahoma. Ecology 40:593-608.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Zollner, D., S. Simon, and T. Foti. 1993. A plant community classification for Arkansas''s Blackland Prairie ecosystem. In: E. Peacock and T. Schauwecker, editors. Blackland prairies of the Gulf Coastal Plain: Nature, culture, and sustainability. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.
- Zollner, D., S. Simon, and T. Foti. 2003. A plant community classification for Arkansas''s Blackland Prairie ecosystem. Pages 110-145 in: E. Peacock and T. Schauwecker, editors. Blackland prairies of the Gulf Coastal Plain: Nature, culture and sustainability. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.