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CEGL006288 Pinus virginiana - Juniperus virginiana - Quercus rubra / Solidago arguta var. harrisii - Opuntia humifusa Woodland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Virginia Pine - Eastern Red-cedar - Northern Red Oak / Shale Barren Goldenrod - Eastern Prickly-pear Woodland

Colloquial Name: Central Appalachian Acidic Shale Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This shale barren woodland occurs on steep unstable shale slopes with areas of exposed bedrock in the central Appalachian Mountains from south-central Pennsylvania to southwestern Virginia. Most are at less than 400 m elevation, but they can range up to 750 m. Soils are acidic and available moisture is scarce. Most substrates are shale-derived but sandstone may also be a component. Large expanses of exposed bedrock are typical. Usually with a woodland or patchy woodland physiognomy, this association may occasionally occur as closed forest or sparse shrubland. The canopy is usually a mixture of oak and conifers but may have either one or the other dominant. Canopy cover varies widely but is typically less than 70% and may be sparse. The herb layer is likewise variable but is commonly less than 25%. Canopy dominants are Pinus virginiana, Juniperus virginiana (often subordinate but occasionally dominant), Quercus rubra, and Quercus montana. Associates vary and include Quercus stellata, Carya glabra, Celtis tenuifolia, Quercus alba, Carya tomentosa, and Fraxinus americana. Shrubs are typically sparse or scattered and include Quercus ilicifolia, Rhus copallinum, Hypericum prolificum, and less frequently Amelanchier arborea, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium pallidum, Rhus aromatica, and Rosa carolina. Carex pensylvanica and Danthonia spicata are the most common ground-layer species; other graminoids that may be locally common at some sites include Schizachyrium scoparium and Deschampsia flexuosa. Typical forbs include Antennaria plantaginifolia, Cunila origanoides, Houstonia longifolia, Opuntia humifusa, Selaginella rupestris, Hedeoma pulegioides, Pellaea atropurpurea, Polygonum scandens var. cristatum, and Cheilanthes lanosa, as well as the shale barren endemics (or near-endemics) Paronychia montana, Antennaria virginica, Allium oxyphilum, Packera antennariifolia, Oenothera argillicola, Solidago arguta var. harrisii, Scutellaria ovata, and Trifolium virginicum. Southern examples may contain Clematis albicoma and/or Taenidia integerrima. This association differs from other acidic shale barren types in its more northerly distribution, and the absence of the more southerly shale barren endemics (or near-endemics) Allium cernuum, Arabis serotina, and Clematis coactilis, as well as the absence of some other species typical of the more species-rich barrens, such as Silene caroliniana, Penstemon canescens, and Penstemon pallidus. Indicators include Opuntia humifusa and Solidago arguta var. harrisii.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This community is representative of shale barren vegetation to the north and southwest of the region of highest floristic endemism (west-central Virginia and adjacent West Virginia).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Usually with a woodland or patchy woodland physiognomy, this association may occasionally occur as closed forest or sparse shrubland. The canopy is usually a mixture of oak and conifers but may have either one or the other dominant. Canopy cover varies widely but is typically less than 70% and may be sparse. The herb layer is likewise variable but is commonly less than 25%. Canopy dominants are Pinus virginiana, Juniperus virginiana (often subordinate but occasionally dominant), Quercus rubra, and Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus). Associates vary and include Quercus stellata, Carya glabra, Celtis tenuifolia, Quercus alba, Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), and Fraxinus americana. Shrubs are typically sparse or scattered and include Quercus ilicifolia, Rhus copallinum, Hypericum prolificum, and less frequently Amelanchier arborea, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium pallidum, Rhus aromatica, and Rosa carolina. Carex pensylvanica and Danthonia spicata are the most common ground-layer species; other graminoids that may be locally common at some sites include Schizachyrium scoparium and Deschampsia flexuosa. Typical forbs include Antennaria plantaginifolia, Cunila origanoides, Houstonia longifolia, Opuntia humifusa, Selaginella rupestris, Hedeoma pulegioides, Pellaea atropurpurea, Polygonum scandens var. cristatum, and Cheilanthes lanosa, as well as the shale barren endemics (or near-endemics) Paronychia montana, Antennaria virginica, Allium oxyphilum, Packera antennariifolia (= Senecio antennariifolius), Oenothera argillicola, Solidago arguta var. harrisii (= Solidago harrisii), Scutellaria ovata, and Trifolium virginicum. Southern examples may contain Clematis albicoma and/or Taenidia integerrima. High surficial rock cover appears to limit species richness in this type of shale barren. In 38 plots over the range of this association, vascular plant richness ranged from 8 to 56 and averaged 28.3 species per 400-m2 plot; with northern examples more depauperate than southern ones. The shale barren endemics Packera antennariifolia and, to a lesser extent, Eriogonum allenii are characteristic plants in Virginia.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This association occurs on moderate to very steep, unstable shale slopes with areas of exposed bedrock (mean in Virginia plots = 82%, 42°). Aspect ranges from southeast to west, on convex slopes, ridge spurs, and clifftops which have maximum solar exposure. Most substrates are shale-derived but sandstone may also be a component. Soils, where present, are very strongly acidic (plots mean pH of about 4.8). Virginia plots have moderately high calcium and magnesium levels.
Geographic Range: This community occurs in the central Appalachian Mountains from the Ridge and Valley of south-central Pennsylvania and Maryland to eastern West Virginia and west-central Virginia. It appears to be the typical vegetation type of more northern shale barrens. In Virginia, this unit is restricted to the Ridge and Valley province.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  MD, PA, VA, WV


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3

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.2 Appalachian-Northeastern Oak - Hardwood - Pine Forest & Woodland Macrogroup M502 1.B.2.Na.2
Group 1.B.2.Na.2.h Pitch Pine - Virginia Pine - Bear Oak Woodland & Barrens Group G906 1.B.2.Na.2.h
Alliance A3312 Virginia Pine - Chestnut Oak Acidic Shale Woodland Alliance A3312 1.B.2.Na.2.h
Association CEGL006288 Virginia Pine - Eastern Red-cedar - Northern Red Oak / Shale Barren Goldenrod - Eastern Prickly-pear Woodland CEGL006288 1.B.2.Na.2.h
Concept Lineage: CEGL006561 merged into CEGL006288. CEGL006541 is an herbaceous patch-type that can occur within many shale barrens, but it was decided that it did not make sense to segregate it as its own association. Vegetation patches resembling CEGL006541 could be found as part of CEGL006037, CEGL006562, CEGL006288, CEGL008530.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Pinus virginiana - Juniperus virginiana - (Quercus stellata) / (Opuntia humifusa, Viola pedata) shale barren woodland (Vanderhorst 2002a)
= Pinus virginiana - Quercus montana - Quercus rubra / Deschampsia flexuosa - Paronychia montana Woodland (Fleming and Patterson 2009b)
? Pinus virginiana - Quercus prinus / Oenothera argillicola - Solidago arguta var. harrisii shale barren sparse woodland (Vanderhorst 2002a)
? Quercus prinus - Pinus virginiana / Deschampsia flexuosa - Selaginella rupestris - Packera antennariifolia Woodland (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
? Chestnut oak-Virginia pine/hairgrass acidic shale woodland (northern type) (CAP pers. comm. 1998)
Concept Author(s): G. Fleming and P. Coulling

Author of Description: G. Fleming, P. Coulling, and S.C. Gawler

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-20-18
  • Braunschweig, S. H., E. T. Nilsen, and T. F. Wieboldt. 1999. The mid-Appalachian shale barrens. Pages 83-98 in: R. C. Anderson, J. S. Fralish, and J. M. Baskin. Savannas, barrens, and rock outcrop plant communities of North America. Cambridge University Press, NY.
  • CAP [Central Appalachian Forest Working Group]. 1998. Central Appalachian Working group discussions. The Nature Conservancy, Boston, MA.
  • Eastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boston, MA.
  • Fike, J. 1999. Terrestrial and palustrine plant communities of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bureau of Forestry, Harrisburg, PA. 86 pp.
  • Fleming, G. P., K. D. Patterson, and K. Taverna. 2017. The natural communities of Virginia: A classification of ecological community groups and community types. Third approximation. Version 3.0. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/]
  • Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2009b. Classification of selected Virginia montane wetland groups. In-house analysis, December 2009. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
  • Fleming, G. P., and P. P. Coulling. 2001. Ecological communities of the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, Virginia. Preliminary classification and description of vegetation types. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. 317 pp.
  • Harrison, J. W. 2011. The natural communities of Maryland: 2011 working list of ecological community groups and community types. Unpublished report. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife and Heritage Service, Natural Heritage Program, Annapolis. 33 pp.
  • Harrison, J. W., compiler. 2004. Classification of vegetation communities of Maryland: First iteration. A subset of the International Classification of Ecological Communities: Terrestrial Vegetation of the United States, NatureServe. Maryland Natural Heritage Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis. 243 pp.
  • Vanderhorst, J. 2002a. Classification of West Virginia shale barrens. Draft report. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program. 13 pp.
  • Vanderhorst, J. 2017a. Wild vegetation of West Virginia: High floodplain forests and woodlands. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program. [http://wvdnr.gov/Wildlife/Factsheets/HighFloodplain.shtm]
  • WVNHP [West Virginia Natural Heritage Program]. No date. Unpublished data. West Virginia Natural Heritage Program, Elkins.