Print Report
CEGL008428 Quercus alba - (Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua) / Calycanthus floridus / Athyrium filix-femina Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: White Oak - (Tuliptree, Sweetgum) / Eastern Sweetshrub / Common Ladyfern Forest
Colloquial Name: Cumberland-Southern Ridge & Valley Mesic White Oak Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association includes mesic hardwood forests in coves and draws, in ravines along small streams, and on small stream terraces and related habitats in the southern Ridge and Valley of Georgia, extending into the western fringe of the Southern Blue Ridge, and in the adjacent Cumberland Plateau from southern Kentucky into Tennessee and possibly Alabama. The canopy is dominated by Quercus alba with codominance by Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, and/or Fagus grandifolia. Some examples may have large individuals of Pinus taeda blending in from forests on adjacent, higher slopes, or as an artifact of past disturbance. The subcanopy is dominated by Acer leucoderme, but other common subcanopy trees include Cornus florida, Hamamelis virginiana, and Oxydendrum arboreum. The shrub stratum can be dense and continuous or patchy. The most constant shrub species are Calycanthus floridus, Rhododendron alabamense, and Euonymus americanus. The herbaceous stratum is sparse to patchy and composed of mesic forbs and grasses. The most constant herbs are Amphicarpaea bracteata, Athyrium filix-femina, Lobelia cardinalis, Mitchella repens, and Polystichum acrostichoides, although many other species may occur and may be more diagnostic of the community.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association was defined based on examples from the southern Ridge and Valley in northwestern Georgia. With further review, it may be expanded to cover a greater geographic area, or be combined with a similar association to create a more general concept. Acer leucoderme is very limited in its distribution in Tennessee; examples in that state may or may not have this taxon present; Acer saccharum could replace it there.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This association is a mesic deciduous forest with a closed canopy, well-developed subcanopy, and a variable shrub and herbaceous layers. The canopy is dominated by Quercus alba with codominance by Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, and/or Fagus grandifolia. Some examples may have large individuals of Pinus taeda blending in from forests on adjacent, higher slopes, or as an artifact of past disturbance. Some stands may have up to 25% cover by Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus). The subcanopy of stands varies across its range and with past disturbance history. Some frequent taxa include Acer rubrum, Magnolia macrophylla, Sassafras albidum, Cornus florida, and Oxydendrum arboreum. In stands within its range, some subcanopies are dominated by Acer leucoderme. Other canopy and subcanopy species that may be present, but are not constant or dominant among occurrences in northwestern Georgia, are Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum), Acer rubrum, Carpinus caroliniana, Carya ovata, Fraxinus americana, Magnolia acuminata, Nyssa sylvatica, Ostrya virginiana, Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus, Quercus rubra, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Tsuga canadensis, and Ulmus rubra. The shrub stratum can be dense and continuous or patchy. The most constant shrub species are Calycanthus floridus, Rhododendron alabamense, and Euonymus americanus. Other shrubs that may be present, but are not constant among documented examples, are Arundinaria gigantea, Diospyros virginiana, Hydrangea cinerea, Itea virginica, Kalmia latifolia, Stewartia ovata, Hamamelis virginiana, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium stamineum, and Viburnum acerifolium. The herbaceous stratum is sparse to patchy and composed of mesic forbs and grasses. The most constant herbs in northwestern Georgia examples are Amphicarpaea bracteata, Athyrium filix-femina, Lobelia cardinalis, Mitchella repens, and Polystichum acrostichoides. Other herbaceous species may include Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Dryopteris intermedia, Phegopteris hexagonoptera (= Thelypteris hexagonoptera), Thelypteris noveboracensis, Hexastylis arifolia var. ruthii, Maianthemum canadense, Medeola virginiana, and Uvularia perfoliata. Other species may also occur and may be more diagnostic of the community.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: These are mesic hardwood forests found in coves and draws, in ravines along small streams, and on small stream terraces and related habitats.
Geographic Range: This association is found in the southern Ridge and Valley of Georgia, extending into the western fringe of the Southern Blue Ridge, and in the adjacent Cumberland Plateau from southern Kentucky into Tennessee and possibly Alabama.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, GA, KY, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686859
Confidence Level: Low
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.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.3 Appalachian-Interior-Northeastern Mesic Forest Macrogroup | M883 | 1.B.2.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.3.a American Beech - Tuliptree - Yellow Buckeye Forest Group | G020 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Alliance | A3265 American Beech - Northern Red Oak Piedmont-Ridge & Valley Forest Alliance | A3265 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Association | CEGL008428 White Oak - (Tuliptree, Sweetgum) / Eastern Sweetshrub / Common Ladyfern Forest | CEGL008428 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Schotz, A., H. Summer, and R. White, Jr. 2008. Vascular plant inventory and ecological community classification for Little River Canyon National Preserve. NatureServe, Durham, NC. 244 pp.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.