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CEGL007032 Quercus virginiana - (Pinus elliottii, Sabal palmetto) / Persea borbonia - Callicarpa americana Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Live Oak - (Slash Pine, Cabbage Palmetto) / Redbay - American Beautyberry Forest
Colloquial Name: Maritime Live Oak Hammock
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This forest of barrier islands and related habitats from the Carolinas to Alabama has a low to moderately high tree canopy, often stunted and pruned by salt spray into streamlined shapes. The canopy is mostly closed with well-developed subcanopy and shrub layers and a sparse herb layer. Along the seaward edge of this community, the canopy tends to be quite low in stature with shrub species grading smoothly into the dominant canopy species. Vines are often an important component. This community ranges from Smith Island complex, Brunswick County, North Carolina, south to mid-peninsula, Atlantic Coast Florida (Cape Canaveral); the concept also includes temperate maritime hammocks of the northeastern and Panhandle coasts of Florida. The species composition varies along a latitudinal gradient throughout the geographic limits of its range. In general, from Cape Fear, North Carolina (Bald Head Island), south to mid-South Carolina, the canopy is dominated by Quercus virginiana and Pinus taeda occurring with Sabal palmetto. Farther south, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii replaces Pinus taeda, and Sabal palmetto becomes more prominent. Some floristic elements of the Georgia islands, such as Lyonia ferruginea and Forestiera segregata, are completely absent from barrier islands in the Carolinas. Serenoa repens does not occur on the North Carolina barrier islands. This association has been found along the St. Johns River in Florida on the Ocala National Forest, far upstream from brackish water influence. In mid-Florida, tropical species begin to dominate the understory while temperate species retain canopy dominance. South of Martin County, Florida, tropical species such as Bursera simaruba, Sideroxylon foetidissimum, and Ficus aurea begin to dominate the forest canopy and mark the northern limits of the Tropical Barrier Island Forest community. In northeastern Florida, at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, dead and dying Persea borbonia indicate that these maritime hammocks are being affected by laurel wilt, which is caused by a vascular wilt fungus that is transmitted to species in the Lauraceae family via. the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Sharitz (1975) reports "Palmetto forest" on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, dominated by Sabal palmetto and Quercus hemisphaerica, with Pinus palustris, Pinus taeda, Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola, Magnolia grandiflora, and Morella cerifera. The open understory is dominated by Ilex vomitoria. In terms of dominant species, this community is very similar to the inland maritime forests of the South Atlantic but differs by its occurrence on outer barrier islands, its younger soils, and by its relatively low species richness. Similar communities occur on the mid-Atlantic and Gulf coasts. They may be distinguished by their geographic location and the resulting differences in species composition. On Kiawah Island, South Carolina, Magnolia grandiflora may be codominant in the canopy. Pinus taeda, Pinus palustris, and Sabal palmetto may also be present; Ilex vomitoria and Persea borbonia dominate the understory; Vaccinium sp. and Crataegus sp. are also present (Sharitz 1975). On nearby Seabrook Island, this forest type (or a slightly more inland variant) is found on ancient relictual dunes and additionally contains Carya sp. and Ulmus sp. (Ulmus ''floridana'') in the canopy; Liquidambar styraciflua and Acer rubrum in the subcanopy (E. Harrison pers. comm.).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This forest has a low to moderately high tree canopy, often stunted and pruned by salt spray into streamlined shapes. The canopy is mostly closed with well-developed subcanopy and shrub layers and a sparse herb layer. The canopy along the seaward edge of this community tends to be quite low in stature with shrub species grading smoothly into the dominant canopy species. Vines are often an important component of this community. Species that may be found in the canopy, subcanopy or shrub layers include Quercus virginiana, Sabal palmetto, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, Pinus taeda, Magnolia grandiflora, Persea borbonia, Quercus hemisphaerica, Quercus nigra, Quercus phellos, Magnolia virginiana, Acer rubrum var. drummondii, Liquidambar styraciflua, Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola, Celtis laevigata, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Ilex vomitoria, Osmanthus americanus var. americanus, Sabal minor, Serenoa repens, Ilex opaca var. opaca, Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Cornus florida, Prunus caroliniana, Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Callicarpa americana, Baccharis halimifolia, Baccharis angustifolia, Lyonia lucida, Sageretia minutiflora, Sideroxylon tenax, Vaccinium arboreum, Forestiera segregata, and Opuntia humifusa (= var. humifusa). Typical vines and herbaceous species include Toxicodendron radicans, Smilax spp., Vitis rotundifolia, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Houstonia procumbens, Bignonia capreolata, Mitchella repens, Berchemia scandens, Nekemias arborea (= Ampelopsis arborea), Oplismenus hirtellus ssp. setarius (= Oplismenus setarius), Boehmeria cylindrica, Galium pilosum, Dichanthelium commutatum, Elephantopus nudatus, Passiflora incarnata, Passiflora lutea, Scleria triglomerata, Piptochaetium avenaceum, Panicum spp., Chasmanthium laxum, Juncus spp., Asplenium platyneuron var. bacculum-rubrum, Osmunda cinnamomea, and Woodwardia virginica. In general, from Cape Fear, North Carolina, south to mid-South Carolina, the canopy is dominated by Quercus virginiana and Pinus taeda occurring with Sabal palmetto. Farther south, Pinus elliottii var. elliottii replaces Pinus taeda, and Sabal palmetto becomes more prominent. Some floristic elements of the Georgia islands, such as Lyonia ferruginea and Forestiera segregata, are completely absent from barrier islands in the Carolinas. Serenoa repens does not occur on the North Carolina barrier islands but is important on Georgia barrier islands. In mid-Florida, tropical species begin to dominate the understory, while temperate species retain canopy dominance. South of Martin County, Florida, tropical species such as Bursera simaruba, Sideroxylon foetidissimum, and Ficus aurea begin to dominate the forest canopy and mark the northern limits of the Tropical Barrier Island Forest community. At the northern limit of the range of this type, Persea palustris may replace Persea borbonia. Rare species reported from this community include Agrimonia incisa, Sageretia minutiflora, Cynanchum scoparium, and Cyperus tetragonus. The exotic Triadica sebifera (= Sapium sebiferum) has successfully established in many occurrences of this community.
Dynamics: In maritime forests in the Sea Islands region (USFS 232Ce, EPA Ecoregion 75j) (Keys et al. 1995, EPA 2204), a successional pathway may exist from which new islands of sand or shell are first colonized by Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola and Sabal palmetto (with salt shrub species as well). This would include ~Sabal palmetto - (Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola) Woodland (CEGL003526)$$ and ~Juniperus virginiana var. silicicola - (Quercus virginiana, Sabal palmetto) Forest (CEGL007813)$$. These associations represent an early stage in this process. This could be considered an important stage in the stabilization and maintenance of hammock and barrier islands. In the absence of disturbance, this sere in time will give way to ~Quercus virginiana - (Pinus elliottii var. elliottii, Sabal palmetto) / Persea borbonia - Callicarpa americana Forest (CEGL007032)$$ with red-cedar, palmetto, yaupon and wax-myrtle as components. Ultimately as the soils become more nutrient-rich and in the absence of major disturbance events, Quercus hemisphaerica, Magnolia grandiflora, and Quercus nigra become more dominant, for example, as in ~Quercus virginiana - Quercus hemisphaerica - Pinus taeda / Persea palustris - Ilex vomitoria Forest (CEGL007027)$$. Of course tropical storms, flood tides and other wind events may alter this succession. This general pattern also may be reflected on larger maritime islands when one goes from the salt marsh to the island interior. Composition varies with the presence of shell or spoil in the soil. Some variants, such as ~Quercus geminata - (Quercus virginiana) / Serenoa repens - Lyonia fruticosa Forest (CEGL007020)$$ (from the coast of Florida, Georgia and at least one location in South Carolina), do not fit perfectly into this scheme, but in South Carolina they are more anomalies than the norm.
In northeastern Florida, at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, dead and dying Persea borbonia indicate that these maritime hammocks are being affected by laurel wilt, which is caused by a vascular wilt fungus that is transmitted to species in the Lauraceae family via the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).
In northeastern Florida, at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, dead and dying Persea borbonia indicate that these maritime hammocks are being affected by laurel wilt, which is caused by a vascular wilt fungus that is transmitted to species in the Lauraceae family via the non-native redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus).
Environmental Description: This community is found on xeric to mesic sites from the Carolinas to Alabama, often occurring as linear strands behind frontal dunes. The seaward edge of this vegetation is generally found on the leeward side of dune complexes which are capable of providing shelter from excessive salt spray and overwash. The interior of this community occurs on top of relict dune ridges and other areas with xeric to mesic hydrology.
The soils of these forests are generally poorly developed, sandy soils, low in natural fertility and organic matter content. In the northern portion of this community''s range, siliceous sands dominate with little in the way of carbonate sands present. Further south, the carbonate fraction increases. In the deep south, and especially along the coast of Florida, carbonate sands begin to dominate. In terms of nutrients, siliceous sands are quite poor while carbonate sands are somewhat richer. Barrier island soils are derived from material carried onto the island by water and wave action and not from weathering of rock. The major input of nutrients to the terrestrial vegetation is from salt spray and precipitation (Godfrey 1976).
The soils of these forests are generally poorly developed, sandy soils, low in natural fertility and organic matter content. In the northern portion of this community''s range, siliceous sands dominate with little in the way of carbonate sands present. Further south, the carbonate fraction increases. In the deep south, and especially along the coast of Florida, carbonate sands begin to dominate. In terms of nutrients, siliceous sands are quite poor while carbonate sands are somewhat richer. Barrier island soils are derived from material carried onto the island by water and wave action and not from weathering of rock. The major input of nutrients to the terrestrial vegetation is from salt spray and precipitation (Godfrey 1976).
Geographic Range: This community ranges from Smith Island complex, Brunswick County, North Carolina, south to mid-peninsula, Atlantic Coast Florida (Cape Canaveral); the concept also includes temperate maritime hammocks of the northeastern and Panhandle coasts of Florida.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA, MS?, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687074
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.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.2 Live Oak - Texas Live Oak - Darlington Oak Forest Macrogroup | M885 | 1.B.1.Na.2 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Na.2.a Live Oak - Pignut Hickory - Cabbage Palmetto Coastal Forest Group | G798 | 1.B.1.Na.2.a |
| Alliance | A3192 Live Oak - Cabbage Palmetto Coastal Evergreen Forest Alliance | A3192 | 1.B.1.Na.2.a |
| Association | CEGL007032 Live Oak - (Slash Pine, Cabbage Palmetto) / Redbay - American Beautyberry Forest | CEGL007032 | 1.B.1.Na.2.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? IA9d. South Atlantic Barrier Island Forest (Allard 1990)
? Oak-Magnolia forest (Sharitz 1975)
>< Oak-Pine Forest Community (Hillestad et al. 1975)
? Oak-Magnolia forest (Sharitz 1975)
>< Oak-Pine Forest Community (Hillestad et al. 1975)
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