Print Report

CEGL002076 Quercus velutina - Quercus alba - Carya (glabra, ovata) Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Oak - White Oak - (Pignut Hickory, Shagbark Hickory) Forest

Colloquial Name: Black Oak - White Oak - Hickory Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This black oak - white oak forest community is found throughout the northern and central midwestern United States and adjacent Canada. Stands occur on dry to dry-mesic mid- to upper slopes and terraces where soils are more sandy and/or rocky. Bedrock is sandstone, siltstone, chert, shale, or sometimes limestone, and northward is covered by thin loess or glacial till. Trees in this community often have moderate to short trunks and spreading crowns, and the canopy can vary from open to closed (50-100%). Quercus velutina, Quercus alba, Carya glabra, and Carya ovata are typical tree dominants. Associated oaks can include Quercus ellipsoidalis (northward), Quercus muehlenbergii, and southward, Quercus coccinea, Quercus montana, and Quercus stellata. Typical shrubs and small trees include Cornus florida (southward), Cornus foemina, Corylus americana (northward), Ostrya virginiana, and Sassafras albidum. Vines include Toxicodendron radicans, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and Vitis spp. The herbaceous layer can include Agrimonia gryposepala, Agrimonia rostellata, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Botrychium virginianum, Carex blanda, Carex pensylvanica, Desmodium glutinosum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dioscorea quaternata, Galium circaezans, Geranium maculatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Maianthemum racemosum, and Maianthemum stellatum, among others. More southern stands may contain Danthonia spicata.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: It is possible that unglaciated stands may differ sufficiently from glaciated stands to warrant separating into two types, but this depends on resolving the types'' distribution southward. Is there a thin acidic soil, non-glaciated type (i.e., ~Quercus alba - Carya tomentosa - (Quercus velutina) / Desmodium nudiflorum - (Carex picta) Forest (CEGL007795)$$) versus deeper, glacial soil type? This type appears to go as far north as northern Illinois, Indiana, and southern Michigan, and probably into southern Wisconsin in section 222K, but not 222L (Eric Epstein pers. comm. 1999, H. Dunevitz pers. comm. 2000). The type concept in Wisconsin remains to be resolved. Indiana suggested that the unglaciated stands have more Quercus coccinea. In Michigan, this could fit the interlobate region. Types on sand and typically more dominated by Quercus velutina are placed in either ~Quercus velutina - Quercus alba / Vaccinium (angustifolium, pallidum) / Carex pensylvanica Forest (CEGL005030)$$ or ~Quercus velutina / Carex pensylvanica Forest (CEGL002078)$$. This type has been described in southern Illinois by Robertson et al. (1984), Fralish (1988b), and Fralish et al. (1991). Braun (1950, p. 145-146) also noted the prominence of black and white oaks in the Ozark Hills and Illinois, the Mammoth Cave area of Kentucky, and throughout the oak-hickory forest region, especially the Mississippi Valley and Prairie Peninsula regions. In the Ozarks, this type may exist, but, based on the recommendations from D. Ladd, T. Nigh, D. Zollner, and B. Heumann, stands are placed either in ~Quercus alba - Quercus stellata - Quercus velutina / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL002150)$$ or in ~Quercus velutina - Quercus coccinea - Carya texana Ruderal Ozark Forest (CEGL002399)$$. ~Quercus alba - (Quercus velutina) - Carya ovata / Ostrya virginiana Forest (CEGL002011)$$ may be equivalent to this type, at least in northern Missouri (M. Leahy pers. comm. 1999).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: A somewhat open canopy also contributes to recruitment and persistence of black oak which is the identifying species of this forest element. Vine/liana layer is 2-20 m tall.

Floristics: Trees in this community often have moderate to short trunks and spreading crowns, and the canopy can vary from open to closed (50-100%). Quercus velutina, Quercus alba, Carya glabra, and Carya ovata are typical tree dominants. Associated oaks can include Quercus ellipsoidalis (northward), Quercus muehlenbergii, and southward, Quercus coccinea, Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), and Quercus stellata. Typical shrubs and small trees include Cornus florida (southward), Cornus foemina, Corylus americana (northward), Ostrya virginiana, and Sassafras albidum. Vines include Toxicodendron radicans, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, and Vitis spp. The herbaceous layer can include Agrimonia gryposepala, Agrimonia rostellata, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Botrychium virginianum, Carex blanda, Carex pensylvanica, Desmodium glutinosum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dioscorea quaternata, Galium circaezans, Geranium maculatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Maianthemum racemosum (= Smilacina racemosa), and Maianthemum stellatum (= Smilacina stellata), among others (Curtis 1959, White and Madany 1978, Nelson 1985, TNC 1995a). Quercus velutina does not persist under a dense overstory and is most abundant in cut-over upland forests where the canopy is incomplete. Acer saccharum is a common understory component of this community, especially in northern portions of its range. Quercus coccinea is a common associate in southern occurrences of this forest. Quercus montana is also commonly found on dry-mesic rocky hillsides where, like Quercus velutina, it selects sites with an incomplete canopy. More southern stands may contain Danthonia spicata and Antennaria plantaginifolia.

Dynamics:  Natural disturbance occurs as a result of drought, wind, lightning, and occasional fire. Although this forest is considered climax under dry-mesic to dry conditions, it often occurs as subclimax where logging creates an unnaturally sparse overstory in adjacent similar oak - hickory communities. In the Shawnee Hills, this type was more common during the presettlement period (prior to 1800) when fires and other disturbances were more common (Fralish et al. 1991).

Occasional drought stress, wind, and lightning damage are evident. Historically, fire may have periodically affected this community, increasing its range into more moist sites (Fralish et al. 1991, Robertson and Heikens 1994). Fires in the Shawnee and Ozark Hills, just north of the range of this type, were more frequent (almost annual) from the early 1900s to 1930, but there is little information on presettlement (prior to 1800) fire frequency (Robertson and Heikens 1994). Erosion also converts mesic forest soils to dry-mesic, thereby creating conditions which favor the occurrence of this community. McCune and Cottam (1985) present a detailed 30-year successional analysis of a stand in southern Wisconsin.
Environmental Description:  This community is often found on ridge crests or upper slopes that are well-drained to excessively drained. Soils are often sandy loam, thin and rocky, with outcroppings of exposed bedrock. Bedrock is sandstone, siltstone, chert, or shale, or northward covered by thin loess or glacial till (Curtis 1959, White and Madany 1978, Nelson 1985). These soils are highly susceptible to erosion. A wide variety of upland soils will support this community, primarily mesic-udic soils weathered from Paleozoic sedimentary sandstone, siltstone, chert, shale, coal, and limestone. Major soil types include Alfisols, Inceptisols, Ultisols, and Entisols.

In southern Illinois, this community is found on sandy loam soils which are often thin and rocky with outcroppings of exposed bedrock. Bedrock is primarily Pennsylvanian-aged sandstone, often out-cropping in prominent escarpments on bluff tops. Limestone and shale can be found where erosion has removed resistant sandstone layers near the surface.
Geographic Range: This oak forest community is found throughout the central midwestern United States and adjacent Canada, ranging from southwestern Ontario and western Ohio west to southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and northern Missouri.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  IA, IL, IN, MI, MO, OH, ON, PA?, WI


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4?

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.4 White Oak - Bur Oak - Shagbark Hickory Forest, Woodland & Savanna Macrogroup M012 1.B.2.Na.4
Group 1.B.2.Na.4.b North-Central Oak - Hickory Forest & Woodland Group G649 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Alliance A3326 Black Oak - White Oak North-Central Forest Alliance A3326 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL002076 Black Oak - White Oak - (Pignut Hickory, Shagbark Hickory) Forest CEGL002076 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Concept Lineage: These types merged into existing CEGL002076.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Quercus velutina - Quercus alba - Carya (glabra, ovata) Forest (Diamond et al. 2013)
= Quercus velutina - Quercus alba - Carya (glabra, ovata) Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Quercus velutina - Quercus alba upper slope community type (Robertson et al. 1984) [Good fit]
< Black Oak: 110 (Eyre 1980)
< Eastern Broadleaf Forests: 100: Oak-Hickory Forest (Quercus-Carya) (Küchler 1964)
< Oak-Hickory Forests (Anderson 1996) [Anderson notes that white oak-red oak dominance may occur, and that his Oak-Hickory Forests type includes Gordon''s white oak-black oak-shagbark hickory type.]
= Southern Dry Forest (Curtis 1959)
< White Oak - Black Oak - Northern Red Oak: 52 (Eyre 1980)
= White Oak-Black Oak-Hickory Association (Gordon 1969) [Uncertain if equivalent. In Ohio, Gordon (1969, p. 40) notes that "Over the glacial till plains of Ohio, in the vicinity of prairie grasslands, forests were mainly of the white oak-black oak-shagbark hickory type at the time of settlement."]
< White Oak: 53 (Eyre 1980)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: M. Guetersloh

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 02-15-95
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