Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Pinus echinata is the dominant pine under natural conditions. Pinus taeda is also generally present, but its abundance in most stands is believed to indicate lower quality stands, often fire-suppressed. Pinus palustris may be important within its natural range, although most known examples of this type occur outside this range. Quercus margarettae, Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, and Carya texana are the only other overstory trees recorded in two plots attributed to this association on the Davy Crockett National Forest, but others are somewhat more diverse (Turner et al. unpubl. data). Shrub layer and subcanopy species include Callicarpa americana, Diospyros virginiana, Vaccinium arboreum, Cornus florida, Sassafras albidum, Frangula caroliniana, Ulmus alata, and Liquidambar styraciflua. Important understory species may be Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Piptochaetium avenaceum, Rhus aromatica, Schizachyrium scoparium, Vernonia texana, Lespedeza hirta, Stenanthium gramineum, and Liatris acidota. A partial listing of other species recorded in plots includes Stylosanthes biflora, Aristolochia reticulata, Rubus argutus, Aristida spp., Baptisia nuttalliana, Hypericum hypericoides, Desmodium canescens, Centrosema virginianum, Lespedeza hirta, Galactia regularis, Galactia volubilis, Matelea gonocarpos, Dichanthelium laxiflorum, Vitis aestivalis, Pityopsis graminifolia, Andropogon virginicus, Tragia urticifolia, Rudbeckia hirta, Glandularia canadensis, Piptochaetium avenaceum, Desmodium nuttallii, Physalis pubescens, Croton argyranthemus, Hymenopappus artemisiifolius, Tephrosia onobrychoides, Pteridium aquilinum, Tradescantia hirsutiflora, and Berlandiera pumila.

Dynamics:  Fire is believed to have been a critical natural disturbance process which affected the vegetation structure and likely the species composition of Pinus echinata communities. There are several indirect pieces of evidence which suggest this: (1) Pinus echinata is intolerant of competition, and young stems are generally slower growing and slower to dominate sites than either Pinus taeda or many hardwood species (Lawson 1990); (2) Pinus echinata regeneration decreases dramatically with time since fire (Ferguson 1958); and (3) Pinus echinata has the ability to resprout after being burned. A variety of fire-return intervals have been estimated for Pinus echinata vegetation. Garren (1943) proposed an 8- to 10-year return interval, Landers (1989) inferred a regime of 10 per century, and Martin and Smith (1993) estimated a 5- to 15-year interval; however, none of these estimates were specific to Pinus echinata on sandhills.