Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The canopy of this association is dominated by some combination of Pinus echinata, Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, Carya texana, and Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba).

Dynamics:  It is believed that historically frequent fires may have been an important factor maintaining the open, woodland structure of this type. The extent to which the understory would have been graminoid-dominated under such conditions is unknown, but it is believed that most examples would have supported a fairly rich herbaceous layer. Indeed, some frequently prescribe-burned examples in eastern Texas support over 100 species amidst a dense ground cover of Chasmanthium sessiliflorum (R. Evans pers. comm.), while less frequently burned sites tend toward a less well-developed and more scattered herbaceous layer. Species-rich examples of this type have also been documented by plot data and analysis work done by Susan Carr (Louisiana State University) in northwestern Louisiana. Examples which occur on more extreme soils (vertic and Vertisols) may persist in open, woodland structure (in the absence of frequent fire) for longer periods than less extreme sites. At least one open-structured example which seems to have persisted in this way is still inhabited by Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (near Huntsville, Texas, Fish Hatchery, R. Evans pers. obs.). This is the now very rare (largely historic) woodland phase related to ~Pinus echinata - Pinus taeda - Quercus stellata - Carya texana / Vaccinium arboreum Woodland (CEGL007499)$$.

In some areas in which this association occurs, the ignition source of most natural fires may have been isolated natural prairie pockets which occur at varying distances from this type. Most often, at least conceptually, the prairies are ringed by an oak woodland type [see ~Quercus stellata / Forestiera ligustrina - Symphoricarpos orbiculatus / Carex cherokeensis - Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL007777)$$], which then grades into this pine-dominated type. The relative extent of each type (prairie versus oak woodland versus shortleaf woodland) has certainly been altered by fire suppression. For example, this pine woodland has likely encroached onto sites historically dominated by the oak woodlands, and to some extent the prairie. Some evidence (Evans and Nesom pers. comm.) suggests that chance pine establishment on these sites, fostered by reduced fire frequency, may alter surface soil pH. As individual pines alter local surface soil chemistry, other species more typical of acid pine forests establish as well.