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CEGL007971 Quercus alba - Quercus rubra / Ostrya virginiana / Arundinaria gigantea / Cynoglossum virginianum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: White Oak - Northern Red Oak / Hophornbeam / Giant Cane / Wild Comfrey Forest
Colloquial Name: Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Ravine Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This mesic Quercus alba- and Quercus rubra-dominated forest community occurs on rich, mildly calcareous, mesic slopes and ravines on the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas. Overstory trees are tall (over 30 m [100 feet]) with many more than 1 m (3 feet) in diameter. All forest layers are well-developed with diverse midstory, shrub, and herbaceous strata. The diverse overstory is dominated by Quercus alba, especially on upper and mid slopes with Quercus rubra and Fraxinus americana sharing dominance on lower slopes. The midstory is diverse with abundant, large (to 38-cm [15-inch] dbh) Ostrya virginiana and Cornus florida usually dominant. The shrub layer is diverse with open to dense, continuous stands of Arundinaria gigantea dominating. A number of woody vines are also usually present. The herbaceous layer is most diverse in the spring and is dominated by forbs that include Arisaema dracontium, Aristolochia serpentaria, Symphyotrichum cordifolium, Cynoglossum virginianum, Desmodium perplexum, Heliopsis helianthoides, Podophyllum peltatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, and Sanicula canadensis.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community is typically bordered at higher elevations by dry-mesic pine- and pine-oak-dominated woodlands typical of the Upper Gulf Coastal Plain. At the base of the slopes where the ravines widen and flatten it grades into ~Liquidambar styraciflua - Quercus michauxii / Acer rubrum / Packera glabella - Carex tribuloides Wet Ravine Forest (CEGL008444)$$. Compare with ~Quercus alba - Carya glabra - Carya tomentosa / Aesculus pavia Forest (CEGL007225)$$. Described from Nacotoch Ravines Natural Area.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy is closed. All forest layers are well-developed with diverse midstory, shrub, and herbaceous strata. The diverse overstory is dominated by Quercus alba, especially on upper and midslopes with Quercus rubra and Fraxinus americana sharing dominance on lower slopes. Other overstory trees include Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum) (rare), Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), Carya cordiformis, Juglans nigra, Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa sylvatica, Quercus falcata, Quercus michauxii, Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus velutina, and Tilia americana var. caroliniana (= Tilia caroliniana). The midstory is diverse with abundant, large (to 38-cm [15-inch] dbh) Ostrya virginiana and Cornus florida usually dominant. Other understory species include Acer rubrum var. rubrum, Aralia spinosa, Asimina triloba, Carpinus caroliniana, Cercis canadensis, Frangula caroliniana, Prunus serotina, Sassafras albidum, and saplings of overstory trees. The shrub layer is diverse with open to dense, continuous stands of Arundinaria gigantea dominating with Aesculus pavia, Castanea pumila var. pumila, Hamamelis virginiana, Lindera benzoin, Sabal minor (rare), Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, Styrax grandifolius, and Zanthoxylum americanum. Woody vines include large Vitis palmata and Vitis rotundifolia with Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Smilax rotundifolia, Smilax smallii, and Toxicodendron radicans. The herbaceous layer is most diverse in the spring and is dominated by forbs that include Arisaema dracontium, Aristolochia serpentaria, Symphyotrichum cordifolium (= Aster cordifolius), Cynoglossum virginianum, Desmodium perplexum (= Desmodium paniculatum var. dillenii), Heliopsis helianthoides, Podophyllum peltatum, Polystichum acrostichoides, and Sanicula canadensis. Other herbaceous species include Arisaema triphyllum, Aristolochia reticulata, Asplenium platyneuron, Athyrium filix-femina, Cypripedium kentuckiense, Carex spp., Chamaelirium luteum, Chasmanthium latifolium, Desmodium sessilifolium, Elephantopus carolinianus, Elephantopus tomentosus, Geranium maculatum, Lithospermum tuberosum, Onoclea sensibilis, Osmunda cinnamomea (ravine seep), Osmunda regalis (ravine seep), Oxalis stricta, Oxalis violacea, Panicum sp., Passiflora lutea, Phlox pilosa, Pleopeltis polypodioides ssp. michauxiana (= Polypodium polypodioides var. michauxianum), Sanguinaria canadensis, Solidago auriculata, Tipularia discolor, Trillium recurvatum, and Uvularia sessilifolia.
Dynamics: Fire sweeping off the pine-dominated uplands likely played a role in this community''s structure and composition. More important are the steep slopes and soils that cause the ravines to remain moist throughout the year. Large treefall gaps are common.
Environmental Description: This mesic forest community occurs on rich, mildly calcareous, mesic slopes and ravines on the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas. The soils are formed of carbonate fine sandy loams over Arkadelphia marl.
Geographic Range: This mesic forest community occurs in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, LA?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687633
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.3 American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak Forest Macrogroup | M008 | 1.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Na.3.b American Beech - Southern Sugar Maple - White Oak Forest Group | G166 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A3234 White Oak - Mockernut Hickory Mesic Coastal Plain Forest Alliance | A3234 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL007971 White Oak - Northern Red Oak / Hophornbeam / Giant Cane / Wild Comfrey Forest | CEGL007971 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Zollner, D., S. Simon, and T. Foti. 2003. A plant community classification for Arkansas''s Blackland Prairie ecosystem. Pages 110-145 in: E. Peacock and T. Schauwecker, editors. Blackland prairies of the Gulf Coastal Plain: Nature, culture and sustainability. University of Alabama Press, Tuscaloosa.