Print Report
CEGL008488 Quercus rubra - Tilia americana var. heterophylla - Carya carolinae-septentrionalis / Acer floridanum / Hydrangea quercifolia Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Northern Red Oak - Appalachian Basswood - Southern Shagbark Hickory / Southern Sugar Maple / Oakleaf Hydrangea Forest
Colloquial Name: Southern Ridge & Valley Basic Mesic Hardwood Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is a rich basic cove or mixed hardwood forest from the Southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama. This is north of the range of Magnolia grandiflora, south of the range of Acer saccharum and Aesculus flava, and within the range of Quercus rubra, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, and Acer floridanum. Stands are typically found on mid to lower slopes (typically steep) on rich calcareous substrates, such as sedimentary limestones, in the Southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama. The canopy of stands is dominated by Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Fagus grandifolia, Quercus rubra and/or Quercus alba, Carya carolinae-septentrionalis, and Quercus muehlenbergii. Some stands may contain Quercus montana, Quercus shumardii, Fraxinus americana, Liriodendron tulipifera, Carya carolinae-septentrionalis, Carya cordiformis, Carya glabra, Carya ovata, Juglans nigra, Nyssa sylvatica, Prunus serotina, Diospyros virginiana, and/or Acer floridanum in their canopies. Some other subcanopy and tall-shrub components include Acer leucoderme, Asimina triloba, Cercis canadensis, Frangula caroliniana, Sassafras albidum, Ulmus rubra, Morus rubra, Prunus serotina, Magnolia tripetala, Ostrya virginiana, Oxydendrum arboreum, Halesia tetraptera, Hamamelis virginiana, Acer rubrum, Cornus florida, Aesculus pavia, Viburnum acerifolium, Styrax grandifolius, Euonymus americanus, and Cornus alternifolia. The shrub layers may contain the aforementioned species, as well as a fair abundance of Acer floridanum and Aesculus parviflora. Woody vines include Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vitis aestivalis, and Vitis rotundifolia. The herbaceous component is luxuriant and diverse. Croomia pauciflora may be quite abundant in some stands.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Depending on how finely this type is conceived, it may be restricted to an area in the Ridge and Valley of Alabama which is in the range of Acer floridanum (and south of the range of Acer saccharum), but within the range of Tilia americana var. heterophylla. The site from which this type was originally described is a mesic, old growth forest that occupies the lower and perhaps the mid slopes of a site in the Southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama (A. Schotz pers. comm., L. Brasher pers. comm.). The primary floristic survey was done during mid summer when many herbs had vanished for the season; more floristic data are needed to fully characterize this type.
It may be of interest that historically Castanea dentata was at least an occasional canopy tree of the lower slopes and common on the upper slopes. This is corroborated by sprouts, remaining large decayed logs, and personal recollections of locals who remember that all the chestnuts died together between 1930-1932. Examples are known from Brasher Woods and Fitzhugh''s Woods, on Red Mountain in Alabama. The latter of these sites was selectively logged (pretty heavily) for the first time in 1942, but they missed a couple of spots (maybe an acre or two each) and the community there matches this community. Fitzhugh''s Woods, by the way, has the Magnolia tripetala and Halesia that is oddly missing in Brasher Woods (L. Brasher pers. comm.). This site (Brashers Woods) lies on the north face of the ridge that rises about 137 m (450 feet) from the level of Clear Creek to the top. At Brasher Woods, the lower two-thirds of the ridge is underlain by limestone. The top third is sandstone. Even so, many basic species appear up in the visible sandstone stratum. In any case, the first 15- to 18-m (50- to 60-foot) rise above the creek level is limestone outcrops that have never been fully cleared. Then above there is a "bench" that was fields (abandoned 75 years ago). Above the old fields--that are coming back nicely in hardwoods--is the virgin old-growth where Al Schotz sampled. This is to say that the association in the 60-foot limestone outcrops near the creek is essentially the same as the old-growth on limestone above the old fields. Most of the Trillium flexipes, Carya cordiformis, Calycanthus floridus, etc. is in the limestone outcrops near the level of the creek.
It may be of interest that historically Castanea dentata was at least an occasional canopy tree of the lower slopes and common on the upper slopes. This is corroborated by sprouts, remaining large decayed logs, and personal recollections of locals who remember that all the chestnuts died together between 1930-1932. Examples are known from Brasher Woods and Fitzhugh''s Woods, on Red Mountain in Alabama. The latter of these sites was selectively logged (pretty heavily) for the first time in 1942, but they missed a couple of spots (maybe an acre or two each) and the community there matches this community. Fitzhugh''s Woods, by the way, has the Magnolia tripetala and Halesia that is oddly missing in Brasher Woods (L. Brasher pers. comm.). This site (Brashers Woods) lies on the north face of the ridge that rises about 137 m (450 feet) from the level of Clear Creek to the top. At Brasher Woods, the lower two-thirds of the ridge is underlain by limestone. The top third is sandstone. Even so, many basic species appear up in the visible sandstone stratum. In any case, the first 15- to 18-m (50- to 60-foot) rise above the creek level is limestone outcrops that have never been fully cleared. Then above there is a "bench" that was fields (abandoned 75 years ago). Above the old fields--that are coming back nicely in hardwoods--is the virgin old-growth where Al Schotz sampled. This is to say that the association in the 60-foot limestone outcrops near the creek is essentially the same as the old-growth on limestone above the old fields. Most of the Trillium flexipes, Carya cordiformis, Calycanthus floridus, etc. is in the limestone outcrops near the level of the creek.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The canopy of stands is dominated by Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Fagus grandifolia, Quercus rubra and/or Quercus alba, Carya carolinae-septentrionalis, and Quercus muehlenbergii. Some stands may contain Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), Quercus shumardii, Fraxinus americana, Liriodendron tulipifera, Carya cordiformis, Carya glabra, Carya ovata, Juglans nigra, Nyssa sylvatica, Prunus serotina, Diospyros virginiana, and/or Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum) in their canopies. Some other subcanopy and tall-shrub components include Acer leucoderme, Asimina triloba, Cercis canadensis, Frangula caroliniana, Sassafras albidum, Ulmus rubra, Morus rubra, Prunus serotina, Magnolia tripetala, Ostrya virginiana, Oxydendrum arboreum, Halesia tetraptera, Hamamelis virginiana, Acer rubrum, Cornus florida, Aesculus pavia, Viburnum acerifolium, Styrax grandifolius, Euonymus americanus, and Cornus alternifolia. The shrub layers may contain the aforementioned species, as well as a fair abundance of Acer floridanum and Aesculus parviflora. Some additional shrubs include Lindera benzoin, Aralia spinosa, Forestiera ligustrina, Sideroxylon lycioides (= Bumelia lycioides), Euonymus atropurpureus, Staphylea trifolia, Calycanthus floridus, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, Crataegus calpodendron, Crataegus spathulata, and Crataegus marshallii, along with patches of Hydrangea quercifolia and Hydrangea arborescens. Woody vines include Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vitis aestivalis, and Vitis rotundifolia. The herbaceous component is luxuriant and diverse. Some typical herbs include Actaea pachypoda, Actaea racemosa (= Cimicifuga racemosa), Phryma leptostachya, Scutellaria elliptica, Trillium spp. (e.g., Trillium cuneatum, Trillium decumbens, Trillium flexipes), Sanguinaria canadensis, Phlox divaricata, Luzula acuminata, Polystichum acrostichoides, Packera obovata (= Senecio obovatus), and Carex willdenowii (sensu lato). Some additional herbs include Asclepias quadrifolia, Carex sp., Collinsonia canadensis, Cynoglossum virginianum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dichanthelium sp., Dioscorea quaternata, Hepatica nobilis var. acuta, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa, Houstonia purpurea var. purpurea, Iris verna, Ligusticum canadense, Maianthemum racemosum, Panax quinquefolius, Phegopteris hexagonoptera, Sanicula canadensis, Solidago caesia, Symphyotrichum cordifolium (= Aster sagittifolius), Symphyotrichum shortii (= Aster shortii), Thalictrum thalictroides, Tiarella cordifolia, Uvularia sessilifolia, Viola sororia, and Viola walteri. Croomia pauciflora may be quite abundant in some stands.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands are typically found on mid to lower slopes (typically steep) on rich calcareous substrates, such as sedimentary limestones, in the Southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama.
Geographic Range: This association is known from the southern Ridge and Valley of Alabama.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687751
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3
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.3 Appalachian-Interior-Northeastern Mesic Forest Macrogroup | M883 | 1.B.2.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.3.a American Beech - Tuliptree - Yellow Buckeye Forest Group | G020 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Alliance | A0235 Tuliptree - Appalachian Basswood - Yellow Buckeye Forest Alliance | A0235 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Association | CEGL008488 Northern Red Oak - Appalachian Basswood - Southern Shagbark Hickory / Southern Sugar Maple / Oakleaf Hydrangea Forest | CEGL008488 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Brasher, J. Lawrence. Personal communication. Denson N. Franklin Associate Professor of Religion. Southern Appalachian Botanical Society, Birmingham, AL.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Schotz, A., H. Summer, and R. White, Jr. 2008. Vascular plant inventory and ecological community classification for Little River Canyon National Preserve. NatureServe, Durham, NC. 244 pp.
- Schotz, Al. Personal communication. Community Ecologist. Alabama Natural Heritage Program. Montgomery, AL.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.