Print Report
CEGL002591 Pinus virginiana Ruderal Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Virginia Pine Ruderal Forest
Colloquial Name: Ruderal Virginia Pine Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This ruderal Virginia pine forest of the southeastern states occurs in areas where canopy removal has created dry, open conditions and bare mineral soil, allowing for the establishment of Pinus virginiana. These habitats include old fields, old pastures, clearcuts, and eroded areas; soils are typically dry, acidic, and infertile. It is common on abandoned farmland. This forest typically has a very dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and little understory vegetation. The dense canopy may also include admixtures of other Pinus species (e.g., Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Pinus strobus) or other early-successional deciduous trees (e.g., Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica). Associated woody and herbaceous species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species. Shrub and herb layers are frequently very sparse. Stands are short-lived, generally less than 75 years.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Early-successional Pinus virginiana vegetation occurring over calcareous substrates is classed in ~Pinus virginiana - Juniperus virginiana - Ulmus alata Ruderal Forest (CEGL007121)$$ and has species indicative of calcareous substrates. Like many ruderal USNVC communities, this community has a wide geographic range and vegetation composition of associated species varies over this range.
After conducting fieldwork on Maryland''s Inner Coastal Plain during the USFWS Patuxent Research Refuge vegetation mapping project, it was determined that near-pure stands of Pinus rigida and stands mixed with Pinus virginiana or early-successional deciduous trees such as Acer rubrum need to be reflected in the global concept of this type. It is unclear how these stands have developed or been managed, but contemporary fire suppression is an obvious factor as are signs of historical clearing for agriculture and military use (J. Harrison pers. comm. 2011).
After conducting fieldwork on Maryland''s Inner Coastal Plain during the USFWS Patuxent Research Refuge vegetation mapping project, it was determined that near-pure stands of Pinus rigida and stands mixed with Pinus virginiana or early-successional deciduous trees such as Acer rubrum need to be reflected in the global concept of this type. It is unclear how these stands have developed or been managed, but contemporary fire suppression is an obvious factor as are signs of historical clearing for agriculture and military use (J. Harrison pers. comm. 2011).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This forest typically has a very dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and little understory vegetation. Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, or Pinus strobus may co-occur with Pinus virginiana in the canopy. The canopy can also have significant admixtures of early-successional deciduous trees (e.g., Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Oxydendrum arboreum, Betula lenta, Nyssa sylvatica). Older stands on abandoned farmland may have tall canopies (>20 m) of decadent Pinus virginiana overtopping the shade-tolerant Tsuga canadensis, which often dominates the subcanopy and shrub layers. Scattered Pinus rigida may be mixed in these stands. Associated woody and herbaceous species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species; Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora are common. The herb layer is characterized by weedy natives and exotics such as Lycopodium digitatum, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Hieracium caespitosum, and Lespedeza cuneata. Shrub and herb strata, where present at all, are usually sparse in coverage. In eastern Tennessee, the subcanopy may contain Acer saccharum and Cornus florida; other associated species may include Cercis canadensis, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Lonicera japonica, and Microstegium vimineum (Andreu and Tukman 1995). In the Central Appalachians, associates include Pinus strobus, Pinus echinata, and Pinus rigida. Some stands may have a dense ericaceous shrub stratum containing Vaccinium spp., Gaylussacia spp., Kalmia latifolia, and Rhododendron spp. This community contains many exotics species such as Albizia julibrissin, Lonicera japonica, and Pueraria montana var. lobata. Lonicera japonica when present has an average cover of 27%. The associated species in all strata are highly variable.
Dynamics: This is an early-successional forest type. Damage from ice storms was the main disturbance observed in these stands in the Tellico Pilot Project study area. In addition, fire and insect infestation are likely damaging agents.
Environmental Description: This community occurs in areas where canopy removal has created open conditions and bare mineral soil, allowing for the establishment of Pinus virginiana. These conditions can include old fields, old pastures, clearcuts, and eroded areas. In the Ridge and Valley of Tennessee, northeastern Monroe County, early successional forests with Pinus virginiana dominance were found on low slopes in areas that were cleared for agriculture prior to the 1970s, when Tellico Lake was created (Andreu and Tukman 1995). In the Central Appalachians, this vegetation occurs where soft shales have been farmed (in valleys or on plateaus), resulting in stands with nothing but successional species in the understory. Soils underlying these communities are of two general types, i.e., those derived in residuum from calcareous shale and calcareous sandstone of the Middle Ordovician and those of some other origin. Series of the former type include Dandridge (Lithic Ruptic-Alfic Eutrochrepts), Tellico (Typic Rhododults), and Steekee (Ruptic-Ultic Dystrochrepts). Other soil series that this forest type may occur on include Litz, Dewey, Alcoa, Bland, Etowah, Lobdell and Neubert. All of these soils are well-drained and range in pH from moderate acidic to very strongly acidic.
Geographic Range: This successional community is possible in the Piedmont from New Jersey and Pennsylvania south to Alabama and ranges west into the Appalachians, Ridge and Valley, the Cumberland Plateau, and in scattered locales of the Interior Low Plateau.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, DC, DE, GA, IN, KY, MD, NC, NJ, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.688932
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA
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.90 Black Locust - Tuliptree - Norway Maple Ruderal Forest Macrogroup | M013 | 1.B.2.Na.90 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.90.a Eastern Red-cedar - Tuliptree / Tatarian Honeysuckle Ruderal Forest Group | G030 | 1.B.2.Na.90.a |
| Alliance | A3227 Eastern Red-cedar - Virginia Pine - Shortleaf Pine Ruderal Forest Alliance | A3227 | 1.B.2.Na.90.a |
| Association | CEGL002591 Virginia Pine Ruderal Forest | CEGL002591 | 1.B.2.Na.90.a |
Concept Lineage: merged into this type
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Pinus virginiana - Juniperus virginiana Forest (Fleming and Weber 2003)
= Pinus virginiana forest (Vanderhorst 2001b)
< IA7c. Xeric Virginia Pine Ridge Forest (Allard 1990)
< Pine-Oak Association of the Western Shore District (Shreve et al. 1910)
? Unclassified Old-Field Successional Forest (Fleming and Moorhead 2000)
> Virginia Pine - (Oak) - Heath Mid-Successional Upland (PU3) (Windisch 2014a)
< Virginia Pine - Oak: 78 (Eyre 1980)
< Virginia Pine Type (Schmalzer and DeSelm 1982)
< Virginia Pine: 79 (Eyre 1980)
= Virginia pine successional forest (Collins and Anderson 1994)
= Pinus virginiana forest (Vanderhorst 2001b)
< IA7c. Xeric Virginia Pine Ridge Forest (Allard 1990)
< Pine-Oak Association of the Western Shore District (Shreve et al. 1910)
? Unclassified Old-Field Successional Forest (Fleming and Moorhead 2000)
> Virginia Pine - (Oak) - Heath Mid-Successional Upland (PU3) (Windisch 2014a)
< Virginia Pine - Oak: 78 (Eyre 1980)
< Virginia Pine Type (Schmalzer and DeSelm 1982)
< Virginia Pine: 79 (Eyre 1980)
= Virginia pine successional forest (Collins and Anderson 1994)
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