Print Report
CEGL004763 Pinus taeda - Quercus alba / Chasmanthium sessiliflorum Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Loblolly Pine - White Oak / Longleaf Woodoats Forest
Colloquial Name: East Gulf Coastal Plain Loblolly Pine - White Oak Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This forest of the East Gulf Coastal Plain is dominated by Pinus taeda and Quercus alba. It is a naturally occurring community which may bear some resemblance to, but should not be confused with, successional loblolly stands. Examples are most typically found on upper to midslopes in dissected topography both within the range of longleaf pine and north of this range. Pinus taeda and Quercus alba are the most constant and diagnostic species of this association. A number of other hardwoods may be present in stands but they occur in low levels of importance. Woody vines and shrubs may be frequent, and herbs are typically sparse and not very diverse. This forest tends to occur in landscapes affected by frequent fire, but this community is less fire-prone than adjacent upland vegetation.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The concept of this type is supported by plot data collected in Mississippi (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data, R. Wieland unpubl. data). The type concept was originally somewhat broader as suggested by the inclusion of Quercus falcata as a nominal (which tends to occur on slightly drier sites in the region, and infrequently co-occurs with Quercus alba).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stands of this association are dominated by Pinus taeda and Quercus alba, and these two species are the most constant and diagnostic species. Although the relative proportion of the two may vary somewhat between examples, in most cases Pinus taeda is strongly dominant followed by Quercus alba (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data, R. Wieland unpubl. data). Other important trees recorded in some known examples of this association include Pinus echinata, Liquidambar styraciflua, Carya glabra, Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), and Oxydendrum arboreum. Less commonly encountered species found in some stands currently attributed to this type are Pinus glabra, Magnolia macrophylla, Quercus coccinea, and Fagus grandifolia. Small amounts of other Quercus spp. may also be present (i.e., Quercus falcata and Quercus rubra), but if these are found in high relative abundance, they would be indicative of other associations. A number of subcanopy and shrub species may also be present, but none are considered particularly diagnostic. These can include Cornus florida, Acer rubrum, Ostrya virginiana (= var. virginiana), Prunus serotina var. serotina, Nyssa sylvatica, Ulmus alata, Hydrangea arborescens, Callicarpa americana, Hamamelis virginiana, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Vaccinium elliottii, and Vaccinium arboreum. Woody vines are frequent; Vitis rotundifolia sometimes dominates the ground layer. Other vines include Berchemia scandens, Gelsemium sempervirens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, and Bignonia capreolata. Herbs tend to be sparse and not very diverse; Chasmanthium sessiliflorum may be dominant. Other herbs may include Elephantopus carolinianus, Botrychium dissectum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Sanicula smallii, Mitchella repens, Aristolochia serpentaria, Dichanthelium boscii, Euphorbia corollata, and Hypericum hypericoides.
Dynamics: The natural dominance of Pinus taeda in this community indicates relatively infrequent fire-return intervals at least when compared with upland longleaf and/or shortleaf pine systems of the same region. However, the specific influence and historical importance of fire may vary between examples of this type. The overall fire-return intervals were likely quite low, but many examples may have burned due to proximity to more pyrogenic vegetation. However, Landers (1989) proposed that Pinus taeda habitats did not burn at all.
Environmental Description: Stands have been documented on somewhat moist, moderately well-drained, sandy soils on lower slopes near streams in the Coastal Plain of Mississippi (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data, R. Wieland unpubl. data). Stands also occur on flat uplands with locally variable microtopography including evident depressional areas (R. Wieland unpubl. data) which are sometimes known as flatwoods.
Geographic Range: This association is found in the East Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL?, GA, LA?, MS
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689165
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.c Southern Red Oak - White Oak - Loblolly Pine Forest Group | G895 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
| Alliance | A4440 Southern Red Oak - White Oak - Sand Hickory Forest Alliance | A4440 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
| Association | CEGL004763 Loblolly Pine - White Oak / Longleaf Woodoats Forest | CEGL004763 | 1.B.1.Na.3.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < IA6e. Loblolly Pine - Shortleaf Pine - Oak Forest (Allard 1990)
- ALNHP [Alabama Natural Heritage Program]. 2002. Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge: Natural community and rare plant survey. Alabama Natural Heritage Program, The Nature Conservancy, Montgomery.
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- GNHP [Georgia Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
- MSNHP [Mississippi Natural Heritage Program]. 2006. Ecological communities of Mississippi. Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. 9 pp.
- McWilliams, W. H. 1992. Forest resources of Alabama. Resource Bulletin SO-170. USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, LA. 78 pp.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Nordman, C., M. Russo, and L. Smart. 2011. Vegetation types of the Natchez Trace Parkway, based on the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe Central Databases (International Ecological Classification Standard: Terrestrial Ecological Classifications). Arlington, VA. Data current as of 11 April 2011. 548 pp.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Wieland, Ron G. Unpublished data. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Museum of Natural Science, Natural Heritage Program, Jackson, MS.