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CEGL007693 Tsuga canadensis - Halesia tetraptera - Magnolia fraseri / Rhododendron maximum / Dryopteris intermedia Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Eastern Hemlock - Mountain Silverbell - Mountain Magnolia / Great Laurel / Intermediate Woodfern Forest
Colloquial Name: Southern Appalachian Acidic Cove Forest (Silverbell Type)
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association includes forests dominated by Tsuga canadensis and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, occurring in restricted montane areas of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. This forest is found on protected, lower slopes and coves at elevations of 854 to 1403 m (2800-4600 feet). The most important canopy trees are Tsuga canadensis and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, although Magnolia fraseri or Fagus grandifolia can have high canopy coverage in some examples. Some occurrences have dense, tall-shrub strata dominated by Rhododendron maximum, while other occurrences have a more open shrub stratum with greater herbaceous cover, often dominated by Dryopteris intermedia. Other subcanopy/shrub species may include Acer pensylvanicum, Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, Amelanchier laevis, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula lenta, and Prunus pensylvanica. Other common herbaceous species include Mitchella repens, Medeola virginiana, Polystichum acrostichoides, Solidago curtisii, Viola blanda, and Viola hastata. Rubus canadensis is also common. This community is distinguished from ~Liriodendron tulipifera - Betula lenta - Tsuga canadensis / Rhododendron maximum Forest (CEGL007543)$$ by not having Liriodendron tulipifera as an important component and by generally occurring at higher elevations (over 915 m [3000 feet]). This community is distinguished from ~Betula alleghaniensis - (Tsuga canadensis) / Rhododendron maximum / (Leucothoe fontanesiana) Forest (CEGL007861)$$ by occurring on more protected sites and having more diverse tree and herb strata.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: In an analysis of more than 1100 Southern Appalachian plots for the Appalachian Trail vegetation mapping project, 14 plots from Great Smoky Mountains National Park classified as this type, forming a strong, compositionally cohesive group that was distinct from other cove forest types (Fleming and Patterson 2009a).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The most important canopy trees are Tsuga canadensis and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, although Magnolia fraseri or Fagus grandifolia can have high canopy coverage in some examples. Some occurrences have dense, tall-shrub strata dominated by Rhododendron maximum, while other occurrences have a more open shrub stratum with greater herbaceous cover, often dominated by Dryopteris intermedia. Other subcanopy/shrub species may include Acer pensylvanicum, Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, Amelanchier laevis, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula lenta, and Prunus pensylvanica. Other common herbaceous species include Mitchella repens, Medeola virginiana, Polystichum acrostichoides, Solidago curtisii (= Solidago caesia var. curtisii), Viola blanda, and Viola hastata. Rubus canadensis is also common.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This association includes forests dominated by Tsuga canadensis and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, occurring in restricted montane areas of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. This forest is found on protected, lower slopes and coves at elevations of 854 to 1403 m (2800-4600 feet).
Geographic Range: This association occurs in restricted montane areas of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: NC, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689569
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.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 | A3304 Eastern Hemlock - Tuliptree Forest Alliance | A3304 | 1.B.2.Na.3.a |
| Association | CEGL007693 Eastern Hemlock - Mountain Silverbell - Mountain Magnolia / Great Laurel / Intermediate Woodfern Forest | CEGL007693 | 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: ? Tsuga canadensis-Halesia/Dryopteris intermedia Forest (Newell et al. 1997)
? Tsuga canadensis-Magnolia fraseri Forest, Tsuga canadensis-Fagus-Halesia subtype (Newell et al. 1997)
? Silverbell-hemlock (Golden 1974)
? Tsuga canadensis-Magnolia fraseri Forest, Tsuga canadensis-Fagus-Halesia subtype (Newell et al. 1997)
? Silverbell-hemlock (Golden 1974)
- Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2009a. A vegetation classification for the Appalachian Trail: Virginia south to Georgia. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. In-house analysis, March 2009.
- Golden, M. S. 1974. Forest vegetation and site relationships in the central portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 275 pp.
- Newell, C. L., R. K. Peet, and J. C. Harrod. 1997. Vegetation of Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness, North Carolina. Unpublished report to USDA Forest Service. University of North Carolina, Curriculum in Ecology & Department of Biology, Chapel Hill, NC. 282 pp. plus maps.
- Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. No date. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
- Schafale, M. P. 2012. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina, 4th Approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.
- Schafale, Mike P. Personal communication. Ecologist, North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.