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CEGL002058 Quercus alba - Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum - Carya cordiformis / Lindera benzoin Forest

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: White Oak - Northern Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory / Northern Spicebush Forest

Colloquial Name: White Oak - Red Oak - Sugar Maple Mesic Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This mesic white oak - red oak - maple forest type is known from the south-central United States, particularly the Ozark/Ouachita region of Arkansas, Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma. Stands occur on gentle to moderately steep lower slopes in ravines, valleys, bases of bluffs, and sinkhole basins, generally with northern or eastern aspects. The soils are moderately well-drained and shallow to deep. The substrate is various types of bedrock (and colluvium derived from the bedrock), typically limestone or dolomite, but also sandstone or igneous material. The bedrock may be exposed directly or present as residual rock fragments or talus boulders. The canopy is dominated by Quercus rubra with Quercus alba, Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, and Tilia americana (var. americana), with lesser amounts of Carya tomentosa, Carya cordiformis, Fraxinus americana, Juglans nigra, and Ulmus rubra. The understory closure varies with the moisture status of the site, being more closed under greater moisture conditions. Numerous herbs and ferns may be found in examples of this association.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type fits in with a moist oak - maple group, and many sites may succeed to more sugar maple-dominated stands. In Arkansas, this vegetation is closely related to ~Acer (saccharum, floridanum) - Quercus rubra - Carya cordiformis / Asimina triloba Forest (CEGL002060)$$. Douglas Zollner (pers. comm. 1998) suggests that fire frequency may account for the differences, since Acer saccharum is more susceptible to fire. Mike Homoya (pers. comm. 1996) thought this type could be in Indiana as described. This type is described by Hoagland (1997) as occurring on mesic slopes and floodplains in the easternmost tier of Oklahoma counties (Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, LeFlore, Mayes, McCurtain, Muskogee, Ottawa, and Sequoyah). Missouri''s Mesic Igneous Forest (Nelson 1985) is a poorly understood variant that needs further study.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The canopy is dominated by Quercus rubra with Quercus alba, Acer saccharum, Fraxinus americana, and Tilia americana var. americana, with lesser amounts of Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), Carya cordiformis, Fraxinus americana, Juglans nigra, and Ulmus rubra. The understory closure varies with the moisture status of the site, being more closed under greater moisture conditions. Other characteristic woody species include Aesculus glabra, Asimina triloba, Carya cordiformis, Carpinus caroliniana, Celtis laevigata, Cercis canadensis, Cornus florida, Euonymus atropurpureus, Ilex decidua, Juglans cinerea, Magnolia acuminata, Morus rubra, Ostrya virginiana, Prunus serotina, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Staphylea trifolia. Shrubs and woody vines include Euonymus americanus, Castanea pumila var. ozarkensis, Frangula caroliniana, Hamamelis virginiana, Hydrangea arborescens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, and Viburnum rufidulum. Characteristic herbs include Amphicarpaea bracteata, Aplectrum hyemale, Aralia racemosa, Aristolochia serpentaria, Asarum canadense, Brachyelytrum erectum, Cardamine concatenata, Carex albursina, Chasmanthium latifolium, Actaea racemosa (= Cimicifuga racemosa), Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis, Collinsonia canadensis, Cynoglossum virginianum, Desmodium nudiflorum, Dicentra canadensis, Dicentra cucullaria, Dioscorea quaternata, Elymus virginicus, Erigenia bulbosa, Erythronium rostratum, Hepatica nobilis var. obtusa, Hybanthus concolor, Hydrastis canadensis, Hydrophyllum spp., Iris cristata, Panax quinquefolius, Phryma leptostachya, Podophyllum peltatum, Polygonum virginianum, Sanguinaria canadensis, Silene ovata, Solidago flexicaulis, Stylophorum diphyllum, Uvularia grandiflora, and Veratrum woodii. Numerous ferns may be found in examples of this association, including Adiantum pedatum, Asplenium platyneuron, Cystopteris protrusa, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Deparia acrostichoides (= Athyrium thelypterioides), Diplazium pycnocarpon (= Athyrium pycnocarpon), Phegopteris hexagonoptera, and Polystichum acrostichoides (Nelson 1985, Campbell et al. 1996, Hoagland 1997).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Stands occur on gentle to moderately steep lower slopes in ravines, valleys, bases of bluffs, and sinkhole basins, generally with northern or eastern aspects. The soils are moderately well-drained and shallow to deep. The substrate is various types of bedrock (and colluvium derived from the bedrock), typically limestone or dolomite, but also sandstone or igneous material. The bedrock may be exposed directly or as residual rock fragments or talus boulders (Nelson 1985, Campbell et al. 1996).
Geographic Range: This mesic white oak - red oak - maple forest type is known from the south-central United States, particularly the Ozark and Ouachita regions of Arkansas, Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AR, MO, OK


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3?

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.5 Central Midwest Mesic Forest Macrogroup M882 1.B.2.Na.5
Group 1.B.2.Na.5.a Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory - White Ash Forest Group G791 1.B.2.Na.5.a
Alliance A3260 Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory - White Ash Ozark-Ouachita Forest Alliance A3260 1.B.2.Na.5.a
Association CEGL002058 White Oak - Northern Red Oak - Sugar Maple - Bitternut Hickory / Northern Spicebush Forest CEGL002058 1.B.2.Na.5.a
Concept Lineage: Former Acer saccharum - Quercus alba - Carya alba Forest merged into this association.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Quercus alba - Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum - Carya cordiformis / Lindera benzoin Forest (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
? Mesic oak - hickory community (Tucker 1989)
? T1B4aII3a. Acer saccharum - Quercus spp. (alba, rubra) - Carya spp. (ovata, tomentosa, cordiformis) (Foti et al. 1994)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-05-06
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  • Campbell, J. J. N., S. Walker, and D. Zollner. 1996. Technical assessment to: An ecological assessment of forest lands in Arkansas and Oklahoma proposed for inclusion into the Ouachita National Forest and Cossatot National Wildlife Refuge. Unpublished report by The Nature Conservancy. 114 pp.
  • Chastain, R. A., M.A. Struckhoff, K. W. Grabner, E. D. Stroh, H. He, D. R. Larsen, T. A. Nigh, and J. Drake. 2006. Mapping vegetation communities in Ozark National Scenic Riverways: Final technical report to the National Park Service. Open-File Report 2006-1354. U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA. 90 pp. plus appendices.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., editor. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. plus appendix (705 pp.).
  • Foti, T., M. Blaney, X. Li, and K. G. Smith. 1994. A classification system for the natural vegetation of Arkansas. Proceedings of the Arkansas Academy of Science 48:50-53.
  • Hoagland, B. 2000. The vegetation of Oklahoma: A classification for landscape mapping and conservation planning. The Southwestern Naturalist 45(4):385-420.
  • Hoagland, B. W. 1997. Preliminary plant community classification for Oklahoma. Unpublished draft document, version 35629. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Norman. 47 pp.
  • Homoya, Michael. Personal communication. Indiana Natural Heritage Data Center. Division of Nature Preserves, Department of Natural Resources, Indianapolis, IN.
  • Hop, K., M. Pyne, T. Foti, S. Lubinski, R. White, and J. Dieck. 2012a. National Park Service vegetation inventory program: Buffalo National River, Arkansas. Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR--2012/526. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 340 pp.
  • Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
  • NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
  • Nelson, P. 2010. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.
  • Nelson, P. W. 1985. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Jefferson City. 197 pp. Revised edition, 1987.
  • Nigh, T., C. Buck, J. Grabner, J. Kabrick, and D Meinert. 2000. An ecological classification system for the Current River Hills subsection. Missouri Ecological Classification System and Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership. 44 pp.
  • Parker, G. R. 1989. Old-growth forest of the central hardwood region. Natural Areas Journal 9(1):5-11.
  • Tucker, G. E. 1989. A survey of the botanical features of Magazine Mountain on the slopes and plateau surface. Unpublished document. USDA Forest Service, Ozark National Forest, Russellville, AR. 53 pp.
  • Zollner, Douglas. Personal communication. Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Field Office, Little Rock.