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CEGL004050 Pinus echinata - Quercus alba - Carya tomentosa East Gulf Coastal Plain Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Shortleaf Pine - White Oak - Mockernut Hickory East Gulf Coastal Plain Forest
Colloquial Name: East Gulf Coastal Plain Shortleaf Pine - Mesic Oak Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is one of several documented types of shortleaf pine - hardwood forests in the East and Upper East Gulf coastal plains. The open canopy is characterized by Pinus echinata and a mixture of hardwoods with intermediate moisture preferences. One of the most important characteristic features that distinguish this type from other shortleaf pine - hardwood forests of the region is the prevalence of Quercus alba and Carya tomentosa in the overstory. Although other tree species may also be encountered in stands of this type, they are generally lacking from the overstory or found only in limited abundance. The density of Quercus alba and Pinus echinata in stands of this association varies locally, presumably related to a combination of site factors and management history. In addition, the specific floristic composition may vary between stands and a number of subcanopy, shrub, and herbaceous species may be present. As with the overstory, the density and composition of the lower strata vary greatly depending upon a number of factors. For example, many stands of this association found on the Tombigbee National Forest (Mississippi) are subject to more prescribed burning than other known stands. Consequently, they have a much more open aspect with sparse to absent shrubs above dense layers of legumes.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type was based on observations on the Tombigbee National Forest (R. Evans pers. obs.).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stands are characterized by Pinus echinata, Quercus alba, and Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba). In addition to these, a variety of other species with intermediate moisture preferences may also be present in stands of this association throughout its range (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data).
Dynamics: The total and relative density of the overstory may be altered by a number of factors. Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) may decimate the pine overstory or heavily reduce it in some instances. Selective logging or thinning may also alter the ratio of pines to hardwoods in stands. In some instances, following the removal of the commercially valuable species and in the absence of fire, stands could become populated with successional hardwoods (e.g., Liquidambar styraciflua, Nyssa sylvatica) as well as less-fire-adapted pines (Pinus taeda). Fire suppression inhibits the reproduction of Pinus echinata and Quercus alba. The more mesic to submesic habitat of this association may be more vulnerable to successional changes in the absence of fire than more xeric stands.
Environmental Description: This forest association occurs on mesic to dry-mesic slopes in the East and Upper East Gulf coastal plains.
Geographic Range: This community occurs in the East and Upper East Gulf coastal plains of Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi. More information is needed to determine the distribution of this type in Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA, MS, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.720826
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.1 White Oak - Southern Red Oak - Shortleaf Pine Forest & Woodland Macrogroup | M016 | 1.B.2.Na.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Na.1.b Shortleaf Pine - Southern Red Oak - Post Oak Forest & Woodland Group | G012 | 1.B.2.Na.1.b |
| Alliance | A3270 Shortleaf Pine - Southern Red Oak Upper Coastal Plain Woodland Alliance | A3270 | 1.B.2.Na.1.b |
| Association | CEGL004050 Shortleaf Pine - White Oak - Mockernut Hickory East Gulf Coastal Plain Forest | CEGL004050 | 1.B.2.Na.1.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Clewell, A. F. 2013. Prior prevalence of shortleaf pine-oak-hickory woodlands in the Tallahassee Red Hills. Castanea 78(4):266-276.
- 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.