Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The canopy of this forest is dominated by Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus) but contains a significant amount of Pinus palustris. Other trees may be encountered, such as Carya pallida, Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Acer rubrum, Carya glabra, Nyssa sylvatica, Oxydendrum arboreum, and Carya ovata. The shrub layer may include Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium elliottii, Vaccinium arboreum, Ilex ambigua, Diospyros virginiana, Sassafras albidum, and other species. The herbaceous layer tends to be sparse. Species observed in stands of this type include Hexastylis arifolia, Piptochaetium avenaceum, Dichanthelium commutatum, Dichanthelium boscii, Chasmanthium sessiliflorum, Smilax hugeri, Polystichum acrostichoides, Euphorbia corollata, Euphorbia pubentissima, and other species (NatureServe Ecology unpubl. data).

Dynamics:  Although the specific role of fire in maintaining the structure and composition of this community is unknown, the presence of longleaf pine in these stands suggests that relatively frequent fires were historically important in this community. However, these stands tend to occur on steep slopes below fairly narrow ridgetops where the likelihood of natural lightning ignition is low and the spread of fires from adjacent uplands would be infrequent. These factors suggest a lower fire frequency than that associated with longleaf pine-dominated vegetation.