Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Black Cherry - Tuliptree - Red Maple - White Ash - (Black Locust) Ruderal Forest

Colloquial Name: Northeastern Ruderal Hardwood Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This early-successional woody vegetation of the northeastern United States occurs on sites that are becoming reforested after having been cleared for agriculture or otherwise heavily modified in the past. Environmental setting varies, but generally sites are dry-mesic to mesic, with small seepage inclusions in some examples. Physiognomy of this vegetation is highly variable, ranging from closed forest, open forest, tall dense shrubland, to more open tall shrubland. Early-successional woody species dominate the canopy in a widely variable mix, depending on geographic location. In the Central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic Piedmont, many stands represent decadent forests that were once dominated by Robinia pseudoacacia but are now mixed with various mid-successional hardwoods; other stands in this region regenerated as mixed stands. Tree species often include some combination of Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Acer rubrum. Other associates can include Juglans nigra, Sassafras albidum, Betula populifolia, Juniperus virginiana, Acer negundo, Acer saccharinum, Ailanthus altissima, Ulmus americana, Quercus spp., Betula lenta, Amelanchier spp., Pinus strobus, and Populus grandidentata. Other woody species may contribute to the canopy or form a tall-shrub layer, including Lindera benzoin and Carpinus caroliniana. The low-shrub layer, if present, is usually characterized by the presence of Rubus spp. such as Rubus flagellaris, Rubus allegheniensis, Rubus phoenicolasius, or Rubus hispidus. This layer is often dominated by exotic species such as Lonicera tatarica, Lonicera morrowii, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus spp., Rosa multiflora, and Berberis thunbergii. The herbaceous layer is variable, often containing grasses and forbs of both native and exotic origin. Common species include Ageratina altissima var. altissima, Polygonum persicaria, Impatiens capensis, Glechoma hederacea, Polystichum acrostichoides, Calystegia sepium ssp. sepium, Galium aparine, Oxalis stricta, Polygonum virginianum, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Arisaema triphyllum, Allium vineale, and Veronica officinalis, among many others. The invasive species Alliaria petiolata, Microstegium vimineum, and Polygonum cespitosum can be abundant in this disturbed forest type. Vines can be absent or abundant. In stands with high vine cover, the vegetation structure can be altered by the weight of the vines pulling down trees and shrubs. Common vines include Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Toxicodendron radicans, Vitis labrusca, and the invasive vines Celastrus orbiculatus and Lonicera japonica. These forests are often young and resulted from the colonization of old agricultural fields by woody species. Recent disturbance or abundant invasive species give these forest stands a weedy character. It is unlikely that these stands will succeed to a natural plant community dominated by native species.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This vegetation is broadly defined and varies widely in composition across its range, presenting a classification challenge at the alliance level. The northern end of its range occurs where Liriodendron tulipifera drops out.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available