Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This upland deciduous hardwood forest association is dominated by Liquidambar styraciflua, Carya illinoinensis, and to a lesser extent Quercus nigra. Other less dominant trees are Quercus pagoda, Quercus shumardii, Quercus velutina, Quercus rubra, Quercus muehlenbergii, Celtis laevigata, Ulmus rubra, Gleditsia triacanthos, Fraxinus americana, and in one ravine bottom site Populus deltoides and Robinia pseudoacacia. Other canopy trees include Liriodendron tulipifera, Prunus serotina, Sassafras albidum, and Quercus michauxii. Subcanopy trees with the highest cover include Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus nigra, Morus rubra, Acer negundo, Liriodendron tulipifera, Celtis laevigata, Ulmus alata, Magnolia grandiflora (which could be naturalized here), Quercus muehlenbergii, and Sassafras albidum. Other subcanopy trees are Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum), Ulmus americana, Ulmus rubra, Quercus michauxii, Robinia pseudoacacia, Quercus pagoda, Quercus shumardii, Quercus velutina, Carya cordiformis, Quercus rubra, Cornus florida, Tilia americana var. caroliniana, Juniperus virginiana, Carpinus caroliniana, and Prunus serotina. The complete lack of Quercus alba is notable and helps separate this from other associations. This association can have high cover of trees and shrubs in the tall-shrub layer. The invasive exotic plant Ligustrum sinense had the highest cover of any woody plant in the tall-shrub layer; in about half of the sampled plots it had over 25% cover and in about 20% of the plots it had over 75% cover. The most abundant native woody plants in the tall-shrub layer include Liquidambar styraciflua, Cercis canadensis, Hydrangea quercifolia, and Arundinaria gigantea. Other less abundant species include Quercus nigra, Carya illinoinensis, Acer negundo, Acer floridanum, Ulmus americana, Frangula caroliniana, Ulmus alata, Ulmus rubra, Morus rubra, Celtis laevigata, Liriodendron tulipifera, Robinia pseudoacacia, Carya cordiformis, Cornus drummondii, Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus shumardii, Sassafras albidum, Cornus florida, Juniperus virginiana, Prunus caroliniana, Asimina triloba, and least commonly Prunus serotina, Lindera benzoin, Quercus michauxii, Sideroxylon lycioides, Ostrya virginiana, Ilex decidua, Diospyros virginiana, Magnolia grandiflora, and the exotic plants Ligustrum japonicum and Poncirus trifoliata. The short shrub with the highest cover is Toxicodendron radicans; additional short shrubs include Euonymus americanus, Aralia spinosa, Juglans nigra, Cornus alternifolia, Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis, plus the exotic escaped ornamental plants Nandina domestica, Lonicera japonica, and Ligustrum sinense. Herbaceous plants are generally sparse and include Asplenium platyneuron, Oplismenus hirtellus, Matelea sp., Boehmeria cylindrica, Geum canadense, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Aristolochia serpentaria, Ageratina altissima (= Eupatorium rugosum), Sanicula canadensis, Polygonum virginianum, Eupatorium serotinum, Polystichum acrostichoides, Botrychium dissectum, Elymus virginicus, Elephantopus carolinianus, Cystopteris protrusa, Leersia virginica, Bidens bipinnata, Carex oxylepis, Carex cherokeensis, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Botrychium virginianum, Phryma leptostachya, Arisaema triphyllum, Dioscorea villosa, Lactuca floridana, Clematis virginiana, Cynoglossum virginianum, Arisaema dracontium, Desmodium perplexum, Dichanthelium boscii, Passiflora lutea, Carex digitalis, Vinca major, and Symphyotrichum undulatum, and exotics Hedera helix, Cyrtomium fortunei, and Liriope sp.

Dynamics:  These forests occur on moderate to steep slopes on loess bluffs. In certain areas where forest cover is maintained, there is remarkably little evidence of (current) erosion. Other areas exhibit colluvial soils in the ravine bottoms downslope. These colluvial soils are derived from past erosion of the sloping soils into the ravine bottoms. This probably occurred during past periods when these sites were deforested, as during the Civil War. The forest cover helps maintain the erosive soils on these slopes. Without the forest cover, soils have eroded into the ravine bottoms, forming colluvial soils there. Natural disturbance generally occurs in canopy gaps with tip-up mounds and more light at the ground level. Hurricanes and other severe storms could uproot and break trees, opening up larger areas.