Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands of this Piedmont forest association are dominated by Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus) and Pinus echinata, with smaller amounts of Quercus alba, Carya glabra, Quercus stellata, and other species. The understory typically includes Oxydendrum arboreum, Nyssa sylvatica, and Acer rubrum, as well as canopy species. Lower strata are often patchy or sparse. A low-shrub layer dominated by Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium stamineum may occur in places. Vitis rotundifolia may form fairly dense ground cover patches in places, but seldom climbs into trees. Herbaceous layer species tend to be sparse and may include Chimaphila maculata, Hexastylis arifolia, and Danthonia spicata. With occurrence of occasional fire, herbaceous cover and diversity would likely be higher.

Dynamics:  Dynamics of these communities are not well-known. Pines generally are scattered or clumped in small groves, suggesting regeneration in small to medium-sized canopy gaps. These are small-patch communities that occur in rugged terrain, so fire is unlikely to have been any more frequent than the moderate frequency in the Piedmont matrix communities. Fire may have interacted with dryness to allow Pinus echinata to regenerate and persist in a stable long-term community. These communities usually occur in landscapes with other Quercus montana-dominated communities that have little Pinus echinata, and are differentiated from them by drier topographic aspect rather than correlated with apparent differences in disturbance history.