Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Ashe''s Juniper - White Shin Oak Woodland

Colloquial Name: Edwards Plateau Ashe''s Juniper - White Shin Oak Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This woodland occurs over shallow soils, on limestone mesatops, typically underlain by the Fredricksburg Group in the Edwards Plateau of Texas. The association is dominated by Juniperus ashei and Quercus sinuata var. breviloba. Height and density of the vegetation can range from an open woodland to a forest. When canopy cover is high, Quercus sinuata var. breviloba is sometimes limited to the understory. Other woody species include Fraxinus albicans, Quercus fusiformis, Quercus buckleyi, Ulmus crassifolia, Ilex decidua, Diospyros texana, Rhus virens, Rhus trilobata, Forestiera pubescens, Yucca pallida, Mahonia trifoliolata, Toxicodendron radicans, Lonicera albiflora, Sophora secundiflora, Ungnadia speciosa, and Cercis canadensis var. texensis. With the exception of Fraxinus albicans, which may occasionally be a canopy dominant, cover of these other species is generally very low. Herbaceous cover is sparse, especially when canopy density is high, and may include Carex planostachys, Lespedeza texana, Tragia ramosa, Matelea spp., Rhynchosia senna, Commelina erecta, Sporobolus compositus, and Galactia volubilis. Adjacent associations include ~Quercus fusiformis / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL002115)$$ on slightly deeper soils, as well as ~Quercus buckleyi - Fraxinus albicans - Juniperus ashei Forest (CEGL002135)$$ and ~Juniperus ashei - Quercus buckleyi Woodland (CEGL004172)$$ on adjacent slopes.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association is restricted to Texas. It is a part of the former Juniperus ashei - Quercus (buckleyi, fusiformis, vaseyana, sinuata var. breviloba) Woodland (CEGL002126) and is described based on data collected at Fort Hood. This association is differentiated from Juniperus-invaded Quercus fusiformis woodlands by soil type: ~Quercus fusiformis / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL002115)$$ occurs on deeper (clay loam) soils, while this association is restricted to shallow, rocky soils over hard-bedded limestone. This association could represent the result of long-term fire suppression of ~Quercus sinuata var. breviloba Scrub (CEGL004453)$$ but likely is a natural association. The prevalence of Juniperus ashei has likely increased since presettlement times in some areas of central Texas. This is speculated to have resulted from several factors, including overgrazing and altered fire regimes. As a result, it may be difficult to distinguish juniper-invaded habitats from areas where juniper was naturally a dominant component of the vegetation. This association is intended to represent areas where Juniperus ashei is expected to be naturally dominant. These areas are thought to occur on dry to xeric mesas and slope shoulders with thin soils and a sparse ground cover. Fires are thought to have been naturally patchy in this setting due to the rocky substrate and sparse fine fuels.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available