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CEGL004304 Pinus taeda - Quercus alba - Chamaecyparis thyoides / Kalmia latifolia - Lyonia lucida Forest
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Loblolly Pine - White Oak - Atlantic White-cedar / Mountain Laurel - Shining Fetterbush Forest
Colloquial Name: Cape Fear Valley Mixed Bluff Forest
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association occurs on steep bluffs of clayey and sandy sediment along incised streams in the Sandhills and Inner Coastal Plain. It is known only from the central Cape Fear River valley of North Carolina, where several tributary streams and rivers have cut deep, gorge-like incised valleys into the underlying Cretaceous sediments. Bluffs may be up to 20 m tall. The vegetation is a forest with a dense shrub layer. Canopy, understory, and shrub layers are all diverse and support combinations of wetland species, upland species, and species rare in the Coastal Plain. Pinus taeda, Quercus alba, Chamaecyparis thyoides, Quercus nigra, and Acer rubrum var. trilobum are the most frequent and abundant canopy species. The most abundant and frequent subcanopy species are Cornus florida and Ilex opaca, but Nyssa sylvatica, Persea palustris, Magnolia virginiana, and Oxydendrum arboreum are common. The shrub layer is very dense. Kalmia latifolia and Hamamelis virginiana are generally most abundant but not strongly dominant. A large but variable suite of other shrubs is present, with Lyonia lucida, Gaylussacia frondosa, Cyrilla racemiflora, Vaccinium elliottii, Symplocos tinctoria, Arundinaria tecta, and Leucothoe axillaris common. Smilax rotundifolia, Smilax laurifolia, and Gelsemium sempervirens are abundant. The herb layer is sparse.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Individual patches are variable, but the unusual mix of species and high woody species richness are characteristic of this type. Carolina Vegetation Survey plot data exist for this type: plots 1-1108, 1-1109, and one or two others.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is a forest with a dense shrub layer. Canopy, understory, and shrub layers are all diverse and support combinations of wetland species, upland species, and species rare in the Coastal Plain. Pinus taeda, Quercus alba, Chamaecyparis thyoides, Quercus nigra, and Acer rubrum var. trilobum are the most frequent and abundant canopy species. Other canopy species include Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, Quercus shumardii, Taxodium ascendens, and Pinus serotina. The most abundant and frequent subcanopy species are Cornus florida and Ilex opaca, but Nyssa sylvatica, Persea palustris, Magnolia virginiana, and Oxydendrum arboreum are common. The shrub layer is very dense. Kalmia latifolia and Hamamelis virginiana are generally most abundant but not strongly dominant. A large but variable suite of other shrubs is present, with Lyonia lucida, Gaylussacia frondosa, Cyrilla racemiflora, Vaccinium elliottii, Symplocos tinctoria, Arundinaria tecta, and Leucothoe axillaris common. Other shrubs include Eubotrys racemosa, Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium fuscatum, Vaccinium formosum, Alnus serrulata, Ilex coriacea, Toxicodendron vernix, and, locally, Leiophyllum buxifolium. Smilax glauca, Smilax rotundifolia, Smilax laurifolia, and Gelsemium sempervirens are abundant. The herb layer is sparse. A wide variety of species may be present, but the only ones with even moderate constancy are Mitchella repens and Galax urceolata. Of note in the herb layer of some examples are Thelypteris noveboracensis and Lygodium palmatum.
Dynamics: Dynamics for this community are poorly known. Fire is naturally frequent on the adjacent uplands, but probably penetrates into these communities only rarely. Slumping of the bluffs, triggered by undercutting by streamflow or seepage, appears to be a rare but significant natural disturbance.
Environmental Description: This association occurs on steep bluffs of clayey and sandy sediment along incised streams in the Sandhills and Inner Coastal Plain. It is known only from the central Cape Fear River valley of North Carolina, where several tributary streams and rivers have cut deep, gorge-like incised valleys into the underlying Cretaceous sediments. Bluffs may be up to 20 m tall. A combination of intermittent seepage and topographic sheltering from insolation and fire creates a mesic to saturated environment. Fine-scale heterogeneity in soil texture and amount of seepage may contribute to the high species richness, but the stable environment and cool microclimate also appear to contribute.
Geographic Range: This association is found in south-central North Carolina, in Cumberland and Hoke counties. It is known only from the Little River, Rockfish Creek, and Willis Creek, tributaries to the Cape Fear River from the west.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: NC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.820772
Confidence Level: High
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1G2
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F018 | 1.B.1 |
| Division | 1.B.1.Na Southeastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D006 | 1.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.1.Na.3 American Beech - Southern Magnolia - White Oak Forest Macrogroup | M008 | 1.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Na.3.b American Beech - Southern Sugar Maple - White Oak Forest Group | G166 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A3234 White Oak - Mockernut Hickory Mesic Coastal Plain Forest Alliance | A3234 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL004304 Loblolly Pine - White Oak - Atlantic White-cedar / Mountain Laurel - Shining Fetterbush Forest | CEGL004304 | 1.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Cape Fear Valley Mixed Bluff Forest (Schafale 2012)
= Little River Bluff (NCNHP unpubl. data)
= Little River Bluff (NCNHP unpubl. data)
- NCNHP [North Carolina Natural Heritage Program]. No date. Unpublished data. North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Schafale, M. P. 2012. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina, 4th Approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.