Physiognomy and Structure: Mostly deciduous, closed-canopy forests. Examples of these forests at higher elevations or in xeric environments often feature stunted trees in the canopy, or a more interrupted canopy. Subcanopy, shrub, and herb layers vary, but in many cases a moderately well- to well-developed heath layer is present.

Floristics: Canopy dominants include Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus), Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina, and/or Quercus alba. At higher elevations or northern range limits, Quercus rubra may be the sole dominant. Castanea dentata is often present, though not common, as sprouts and is diagnostic when it occurs with Quercus montana. Other oaks, including Quercus coccinea or Quercus falcata, are often present at relatively lower elevations. Many forests in this group have a pine component of Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida, Pinus pungens, or Pinus virginiana, or less often Pinus echinata. Ericaceous shrubs are often common and include Kalmia latifolia, Gaylussacia spp., Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium simulatum, Menziesia pilosa, Rhododendron calendulaceum, and Rhododendron prinophyllum.

Dynamics:  At moderate to low elevations, stands are naturally stable, uneven-aged forests, with canopy dynamics generally dominated by gap-phase regeneration. Wind or ice storms may create larger canopy openings. Fire occurred fairly frequently in pre-European-settlement times, though there is some dispute whether most of the fires were natural or anthropogenic in origin (Abrams 1992, Delcourt and Delcourt 1997). Fires were usually low-intensity surface fires. Fire occurred even more frequently in post-European-settlement times, declining again in the 1900s. The dominant species are fairly fire-tolerant, making most fires non-catastrophic. Fire also can be expected to have a moderate effect on vegetation structure, producing a somewhat more open canopy and increased density of low-shrub layers than currently seen in most examples.

In the southern part of the group''s range, higher-elevation examples may occur on exposed high ridges where they are subject to frequent ice storms in the winter, wind storms in the summer, and high winds throughout the year. This helps explain these forests'' stunted appearance. In presettlement times, these forests are likely to have experienced lightning-caused fires every 40-60 years (Fleming et al. 2005). In some locations, fire exclusion and competing understory vegetation are a factor in poor oak regeneration, with replacement by more mesophytic species such as Acer saccharum (Fleming et al. 2005). Oak regeneration is also threatened by high levels of deer herbivory.