Print Report
G329 Quercus macrocarpa - Corylus spp. / Carex spp. Forest & Woodland Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group is dominated by Quercus macrocarpa and is found in upland areas in the northern part of the Great Plains.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Bur Oak - Hazelnut species / Sedge species Forest & Woodland Group
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Bur Oak Forest & Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group is dominated by Quercus macrocarpa and is found in upland areas in the northern part of the Great Plains. Quercus muehlenbergii can be abundant in the southeastern portion of the group''s range. Other species, such as Tilia americana (not in the Dakotas), Populus tremuloides, Juniperus virginiana, and Fraxinus spp., may be present. The herbaceous layer can vary from sparsely to moderately vegetated and is composed of prairie grasses or woodland Carex spp. Shrub associates can include Prunus virginiana, Corylus cornuta, Amelanchier alnifolia, or Symphoricarpos spp. Historically, higher cover of grass species occurred as these stands were more open due to more frequent fires. Few good examples of this group likely remain because of past timber harvesting and heavy grazing. Where it occurs at elevations above 915 m (3000 feet), Pinus ponderosa woodlands are probably adjacent. It often occurs as small to large patches on buttes, escarpments, and in foothill zones, usually on northerly-facing slopes. It can also occur in ravines and river valleys, though not where flooding is regular. Farther east it can occur on rolling topography, usually in fire-protected areas.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This group is characterized by an open to moderately closed forest dominated by Quercus macrocarpa. It is found in the Western Great Plains on buttes, escarpments, and in foothill zones, while in the central Great Plains it tends to be in ravines and other low areas on the landscape.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This group is typified by moderately open to moderately closed woodlands. The understory can be sparse to moderately vegetated. Shrub and herbaceous cover vary widely from low to high cover, though high cover by one stratum is usually associated with low cover by the other. Most shrubs are 1-2 m tall and deciduous. The herbaceous stratum is dominated by prairie grasses or woodland sedges.
Floristics: This group is typified by the predominance of Quercus macrocarpa constituting at least 10% of the vegetation cover in any given example. Other tree species, such as Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Juniperus virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, Populus tremuloides, and Tilia americana, may be also present. Understory vegetation can range from sparsely vegetated to more dense. Common shrubs include Amelanchier alnifolia, Cornus drummondii, Corylus americana, Corylus cornuta, Prunus virginiana, Ribes spp., and Symphoricarpos occidentalis. The herbaceous layer often exemplifies the surrounding prairie grassland vegetation with species such as Andropogon gerardii, Elymus canadensis, Hesperostipa spartea, Nassella viridula, Panicum virgatum, Pascopyrum smithii, Sorghastrum nutans, and Schizachyrium scoparium. Species typical of woodlands can be common in some stands, among them Aralia nudicaulis, Carex pensylvanica, Galium spp., Maianthemum canadense, Maianthemum stellatum, Sanicula marilandica, and Thalictrum dioicum.
Dynamics: This group is primarily driven by fire. Fire suppression within this group can lead to more closed canopies and a decrease in the cover of grass species in the understory. Grazing, conversion to agriculture, and past timber harvesting can impact this group. Overgrazing can also lead to a decrease in understory species, and timber harvesting can completely eliminate examples of this group.
Environmental Description: This group is found in upland areas that are protected from fire; sometimes these areas are also more mesic than the surrounding landscape due to receiving run-off from upslope. Often these are valleys or ravines but they can include hillslopes and escarpments. Sites may be in river or stream valleys but are high enough that they are not flooded except in exceptional years. Soils are predominately dry to mesic and can range from sands to loams.
Geographic Range: This group is found throughout the northern half of the Great Plains from Kansas north and west to the southern Canadian Prairie Provinces and eastern Montana. In Wyoming, it occurs in the Bear Lodge Mountains and around Devils Tower National Monument. In North Dakota, it is most common in locally rough areas such as the Killdeer Mountains, Turtle Mountains, Pembina Hills, etc., and it may occur in the Pine Ridge region of Nebraska.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: KS, MB, MN, MT, ND, NE, OK?, SD, SK, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.849207
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Ne North American Great Plains Forest & Woodland Division | D326 | 1.B.2.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Ne.1 Bur Oak - Quaking Aspen / Western Wheatgrass Forest Woodland Macrogroup | M151 | 1.B.2.Ne.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Ne.1.a Bur Oak - Hazelnut species / Sedge species Forest & Woodland Group | G329 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.a |
| Alliance | A1505 Bur Oak / Mixedgrass Woodland Alliance | A1505 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Aspen: 16 (Eyre 1980) [Rare but possible where it might be adjacent to Aspen Parklands.]
> Aspen: 217 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 216 (Eyre 1980)
< Bur Oak: 236 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 42 (Eyre 1980)
> Aspen: 217 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 216 (Eyre 1980)
< Bur Oak: 236 (Eyre 1980)
> Bur Oak: 42 (Eyre 1980)
- Barbour, M. G., and W. D. Billings, editors. 1988. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge University Press, New York. 434 pp.
- Comer, P., D. Faber-Langendoen, R. Evans, S. Gawler, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, K. Snow, J. Teague, and R. White. 2003-present. Ecological systems of the United States: A working classification of U.S. terrestrial systems. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Girard, M. M., H. Goetz, and A. J. Bjugstad. 1989. Native woodland habitat types of southwestern North Dakota. Research Paper RM-281. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, CO. 36 pp.
- Tolstead, W. L. 1947. Woodlands in northwestern Nebraska. Ecology 28(2):180-188.