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A3122 Pinus palustris / Quercus incana Woodland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This is an open-canopy woodland dominated by Pinus palustris, although examples in eastern Texas may also include Pinus echinata or Pinus taeda. The subcanopy is dominated by Quercus incana.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak Woodland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak Sandhill Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This is an open-canopy woodland dominated by Pinus palustris, although examples in eastern Texas may also include Pinus echinata or Pinus taeda. The subcanopy is dominated by Quercus incana and also can include scattered Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, and Quercus margarettae. Schizachyrium scoparium is the most common warm-season native grass of these woodlands.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Dry woodlands of Pinus palustris, Quercus incana, and Schizachyrium scoparium which occur in western Louisiana and eastern Texas. These woodlands occur on dry sites which have low levels of nutrients.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This alliance includes the driest of the associations in western Louisiana and eastern Texas which were in the old Pinus palustris / Quercus spp. Woodland Alliance (A.499).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The structure of these communities is variable, depending on fire frequency, and past forest management practices. Generally, examples of these communities, which are burned every 2-5 years have an open canopy of Pinus palustris, with scattered tree-sized individuals of Quercus incana; the oaks are otherwise reduced to sprouts. With less frequent fire, these communities often develop a dense subcanopy, shrub layer, or even canopy of Quercus incana. In addition, lack of fire may promote growth of other pines, particularly Pinus echinata and/or Pinus taeda.

Floristics: This is an open-canopy woodland dominated by Pinus palustris, although examples in eastern Texas may also include Pinus echinata or Pinus taeda. The subcanopy is dominated by Quercus incana and also can include scattered Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, and Quercus margarettae. Schizachyrium scoparium is the most common warm-season native grass of these woodlands.

Dynamics:  In these Pinus palustris- and Quercus incana-dominated woodlands, a higher canopy closure (greater than 60%) may be the result of past logging, fire suppression or lack of fire in woodlands typically having an open canopy of Pinus palustris. Quercus incana will frequently be present in the understory or also scattered in the overstory, depending on past fire. The natural open woodland structure may be maintained by silvicultural techniques and prescribed fire. At many sites, both forest and open woodland communities may be present, grading into one another depending on aspect, soils, past logging or fire history.
Environmental Description:  These soils span from xeric to subxeric with high silt content. Soils on which this alliance has been documented to occur in the West Gulf Coastal Plain include the Messer soil series (Haplic Glossudalf) and Kisatchie silt clay (Montmorillonitic Hapludalf).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in western Louisiana and eastern Texas.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  LA, MS?, TX


Confidence Level: Low

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.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.1 Longleaf Pine / Pineland Three-awn Woodland Macrogroup M007 1.B.1.Na.1
Group 1.B.1.Na.1.c Longleaf Pine / Turkey Oak Xeric Woodland Group G154 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Alliance A3122 Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak Woodland Alliance A3122 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL003580 Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak / Little Bluestem - Pinkscale Blazingstar - Eastern Prickly-pear Woodland CEGL003580 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL003602 Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak - Sand Post Oak / Texas Tread-softly - Patterson''s Dawnflower Woodland CEGL003602 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL004957 Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak / Rough Dropseed Woodland CEGL004957 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL007513 Longleaf Pine - Shortleaf Pine - (Bluejack Oak, Sand Post Oak) / Little Bluestem Woodland CEGL007513 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL008566 (Longleaf Pine) - Post Oak - Bluejack Oak / Louisiana Nerveray Woodland CEGL008566 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL008571 Longleaf Pine - (Shortleaf Pine, Loblolly Pine) - Southern Red Oak - Black Hickory Woodland CEGL008571 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Association CEGL008572 Longleaf Pine / Bluejack Oak / Little Bluestem - Healing Croton Woodland CEGL008572 1.B.1.Na.1.c
Concept Lineage: This alliance includes the driest of the associations in Louisiana and east Texas which were in the old Pinus palustris / Quercus spp. Woodland Alliance (A.499).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? IB6a. Western Xeric Sandhill (Allard 1990)
>< Longleaf Pine - Bluejack Oak / Tragia Grossarenic Dry Uplands (Turner et al. 1999)
< Longleaf Pine-Scrub Oak: 71 (Eyre 1980)
> Upland Longleaf Pine Savanna, subtype 2: xeric longleaf pine savanna/sandhill woodland-barrens (Bridges and Orzell 1989a)
> Upland Longleaf Pine Savanna, subtype 3: xeric stream terrace sand ridge (Bridges and Orzell 1989a)
Concept Author(s): C. Nordman, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: C. Nordman

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by R. Peet.

Version Date: 12-18-14
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