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A3124 Pinus palustris / Schizachyrium scoparium West Gulf Coastal Plain Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: These are upland Pinus palustris forests and woodlands found west of the Mississippi River which lack or have low amounts of scrub oaks, and have a grassy ground cover dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium, on dry-mesic to mesic sites with loam or sandy loam soils.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Longleaf Pine / Little Bluestem West Gulf Coastal Plain Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine / Bluestem Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: These are upland Pinus palustris forests and woodlands found west of the Mississippi River which lack or have low amounts of scrub oaks, and have a grassy ground cover dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium. These are on dry-mesic to mesic sites with higher nutrient availability than other drier upland Pinus palustris woodlands. The soils may be loams or sandy loams.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Upland Pinus palustris forests and woodlands found west of the Mississippi River which lack or have low amounts of scrub oaks, and have an herbaceous ground cover dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium. These are on dry-mesic to mesic sites with higher nutrient availability than other drier upland Pinus palustris woodlands.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: There are many Pinus palustris-associated species whose ranges do not cross the Mississippi River (Sorrie and Weakley 2001).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Upland needle-leaved evergreen Pinus palustris forests and woodlands, which lack or have low amounts of scrub oaks, and have an herbaceous, primarily graminoid, ground cover dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium.
Floristics: These are needle-leaved evergreen Pinus palustris upland forests and woodlands, which lack or have low amounts of scrub oaks, and have an herbaceous, primarily graminoid, ground cover dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium. Members of this alliance lack xerophytic scrub oaks and the extreme xeric conditions that typically support these species. Variation in floristic composition of this wide-ranging alliance is related to site conditions, fire interval, and local or regional floristics. The herbaceous layer typically becomes much less diverse with increased fire interval or lack of fire.
Dynamics: These open woodlands have an herbaceous stratum dominated by native warm-season grasses. The sites have relatively high nutrient availability compared to other Pinus palustris woodland vegetation. Wildland fire and prescribed fire can occur frequently, due to fast accumulation of fine grassy fuels, and the high site index. Fires can occur as frequently as every year to two years.
Environmental Description: This alliance typically occurs on finer-textured soils, such as loams, sandy loams, clays and clay loams, and may be found on the Catahoula, Fleming, Sparta, Vicksburg, or Willis formations.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs on the West Gulf Coastal Plain west of the Mississippi River in eastern Texas and Louisiana.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: LA, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899250
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: The associations in this alliance represent a set from the old alliance A.520 which occur west of the Mississippi River.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< IB6k. West Gulf Coastal Plain Upland Longleaf Pine Forest (Allard 1990)
= Longleaf Pine-Little Bluestem Series (Diamond 1993)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
= Longleaf Pine-Little Bluestem Series (Diamond 1993)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- Bridges, E. L., and S. L. Orzell. 1989a. Longleaf pine communities of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. Natural Areas Journal 9:246-263.
- Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 pp.
- 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, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.
- Frost, C. C. 1993. Four centuries of changing landscape patterns in the longleaf pine ecosystem. Pages 17-43 in: S. M. Hermann, editor. The longleaf pine ecosystem: Ecology, restoration and management. Proceedings of the 18th Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL. 418 pp.
- LNHP [Louisiana Natural Heritage Program]. 2009. Natural communities of Louisiana. Louisiana Natural Heritage Program, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 46 pp. [http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/page_wildlife/6776-Rare%20Natural%20Communities/LA_NAT_COM.pdf]
- Martin, D. L., and L. M. Smith. 1991. A survey and description of the natural plant communities of the Kisatchie National Forest, Winn and Kisatchie districts. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA. 372 pp.
- Pessin, L. J. 1933. Forest associations in the uplands of the lower Gulf Coastal Plain (longleaf pine belt). Ecology 14:1-14.
- Sorrie, B. A., and A. S. Weakley. 2001. Coastal Plain vascular plant endemics: Phytogeography patterns. Castanea 66(1-2):50-82.