Print Report
A3126 Pinus palustris / Quercus marilandica / Aristida spp. Southeastern Coastal Plain Clayhill Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: These open woodlands are dominated by Pinus palustris and Quercus marilandica, along with Andropogon ternarius, Aristida beyrichiana, Aristida purpurascens, Aristida stricta, Schizachyrium scoparium, and other grasses. They occur on soils with high clay content, which frequently burn, in the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Fall-line Sandhills, east of the Mississippi River.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Longleaf Pine / Blackjack Oak / Three-awn species Southeastern Coastal Plain Clayhill Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Southeastern Coastal Plain Longleaf Pine / Blackjack Oak Clayhill Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: These are dry to dry-mesic upland woodlands of Pinus palustris and Quercus marilandica. The herbaceous layer is dominated by Aristida stricta, Aristida beyrichiana, Aristida purpurascens, Andropogon ternarius, Schizachyrium scoparium, and other grasses. These are not on the driest sites, but are on soils with high clay content, in naturally open woodlands, which frequently burn, in the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Fall-line Sandhills, east of the Mississippi River.
Diagnostic Characteristics: These are dry to dry-mesic upland woodlands of Pinus palustris and Quercus marilandica found in the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Fall-line Sandhills, east of the Mississippi River. These woodlands are dominated by Pinus palustris, Quercus marilandica, Aristida stricta, Aristida beyrichiana, Aristida purpurascens, Andropogon ternarius, Schizachyrium scoparium, and other grasses. These are not on the driest sites, but are on soils with high clay content, in naturally open woodlands, which frequently burn.
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). The four Pinus palustris / Quercus marilandica associations included here (CEGL004489, CEGL003595, CEGL003598, and CEGL003599) are separated into this southeastern alliance (A3126).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The structure of these communities is highly variable, depending on fire frequency. Generally, examples of these communities which have been managed with frequent prescribed fire have an open canopy of Pinus palustris, with scattered tree-sized and shrub-sized Quercus marilandica with many individuals reduced by fire to sprouts. Under lower fire frequency, these communities often develop a dense subcanopy, shrub layer, or even canopy of scrub Quercus spp. In addition, past logging, fire suppression, and lack of fire may promote ingrowth of other pines, particularly Pinus clausa, Pinus echinata, and/or Pinus taeda.
Floristics: This alliance includes dry to dry-mesic Pinus palustris communities, characterized by the presence of Quercus marilandica, sometimes in combination with other oaks. Where a well-developed shrub stratum is present, common shrubs include Vaccinium arboreum, Vaccinium stamineum, and Rhus copallinum; in addition, Asimina parviflora, Gaylussacia dumosa (= var. dumosa), Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Vaccinium elliottii, and Vaccinium tenellum may occur in some associations. Aristida stricta or Aristida beyrichiana are also dominant, or at least present within their ranges, in the herbaceous layer of many associations. Other characteristic grasses include Andropogon gyrans, Andropogon ternarius, Aristida purpurascens, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sporobolus junceus. Herbs which may be present in these examples include Pteridium aquilinum and Tephrosia virginiana.
Dynamics: In these shrubby woodlands of Pinus palustris and Quercus marilandica, a higher canopy closure (greater than 60%) may be the result of past logging, fire suppression or lack of fire in woodlands more typically dominated by Pinus palustris. Quercus marilandica will frequently be present in the understory or also scattered in the overstory, depending on the moisture regime and past fire. The open woodland structure may be natural, but it can be maintained by silvicultural techniques and prescribed fire designed to replicate this natural condition, and promote Pinus palustris. At many sites, both forest and woodland communities may be present, grading into one another depending on aspect, soils, past logging or fire history.
Environmental Description: These are not on the driest sites, but are on soils with high clay content, which may include Dothan (Plinthic Paleudult), Fuquay (Plinthic Paleudult), Gilead (Aquic Hapludult), Kureb (Typic Quartzipsamment), Lakeland (Typic Quartzipsamment), Mandarin (Typic Haplohumod), and Vaucluse (Typic Hapludult). Some more mesic examples occur on the Wagram series (Arenic Paleudult). In the East Gulf Coastal Plain, it has been found on Troup, Lucy, and Eustis-Lakeland complex.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found on the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Fall-line Sandhills, east of the Mississippi River. It ranges from North Carolina to the Florida peninsula, and east to southern Mississippi.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899252
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 of Pinus palustris / Quercus marilandica associations from the old alliance A.499 which occur east of the Mississippi River.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< Dry Upland Longleaf Pine Woodlands (Edwards et al. 2013)
>< IB6c. Southeastern Coastal Plain Subxeric Pine - Oak Sandhill (Allard 1990)
? IB6d. Southeastern Coastal Plain Subxeric Longleaf Pine - Saw Palmetto Woodland (Allard 1990)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Mesic Transition Variant (Schafale 1994)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Mixed Oak Variant (Schafale 1994)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Northern Variant (Schafale 1994)
>< IB6c. Southeastern Coastal Plain Subxeric Pine - Oak Sandhill (Allard 1990)
? IB6d. Southeastern Coastal Plain Subxeric Longleaf Pine - Saw Palmetto Woodland (Allard 1990)
>< Longleaf Pine: 70 (Eyre 1980)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Mesic Transition Variant (Schafale 1994)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Mixed Oak Variant (Schafale 1994)
? Pine/Scrub Oak Sandhill, Northern Variant (Schafale 1994)
- 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.
- Allen, R. M. 1956. Relation of saw-palmetto to longleaf pine reproduction on a dry site. Ecology 37:195-196.
- Edwards, L., J. Ambrose, and K. Kirkman. 2013. The natural communities of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA. 675 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.
- Myers, R. L. 1990a. Scrub and high pine. Pages 150-193 in: R. L. Myers and J. L. Ewel, editors. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando.
- Myers, R. L., and J. J. Ewel, editors. 1990. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando. 765 pp.
- Peet, R. K., and D. J. Allard. 1993. Longleaf pine vegetation of the Southern Atlantic and Eastern Gulf Coast regions: A preliminary classification. Pages 45-81 in: S. M. Hermann, editor. The Longleaf Pine Ecosystem: Ecology, restoration and management. Proceedings of the eighteenth Tall Timbers fire ecology conference. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL.
- Pessin, L. J. 1933. Forest associations in the uplands of the lower Gulf Coastal Plain (longleaf pine belt). Ecology 14:1-14.
- Schafale, M. P. 1994. Inventory of longleaf pine natural communities. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 230 pp.
- Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.
- Sorrie, B. A., and A. S. Weakley. 2001. Coastal Plain vascular plant endemics: Phytogeography patterns. Castanea 66(1-2):50-82.
- Wentworth, T. R., M. P. Schafale, A. S. Weakley, R. K. Peet, P. S. White, and C. C. Frost. 1993. A preliminary classification of North Carolina barrier island forests. Pages 31-46 in: C. A. Cole and F. K. Turner, editors. Barrier island ecology of the mid-Atlantic coast: A symposium. Technical Report NPS/SERCAHA/NRTR-93/04. National Park Service, Atlanta, GA.