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A3227 Juniperus virginiana - Pinus virginiana - Pinus echinata Ruderal Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This semi-natural forest is found in locally disturbed areas, most commonly in old fields and pastures, and cleared land, with three variants: Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana stands, mixed Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Quercus spp. stands, and Pinus spp. (especially Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus, and Pinus virginiana) stands.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Eastern Red-cedar - Virginia Pine - Shortleaf Pine Ruderal Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: Ruderal Eastern Red-cedar - Virginia Pine - Mixed Conifer Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This semi-natural forest is found in locally disturbed areas, most commonly in old fields and pastures, and cleared land. Three dominance-based suballiances may be recognized: (1) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana stands occur widely and are more common on calcareous sites. Stand may be very dense, and the stature may be rather low. Associated species include Acer rubrum, Carya tomentosa, Carya ovata, Cercis canadensis, Fraxinus americana, and Pinus virginiana. The midstory is typically sparse, with canopy species, as well as Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Prunus serotina var. serotina. The vegetation may vary in structure from open-canopy woodland (particularly as it invades herbaceous old fields) to dense, closed-canopy forest. (2) A mixed Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Quercus spp. suballiance represents stands that may be fire-suppressed native stands, and may not be natural in character. Various oaks (including Quercus coccinea, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina) are present. (3) Pinus spp. (especially Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus, and Pinus virginiana) stands occur on old fields (often from abandoned farmland), old pastures, clearcuts, and eroded areas. Soils are typically dry, acidic, and infertile. This forest typically has a very dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and little understory vegetation. The dense canopy may also include admixtures of other Pinus species (e.g., Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Pinus strobus) or other early-successional deciduous trees (e.g., Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica). Associated woody and herbaceous species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species. Shrub and herb layers are frequently very sparse. Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora are common. The herb layer is characterized by weedy natives and exotics such as Lycopodium digitatum, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Hieracium caespitosum, and Lespedeza cuneata.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Juniperus virginiana and/or Pinus virginiana (less often Pinus echinata or Pinus strobus) are dominant or at least 25% cover and mixed with a variety of other hardwoods, Ground layer species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species; Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora are common. The herb layer is characterized by weedy natives and exotics such as Lycopodium digitatum, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Hieracium caespitosum, and Lespedeza cuneata.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This very wide-ranging alliance could be split into northern versus southern alliances based on co-associated tree species. It is more typically found in the central United States. This alliance should exclude natural stands that may be either open rocky juniper woodlands or fire-suppressed native oak-juniper types, where associated woody species include Quercus muehlenbergii, Quercus stellata, Celtis tenuifolia, Ulmus alata, Cercis canadensis, and Fraxinus quadrangulata on calcareous or circumneutral sites.

The Juniperus virginiana suballiance formerly included elements that represented mature (100+ year) stands, on limestone or chalk, mostly in blacklands (as in the Blackbelt of Alabama, on the margins of Chalk Prairies), and also on sandstone (e.g., in Oklahoma).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Three dominance-based suballiances may be recognized: (1) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana stands may be very dense, and the stature may be rather low. The vegetation may vary in structure from open-canopy woodland (particularly as it invades herbaceous old fields) to dense, closed-canopy forest. (2) A mixed Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Quercus spp. suballiance represents stands that may be fire-suppressed native stands, and may not be more natural in character. (3) Pinus spp. (especially Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus, and Pinus virginiana) stands typically have a very dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and little understory vegetation.

Floristics: Three dominance-based suballiances may be recognized: (1) Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana stands occur widely and are more common on calcareous sites. Associated species include Acer rubrum, Carya tomentosa (= Carya alba), Carya ovata, Cercis canadensis, Fraxinus americana, and Pinus virginiana. The midstory is typically sparse, with canopy species as well as Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Prunus serotina var. serotina. (2) A mixed Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Quercus spp. suballiance represents stands, includes various oaks (including Quercus coccinea, Quercus phellos, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina) are present. Review is needed to determine if this suballiance should be moved to a native alliance or group. (3) Pinus spp. (especially Pinus echinata, Pinus strobus, and Pinus virginiana) contains a dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and may also include admixtures of other Pinus species (e.g., Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, Pinus rigida, Pinus strobus) or other early-successional deciduous trees (e.g., Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Prunus serotina, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Nyssa sylvatica). Associated woody and herbaceous species vary with geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species. Shrub and herb layers are frequently very sparse. Lonicera japonica and Rosa multiflora are common. The herb layer is often very sparse and characterized by weedy natives and exotics such as Lycopodium digitatum, Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Hieracium caespitosum, and Lespedeza cuneata. (Eyre 1980, Foti 1994).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  Forests in this alliance occur on usually high pH, fire-suppressed sites or old fields. The habitat for this alliance is most commonly old fields and pastures, successional cleared land, and other variously locally disturbed areas, especially on calcareous rocks.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the northeastern U.S. from Massachusetts and New York, adjacent Ontario, Canada, to the southeastern U.S. from Virginia to Oklahoma and Texas, to the midwestern U.S. from Iowa to Missouri, and possibly elsewhere.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH?, OK, ON, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA

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.Na Eastern North American Forest & Woodland Division D008 1.B.2.Na
Macrogroup 1.B.2.Na.90 Black Locust - Tuliptree - Norway Maple Ruderal Forest Macrogroup M013 1.B.2.Na.90
Group 1.B.2.Na.90.a Eastern Red-cedar - Tuliptree / Tatarian Honeysuckle Ruderal Forest Group G030 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Alliance A3227 Eastern Red-cedar - Virginia Pine - Shortleaf Pine Ruderal Forest Alliance A3227 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL002591 Virginia Pine Ruderal Forest CEGL002591 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL002593 Eastern Red-cedar Midwest Ruderal Forest CEGL002593 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL003628 Eastern Red-cedar / Little Bluestem Ruderal Forest CEGL003628 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL004731 Eastern Red-cedar - Oak species Ruderal Forest CEGL004731 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL004935 Post Oak - Eastern Red-cedar Ruderal Forest CEGL004935 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL006024 Eastern Red-cedar Ruderal Forest CEGL006024 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL006327 Shortleaf Pine Ruderal Forest CEGL006327 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL007121 Virginia Pine - Eastern Red-cedar - Winged Elm Ruderal Forest CEGL007121 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL007124 Eastern Red-cedar - (Oak species) Ruderal Forest CEGL007124 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL007704 Eastern Red-cedar / Winged Sumac / Little Bluestem Ruderal Woodland CEGL007704 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL007816 Eastern Red-cedar - Shortleaf Pine - Winged Elm / Smooth Sumac Ruderal Forest CEGL007816 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Association CEGL007944 Eastern White Pine Ruderal Forest CEGL007944 1.B.2.Na.90.a
Concept Lineage: parts of several alliances (A.119, A.128, A.131, A.137, A.383, A.545)

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen, D.J. Allard and M. Pyne, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-08-14
  • 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.
  • Foti, T., M. Blaney, X. Li, and K. G. Smith. 1994. A classification system for the natural vegetation of Arkansas. Proceedings of the Arkansas Academy of Science 48:50-53.