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A3238 Pinus banksiana - Pinus resinosa - Quercus ellipsoidalis Forest & Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This forest and woodland alliances occurs on dry or shallow soils over bedrock in the northern Midwest, New England, and eastern temperate Canada. It is dominated by Pinus banksiana, often associated with Pinus resinosa and/or Quercus ellipsoidalis.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Jack Pine - Red Pine - Northern Pin Oak Forest & Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Laurentian Jack Pine - Red Pine - Oak Forest & Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance, found in New England and the Great Lakes region in the United States, as well as eastern temperate Canada, contains rocky or sandy pine barrens and woodlands on dry or shallow soils over bedrock or sandy outwash plains. It is typified by forests and woodlands dominated by Pinus banksiana, Pinus resinosa, and/or Quercus ellipsoidalis. Understory composition varies from heath-dominated to a mixture of graminoids, open rocky areas with lichens, and scrub oak. Stands are often fire-maintained.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Sites are typically dominated by Pinus banksiana, although some may be dominated by Pinus resinosa or Quercus ellipsoidalis. They are restricted to dry or shallow soils over bedrock in the northern midwestern U.S., New England, and eastern temperate Canada.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: These are the northern dry pine forests and woodlands mostly within the Laurentian area of the northern U.S. and eastern temperate Canada. Subboreal examples are found within ~Laurentian Subboreal Dry Jack Pine - Red Pine - Oak Woodland Group (G347)$$. More data may be needed to fully separate and define the separation between subboreal and more temperate forest associations within the component alliances of these two groups, especially in the northern midwestern United States and eastern temperate Canada.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Forests and woodlands dominated by conifers and oak species in the northern Midwest, New England, and eastern temperate Canada.
Floristics: These forests and woodlands are typically dominated by Pinus banksiana, Pinus resinosa, and Quercus ellipsoidalis. Other associated trees include Abies balsamea, Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina, Picea mariana, Picea rubens (in eastern examples), Pinus strobus, and Populus tremuloides. Shrubs range from dense to scattered and can include Amelanchier spp., Acer pensylvanicum, Cornus spp., Juniperus spp., Ilex mucronata (= Nemopanthus mucronatus), Aronia melanocarpa, Sorbus americana, and Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides. Herbs include graminoids, ferns, and forbs, and range from dense to scattered. Species can include Carex spp., Danthonia spicata, Deschampsia flexuosa, Gaultheria procumbens, Pteridium aquilinum, and Solidago simplex var. randii. Many stands contain a low-shrub layer dominated by heath shrubs, including Comptonia peregrina, Gaylussacia baccata, Vaccinium angustifolium, Vaccinium myrtilloides, and Vaccinium pallidum. The ground layer in many stands includes many lichens and mosses, which may form a continuous mat in some areas. Characteristic lichens include Cladonia spp., Stereocaulon sp., and Xanthoparmelia sp. Characteristic mosses include Polytrichum spp. and Pleurozium schreberi.
Dynamics: Fire is important in most examples and helps maintain the open structure of the woodland examples.
Environmental Description: Stands are found on flat to rolling topography, such as glaciofluvial and lacustrine deposits, eskers, moraines, and other glacial features, and sporadically on dry rocky summits, ridges, outcrops and lakeshores. The soils are shallow to deep sandy loams, fine sands, and loamy sands, with low organic content.
Geographic Range: This community is found in the northern midwestern United States, New England, and eastern temperate Canada.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: ME, MI, MN, NB, NH, NS?, NY, ON, PE?, QC, VT, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899362
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: Dry pine-oak forests in the Laurentian region of the western Great Lakes. It contains associations with similar dominants and diagnostics from A.391, A.507, A.612, and A.116.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Northern Dry Forest (Curtis 1959) [Wisconsin]
>< Northern Pin Oak: 14 (Eyre 1980)
? Southern Dry Forest (Curtis 1959)
>< Northern Pin Oak: 14 (Eyre 1980)
? Southern Dry Forest (Curtis 1959)
- Curtis, J. T. 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin: An ordination of plant communities. Reprinted in 1987. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 657 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.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., and Midwest State Natural Heritage Program Ecologists. 1996. Terrestrial vegetation of the midwest United States. International classification of ecological communities: Terrestrial vegetation of the United States. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- MNNHP [Minnesota Natural Heritage Program]. 1993. Minnesota''s native vegetation: A key to natural communities. Version 1.5. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, St. Paul, MN. 110 pp.