Print Report

A3276 Quercus muehlenbergii - Carya spp. - Quercus sinuata Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance accommodates and unites a variety of less well-known vegetation types from the coastal plains of the southeastern United States which contain basophilic species, including Carya spp., Fraxinus americana, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Quercus sinuata, as well as possibly Quercus shumardii and the uncommon Carya myristiciformis.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Chinquapin Oak - Hickory species - Bastard Oak Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: Coastal Plain Chinquapin Oak - Hickory Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance accommodates and unites a variety of less well-known vegetation types from the coastal plains of the southeastern United States which contain basophilic species, including Carya spp., Fraxinus americana, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Quercus sinuata, as well as possibly Quercus shumardii and the uncommon Carya myristiciformis. Dominant and characteristic understory trees may include Acer floridanum, Cercis canadensis, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, and Ulmus rubra. Some characteristic shrubs include Cornus drummondii, Rhus aromatica var. aromatica, and Sabal minor. Some grasses, other graminoids, and forbs include Allium canadense var. mobilense, Carex cherokeensis, Liatris aspera, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago auriculata, Sorghastrum nutans, and Zigadenus nuttallii.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Quercus muehlenbergii is of very limited distribution in the coastal plains, as is Quercus sinuata. In addition, primarily hardwood forests on circumneutral substrates are of very limited distribution in the coastal plains in general. These characteristics should serve to distinguish this vegetation.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Quercus sinuata has a somewhat unusual distribution, with its most continuous center of distribution apparently being in central Texas. It is also found along the Red River in Oklahoma and Arkansas, as well as scattered across the coastal plains from Texas to North Carolina. This is the range of the associations that make up this alliance. There are two varieties, var. sinuata and var. breviloba. Our material is presumably var. sinuata.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Canopy closure can vary somewhat with natural disturbances (fire, ice and wind storms), as well as management and inherent edaphic factors. Most associations are described as forests, but some may exhibit a more open woodland physiognomy. This variability is not well enough understood to use this distinction as an alliance-level classification variable.

Floristics: Stands of this alliance are dominated by some combination of Carya spp., Fraxinus americana, Quercus muehlenbergii, and Quercus sinuata, as well as possibly Quercus shumardii and the uncommon Carya myristiciformis. Dominant and characteristic understory trees may include Acer floridanum (= Acer barbatum), Cercis canadensis, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, and Ulmus rubra. Some characteristic shrubs include Cornus drummondii, Rhus aromatica var. aromatica, and Sabal minor. Some grasses, other graminoids, and forbs include Allium canadense var. mobilense, Carex cherokeensis, Liatris aspera, Schizachyrium scoparium, Solidago auriculata, Sorghastrum nutans, and Zigadenus nuttallii.

Dynamics:  Canopy closure can vary somewhat with natural disturbances (fire, ice and wind storms), as well as management and inherent edaphic factors. Abundant Juniperus virginiana in the subcanopy may be an indicator of the absence of fire.
Environmental Description:  Stands are found in a variety of habitats, including areas of deep, moist soil on nearly level terrain or slopes and ravines adjacent to blackland prairie in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas. Some specialized habitats of the various associations include dry-mesic slopes associated with prairie openings on the calcareous, heavy clay soils of the Jackson geologic formation (the Copenhagen Hills) of Louisiana, chalk savannas of Arkansas, as well as other locations of dry and mesic calcareous woodlands in the West Gulf Coastal Plain.
Geographic Range: These forests or woodlands are found in limited areas of the coastal plains of the southeastern United States. The distribution of the associations in this alliance is primarily in the West Gulf Coastal Plain of Arkansas and Louisiana, but associations are also documented from Georgia and with some uncertainty in Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas, ranging north into Tennessee and possibly Oklahoma.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL?, AR, GA, LA, MS?, OK?, TN, 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.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.1 White Oak - Southern Red Oak - Shortleaf Pine Forest & Woodland Macrogroup M016 1.B.2.Na.1
Group 1.B.2.Na.1.e Chinquapin Oak - Shumard Oak - Blue Ash Forest & Woodland Group G601 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Alliance A3276 Chinquapin Oak - Hickory species - Bastard Oak Forest Alliance A3276 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL003903 Chinquapin Oak - Hickory species / Hophornbeam Upper East Gulf Coastal Plain Forest CEGL003903 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL004023 Chinquapin Oak - (Bastard Oak) - Hickory species / Dwarf Palmetto / Cherokee Sedge Forest CEGL004023 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL007256 Bastard Oak - White Ash - Chinquapin Oak / Fragrant Sumac - Roughleaf Dogwood Forest CEGL007256 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL007775 Shumard Oak - Nutmeg Hickory - (Chinquapin Oak) / Cherokee Sedge - Indiangrass Woodland CEGL007775 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL007799 Eastern Red-cedar - Loblolly Pine - Bastard Oak Woodland CEGL007799 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL007966 Bastard Oak / Eared Goldenrod - Nuttall''s Deathcamas Mixed Herb Dry-Mesic Blackland Ravine Woodland CEGL007966 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Association CEGL007968 Chinquapin Oak - Bastard Oak / Fragrant Sumac / Tall Blazingstar - Meadow Garlic Woodland CEGL007968 1.B.2.Na.1.e
Concept Lineage: Three of seven associations are from the old alliance A.1912 (3/21), three from A.621 (3/11), and one from A.545 (1/11).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Quercus muehlenbergii forest alliance (Hoagland 1997)
>< T2A2bI. Juniperus virginiana - Quercus spp. (Foti et al. 1994)
Concept Author(s): M. Pyne, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: M. Pyne

Acknowledgements: We have incorporated significant descriptive information previously compiled by D.J. Allard, J. Teague, and D. Zollner.

Version Date: 09-26-14
  • 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.
  • Ambrose, Jon. Personal communication. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
  • Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 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.
  • Hoagland, B. W. 1997. Preliminary plant community classification for Oklahoma. Unpublished draft document, version 35629. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Norman. 47 pp.
  • Hoagland, B. W. 1998a. Classification of Oklahoma vegetation types. Working draft. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Norman. 43 pp.
  • Hoagland, Bruce W. Personal communication. Ecologist, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, University of Oklahoma, Norman.