Print Report

A3324 Quercus alba - Quercus macrocarpa - Quercus bicolor Woodland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance, found primarily in the central midwestern United States and southwestern Ontario, Canada, includes oak woodlands of dry to moist soils dominated by Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, or less commonly Quercus bicolor. Carya ovata, Quercus ellipsoidalis, Quercus palustris, Quercus velutina, and Acer rubrum are occasional canopy associates.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: White Oak - Bur Oak - Swamp White Oak Woodland Alliance

Colloquial Name: White Oak - Bur Oak - Swamp White Oak Woodland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance, found primarily in the central midwestern United States and southwestern Ontario, Canada, includes oak woodlands of dry to moist well-drained soils dominated by Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, or less commonly Quercus bicolor. The trees are generally shorter in stature than those occurring in a forested situation, and older trees typically exhibit spreading lower branches. Carya ovata, Quercus ellipsoidalis, Quercus palustris, Quercus stellata (in central Illinois and Missouri), Quercus velutina, and Acer rubrum are occasional canopy associates. Shrubs are usually sparse, sometimes scattered ericaceous species, but more typically Ceanothus americanus or Corylus americana. The herbaceous flora is usually dominated by grasses and forbs such as Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Lupinus perennis, Helianthus spp., Asclepias tuberosa, Desmodium spp., and Lespedeza spp. (Lespedeza capitata, Lespedeza violacea, Lespedeza virginica), or Carex pensylvanica. On the lakeplain in southern Michigan and southwest Ontario, a variety of oaks (Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus palustris, and Quercus velutina) dominate the canopy, while the ground layer is dominated by Amphicarpaea bracteata, Andropogon gerardii, Apios americana, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex pensylvanica, Galium boreale, and Pteridium aquilinum. Soils of this alliance are dry to moist and typically well-drained. In the Midwest, stands are typically found on sand or loamy sands. In southwestern Ontario and Michigan, stands occur on undisturbed sand ridges and raised areas in poorly drained glacial lakeplains, sometimes on silty loams. The pH is typically 5.0-7.2. Quercus bicolor or Quercus macrocarpa woodlands may also be found on floodplain terraces or depressional settings. Stands are fire-dependent, and in its absence can form dense oak forests with an increasing component of mesic fire-intolerant hardwood tree species.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Woodlands dominated by Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, or less commonly Quercus bicolor which are typically shorter in stature (5-15 m) than trees occurring within similar forests (>15 m), and in which the canopy ranges from 25-80% cover.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Oak woodlands are distinguished here from both forest alliances in this group and from oak openings and barrens (savannas) in ~Central Midwest Oak Openings & Barrens Group (G181)$$. It may be that this type could be separated into dry versus mesic to wet-mesic oak woodlands, but sites can occur in rolling sandy topography leading to complexes that can vary over short distances from dry-mesic to wet-mesic. Fire tends to over-ride some of the role of moisture on overall composition. In addition, Quercus bicolor woodlands may overlap with Quercus bicolor flatwoods in ~Quercus palustris - Quercus bicolor Flatwoods & Swamp Forest Alliance (A0329)$$, as oak flatwoods can also have a woodland structure.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These open oak woodlands contain a canopy cover of 25-80%, with an open shrub, forb and graminoid layer, often with tallgrass prairie associates. The trees are generally shorter in stature than those occurring in a forested situation, and older trees typically exhibit spreading lower branches. Tree densities for stems greater than 7.0 cm dbh average 98 stems/ha, with an average canopy cover of 48%.

Floristics: This alliance includes oak woodlands of dry to well-drained soils dominated by Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, or less commonly Quercus bicolor. The trees are generally shorter in stature than those occurring in a forested situation, and older trees typically exhibit spreading lower branches. Carya ovata, Quercus ellipsoidalis, Quercus palustris, Quercus stellata (in central Illinois and Missouri), Quercus velutina, and Acer rubrum are occasional canopy associates. Shrubs are usually sparse, sometimes scattered ericaceous species, but more typically Ceanothus americanus or Corylus americana. The herbaceous flora is usually dominated by grasses and forbs such as Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Lupinus perennis, Helianthus spp., Asclepias tuberosa, Desmodium spp., and Lespedeza spp. (Lespedeza capitata, Lespedeza violacea (= Lespedeza intermedia), Lespedeza virginica), or Carex pensylvanica. On the lakeplain in southern Michigan and southwest Ontario a variety of oaks (Quercus alba, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus palustris, and Quercus velutina) dominate the canopy, while the ground layer is dominated by Amphicarpaea bracteata, Andropogon gerardii, Apios americana, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex pensylvanica, Galium boreale, and Pteridium aquilinum. Quercus bicolor or Quercus macrocarpa woodlands may also be found on floodplain terraces or depressional settings.

Dynamics:  Stands are fire-dependent, and in its absence can form dense oak forests with an increasing component of mesic fire-intolerant hardwood tree species.
Environmental Description:  Soils of this alliance are dry to well-drained. In the Midwest, stands are typically found on sand or loamy sands. In southwestern Ontario and Michigan, stands occur on undisturbed sand ridges and raised areas in poorly drained glacial lakeplains, sometimes on silty loams. The pH is typically 5.0-7.2. This type can occur in rolling sandy topography leading to complexes that can vary over short distances from dry-mesic to wet-mesic. Quercus bicolor or Quercus macrocarpa woodlands may also be found on floodplain terraces or depressional settings. Fire tends to over-ride some of the role of moisture on overall composition.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the central midwestern United States and southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, ON, WI


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.4 White Oak - Bur Oak - Shagbark Hickory Forest, Woodland & Savanna Macrogroup M012 1.B.2.Na.4
Group 1.B.2.Na.4.b North-Central Oak - Hickory Forest & Woodland Group G649 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Alliance A3324 White Oak - Bur Oak - Swamp White Oak Woodland Alliance A3324 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL002065 Bur Oak - Quaking Aspen / Wild Sarsaparilla Forest CEGL002065 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL002134 White Oak - (Shagbark Hickory) / Pennsylvania Sedge Glaciated Woodland CEGL002134 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL002142 White Oak - Bur Oak - Northern Red Oak / American Hazelnut Woodland CEGL002142 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL002144 Chinquapin Oak - (White Oak, Black Oak) - (Eastern Red-cedar) Driftless Bluff Woodland CEGL002144 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL005054 White Oak - Black Oak - Pin Oak / Pennsylvania Sedge Woodland CEGL005054 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL005181 Swamp White Oak - (Bur Oak, Post Oak) Woodland CEGL005181 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL005281 Post Oak - Black Oak / Little Bluestem Woodland CEGL005281 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Association CEGL005560 Bur Oak - (White Oak, Northern Pin Oak, Black Oak) Woodland CEGL005560 1.B.2.Na.4.b
Concept Lineage: The associations in this new alliance were all central US and southern Canada types taken from A.612.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Oak Openings (Curtis 1959) [Wisconsin]
>< White Oak - Black Oak - Northern Red Oak: 52 (Eyre 1980)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-18-14
  • Anderson, R. C., and M. R. Anderson. 1975. The presettlement vegetation of Williamson County, Illinois. Castanea 40:345-363.
  • Bakowsky, W. 1988. The phytosociology of midwestern savanna in the Carolinian Region of Southern Ontario. M.S. thesis, University of Toronto. 118 pp. plus appendices.
  • Brewer, L. 1989. A survey of the oak barrens and savannas of the Oak Openings Preserve Metropark. Report submitted to The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Chapter. 21 pp.
  • 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.