Print Report
A3443 Quercus michauxii - Quercus pagoda - Quercus laurifolia Wet Flatwoods Forest Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: These are hardwood forests of nonriverine flats and other areas with a saturated hydrology in the coastal plains of the southeastern United States, dominated by Quercus michauxii and Quercus pagoda, with Carya aquatica, Carya cordiformis, Fagus grandifolia, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus alba, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus lyrata, and Quercus nigra.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Quercus michauxii - Quercus pagoda - Quercus laurifolia Wet Flatwoods Forest Alliance
Colloquial Name: Atlantic Coastal Plain Oak Wet Flatwoods Forest
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance includes hardwood forests of nonriverine flats and other areas with a saturated hydrology in the coastal plains of the southeastern United States from the Carolinas south to Georgia. Examples are dominated by Quercus michauxii and Quercus pagoda, with Carya aquatica, Carya cordiformis, Fagus grandifolia, Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus alba, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus lyrata, and Quercus nigra. Common woody plants in the understory typically include Acer rubrum, Asimina triloba, Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Clethra alnifolia, Cornus foemina, Ilex opaca var. opaca, Leucothoe axillaris, and Lindera benzoin var. benzoin. In addition, Sabal minor is conspicuous in the shrub stratum. Characteristic shrub and herbaceous species include Arisaema triphyllum, Arundinaria gigantea, Boehmeria cylindrica, Itea virginica, Eubotrys racemosa, Vaccinium formosum, and others. Hydrology and species composition separate these communities from alluvial bottomland communities with similar canopy composition. These forests are seasonally saturated and are on the borderline between upland and wetland.
Diagnostic Characteristics: These forests are seasonally saturated and are on the borderline between upland and wetland. Hydrology and species composition separate these communities from alluvial bottomland communities with similar canopy composition.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance includes a wet marl forest of the North Carolina Coastal Plain, and forests of moist to wet flats in interstream divides in regions of very subdued topographic relief in the outer Atlantic Coastal Plain.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These are generally closed-canopy forests with well-developed and diverse canopy, shrub, and herbaceous layers. The density of the subcanopy may vary.
Floristics: The canopies of stands of this alliance are dominated by combinations of Quercus michauxii, Quercus pagoda, and Quercus shumardii, with Carya aquatica, Carya cordiformis, Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia grandiflora, Nyssa sylvatica, Pinus taeda, Pinus glabra, Prunus serotina, Quercus laurifolia, Quercus lyrata, Quercus nigra, Quercus phellos, and others. In addition, Fagus grandifolia, Fraxinus americana, Gleditsia triacanthos, and Quercus alba may also be present in smaller amounts. Common woody plants in the understory typically include Acer rubrum, Asimina triloba, Carpinus caroliniana ssp. caroliniana, Clethra alnifolia, Cornus foemina (= Cornus stricta), Ilex opaca var. opaca, Leucothoe axillaris, and Lindera benzoin var. benzoin. In addition, Sabal minor is conspicuous in the shrub stratum. Characteristic shrub and herbaceous species include Arisaema triphyllum, Arundinaria gigantea, Boehmeria cylindrica, Itea virginica, Eubotrys racemosa (= Leucothoe racemosa), Vaccinium formosum, and others. One extremely rare and imperiled association from North Carolina (CEGL007316) occurs on wet marl and has several unusual calciphiles present such as Carya myristiciformis, Carex superata (= Carex willdenowii var. megarrhyncha), Cercis canadensis, Quercus shumardii, Tilia americana var. caroliniana, and others.
Dynamics: These communities never receive overland flooding from streams or rivers, though they may be affected by hurricane events. Hydrologically, these sites are near the conceptual boundary of upland and saturated communities; because of the very subdued topography, the water table is never far from the surface, and the ground is saturated for extended periods of time during the growing season.
Environmental Description: These forests are seasonally saturated and are on the borderline between upland and wetland. One association is found where marl approaches the surface closely enough to influence soil chemistry. The substrate is actually a coquina limestone, which consists of weakly metamorphosed deposits of marine fossils ("shell hash"). Another is found on moist to wet flats in interstream divides in regions of very subdued topographic relief.
Geographic Range: Vegetation of this alliance is found in the coastal plains of the southeastern United States from the Carolinas south to Georgia. Its associations are best documented from North Carolina and South Carolina.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: GA, NC, SC, VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899566
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Concept Lineage: A.353 (3/7)
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< IIA10c. Wet Marl Forest (Allard 1990)
>< IIA10e. Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Forest (Allard 1990)
>< IIA10e. Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Forest (Allard 1990)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.