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A3634 Quercus virginiana - Quercus pagoda - Quercus nigra Coastal Plain Swamp Forest Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: These temporarily and infrequently flooded forests are dominated by Quercus virginiana with Quercus pagoda and Quercus nigra, and occur on antecedent and current floodplain systems of large coastal plain rivers of both the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from South Carolina to Florida and Texas.


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Live Oak - Cherrybark Oak - Water Oak Coastal Plain Swamp Forest Alliance

Colloquial Name: Southeast Coastal Plain Live Oak Swamp Forest

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes temporarily and infrequently flooded forests dominated by Quercus virginiana with Quercus pagoda and Quercus nigra occurring on older and more recent natural levee ridges and terraces within antecedent and current floodplain systems of large coastal plain rivers of both the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from South Carolina to Florida and Texas. Species composition is also variable depending on hydrology and geographic location. Other characteristic species include Carpinus caroliniana, Carya glabra, Celtis laevigata, Fraxinus americana, Ilex opaca var. opaca, Ilex vomitoria, Liquidambar styraciflua, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus glabra, Pinus taeda, Sabal minor, and Viburnum dentatum. Hydrology is variable, including temporarily flooded areas within current floodplains and very infrequently flooded areas within antecedent floodplains.

Diagnostic Characteristics: These are temporarily and infrequently flooded forests dominated by Quercus virginiana with Quercus pagoda and Quercus nigra occurring on large coastal plain rivers of both the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Type concept summary largely based on old alliance Quercus virginiana Temporarily Flooded Forest Alliance (A.57).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Stands of this alliance are dominated by Quercus virginiana with Quercus pagoda and Quercus nigra. Other characteristic species include Carpinus caroliniana, Carya glabra, Celtis laevigata, Fraxinus americana, Ilex opaca var. opaca, Ilex vomitoria, Liquidambar styraciflua, Magnolia grandiflora, Pinus glabra, Pinus taeda, Sabal minor, and Viburnum dentatum. Other shrubs include Callicarpa americana, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera var. cerifera). and Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis. Woody vines are common and include Nekemias arborea (= Ampelopsis arborea), Berchemia scandens, Bignonia capreolata, Campsis radicans, and Toxicodendron radicans. The epiphytes Pleopeltis polypodioides ssp. michauxiana and Tillandsia usneoides may also be present.

Dynamics:  No Data Available

Environmental Description:  These forests occur on older and more recent natural levee ridges and terraces within antecedent and current floodplain systems of large coastal plain rivers of both the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains from South Carolina to Florida and Texas. Hydrology is variable, including temporarily flooded areas within current floodplains and very infrequently flooded areas within antecedent floodplains. Species composition is variable depending on hydrology and geographic location.

Geographic Range: Stands of this alliance are found in the south Atlantic and East Gulf coastal plains, ranging into the Florida peninsula, the Texas coastal prairies and marshes, and north into the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Plain.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, SC




Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: GNR

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: A.57 (2/ ); A.375(2/ ); A.376 (2/ ); A.379 (2/ );

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: >< Hardwood Bottom (White et al. 1983)
>< Live Oak: 89 (Eyre 1980)

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 Latimore Smith, Paul Harcombe, and Alan Weakley.

Version Date: 01-08-14

  • Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 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.
  • White, D. A., S. P. Darwin, and L. B. Thien. 1983. Plants and plant communities of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, Louisiana. Tulane Studies in Zoology and Botany 24:101-129.