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G790 Quercus hemisphaerica - Quercus geminata - Quercus nigra Coastal Plain Forest Group
Type Concept Sentence: This group includes broad-leaved evergreen forests of coastal areas in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain, from North Carolina south into Florida and west to Alabama, dominated variably by Quercus hemisphaerica, Quercus geminata, and/or Quercus nigra. Pinus species, particularly Pinus taeda, may also be present.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sand Laurel Oak - Sand Live Oak - Water Oak Coastal Plain Forest Group
Colloquial Name: Southern Evergreen Oak Forest
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group includes broad-leaved evergreen forests of coastal areas in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain, from North Carolina south into Florida and west to Alabama. These forests occur in inland portions of the Coastal Plain, as well as on barrier islands, bayside shores, and related near-coastal environments. Most typical stands are dominated by Quercus spp., primarily Quercus hemisphaerica, but also Quercus falcata, Quercus geminata, Quercus nigra, and Quercus virginiana. In addition, Pinus species, particularly Pinus taeda, may be present. There are two suites of vegetation types placed here, represented by the two member alliances. One of these includes dry inland hammocks dominated by Quercus geminata, often with Serenoa repens. The other includes dry-mesic to mesic forests of lower and adjacent upper coastal plains, including those found in fire-sheltered topographic situations, or in fire-prone topographic situations from which fire has been excluded.
Diagnostic Characteristics: These are upland forests of the outer coastal plains of the southeastern United States, dominated by a mixture of broad-leaved evergreen trees, broad-leaved deciduous trees, and needle-leaved evergreen trees.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The related ~Coastal Live Oak - Hickory - Palmetto Forest Group (G798)$$ includes vegetation of presumably more nutrient-rich environments, dominated primarily by Quercus virginiana, found on barrier islands but also on slopes and broad uplands further inland. These two groups, G790 and G798, were reworked on a floristic basis, instead of being "maritime" and "non-maritime."
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: These forests are generally dominated by broad-leaved evergreen trees, particularly Quercus geminata, Quercus hemisphaerica, and/or Quercus virginiana. Examples can also include tardily deciduous trees, particularly Quercus nigra, and other deciduous Quercus spp., as well as needle-leaved evergreen trees, particularly Pinus taeda. The subcanopy and shrub layers are also a mixture of physiognomies, with broad-leaved evergreen shrubs and understory trees being diverse and prominent.
Floristics: Most typical stands are dominated by broad-leaved evergreen Quercus spp., primarily Quercus hemisphaerica and/or Quercus virginiana, but also the deciduous or tardily deciduous Quercus falcata, Quercus geminata, Quercus nigra, and Quercus virginiana. Pinus species, particularly Pinus taeda, may also be present. One suite of communities included in this group are dry inland hammocks dominated by Quercus geminata. They often have Serenoa repens, and also may include Lyonia ferruginea, Morella cerifera (= Myrica cerifera), Osmanthus americanus var. americanus, Persea borbonia, and Quercus myrtifolia. Some characteristic shrubs include Ilex vomitoria, Lyonia fruticosa, Serenoa repens, and Sideroxylon lanuginosum. Inland subxeric hammocks of Florida are dominated by Quercus geminata, and may have other Quercus spp. The understory typically contains Ilex opaca, Serenoa repens, Smilax spp., Vaccinium arboreum, and Vaccinium stamineum. Sabal etonia is a characteristic shrub of stands on the Lake Wales Ridge. This group also contains dry-mesic to mesic forests of the lower and adjacent upper coastal plains; this vegetation is characteristically dominated or codominated by the evergreen oak Quercus hemisphaerica, typically with Pinus taeda and Quercus nigra. Other typical tree species found in these stands include Ilex opaca var. opaca, Quercus falcata, Quercus geminata, and Quercus virginiana. Other characteristic species may include Lyonia lucida, Osmanthus americanus var. americanus, Persea borbonia, Persea palustris, and Vitis rotundifolia.
Dynamics: The critical environmental parameters of the dry-mesic to mesic component vegetation types include longer fire-return times than are found in adjacent pine-dominated vegetation. The litter of the broad-leaved evergreen trees that dominate this forest group does not readily burn, so fires that burn the surrounding longleaf pine habitats will generally not burn these hammocks. In natural types, this absence of fire naturally results from topographic position. In early-successional ruderal types, this relative absence of fire is the result of fragmentation of the landscape and loss of fine fuels in remaining fragments. In Florida, there has been an increase in the size and number of oak hammocks, occurring as patches within the longleaf pine ecosystem. Lower frequency of growing-season fires apparently has contributed to the increased size and number of these xeric hammocks (Myers 1990a).
Environmental Description: These forests occur in inland portions of the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain, as well as on barrier islands, bayside shores, and related near-coastal environments. The soils at sites with dry inland hammocks dominated by Quercus geminata typically contain deep, infertile sands. Habitat for these forests is decreasing and many associations are now rare. The dry-mesic to mesic forests of the lower and adjacent upper coastal plains typically occur in fire-sheltered topographic situations, or in more fire-prone topographic situations as the result of fire suppression. These environments include submesic to xeric upland sands of slopes and bluffs, topographically isolated ridges and other sandy uplands, and swamp islands. Some of these sites are called high hammocks or pioneer hammocks. Soils are typically sandy and nutrient-poor. Examples also occur on nutrient-poor sandy and gravelly sites where the topsoil has been lost due to heavy erosion.
Geographic Range: This vegetation is found from coastal North Carolina south into Florida and west to Alabama.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AL, FL, GA, NC, SC
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.933350
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.1 Warm Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F018 | 1.B.1 |
| Division | 1.B.1.Na Southeastern North American Forest & Woodland Division | D006 | 1.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.1.Na.2 Live Oak - Texas Live Oak - Darlington Oak Forest Macrogroup | M885 | 1.B.1.Na.2 |
| Group | 1.B.1.Na.2.b Sand Laurel Oak - Sand Live Oak - Water Oak Coastal Plain Forest Group | G790 | 1.B.1.Na.2.b |
| Alliance | A0052 Sand Live Oak - Saw Palmetto Dry Sclerophyll Forest Alliance | A0052 | 1.B.1.Na.2.b |
| Alliance | A0053 Darlington Oak - Water Oak Forest Alliance | A0053 | 1.B.1.Na.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Myers, R. L. 1990a. Scrub and high pine. Pages 150-193 in: R. L. Myers and J. L. Ewel, editors. Ecosystems of Florida. University of Central Florida Press, Orlando.