Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Pitch Pine / Black Huckleberry / (Wavy Hairgrass) Woodland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This association of sandy soils typically associated with pine barrens in New Jersey, north to New England, reflects a history of disturbance in its lack, or near absence of, Quercus ilicifolia. The tree canopy is of variable cover, often closed, dominated by Pinus rigida, generally with few other associates except Pinus echinata in New Jersey. The tall-shrub layer is poorly developed to absent; New Jersey occurrences may support scattered Quercus marilandica. A dense dwarf-shrub layer is dominated by Gaylussacia baccata, with other deciduous heaths including Vaccinium pallidum or Vaccinium angustifolium. The herbaceous layer is of variable cover and includes Carex pensylvanica, and in New England Deschampsia flexuosa is characteristic.

In New Jersey, pitch pine-heath uplands (PU1) are small- to mid-sized patch forests occurring throughout much of the Pinelands, mostly found scattered in a matrix of OP/PO forest, but also occasionally in a matrix of pine-shrub-oak types or next to wetlands. The forests often have a closed to partially-closed canopy strongly dominated by Pinus rigida, sometimes with minor amounts of Pinus echinata or Pinus virginiana in peripheral areas of the Pinelands. Tree oaks are typically absent, but can be present with less than 5% cover; species can include Quercus coccinea, Quercus velutina, Quercus alba, Quercus prinus (plus Quercus falcata in the southern Pinelands), with occasional Quercus stellata and Quercus marilandica in the midstory. A shrub oak stratum is typically absent due to canopy shading, but minor amounts of shrub-form Quercus marilandica and Quercus ilicifolia are sometimes present with covers of less than 1-5%. Other canopy and midstory associates can include minor amounts of Sassafras albidum. Fire-sensitive hardwoods and holly are absent. Low heath shrubs include Gaylussacia baccata, Gaylussacia frondosa, and Vaccinium pallidum. Herbs are sparse but often include Pteridium aquilinum, Gaultheria procumbens, and Melampyrum lineare, with Tephrosia virginiana and Carex pensylvanica in openings. There is a related type or variant of PU1 with greater amounts of Pinus echinata [see pitch pine-shortleaf pine-heath upland (PU2)].

Most PU1 is mid-successional pine forest established after a severe fire, clearcut or clearing event in OP/PO matrix forests, temporarily allowing pine dominance after enhanced pine regeneration (or after dense pine planting). In mid-successional stands, most tree-oak genets were either killed directly by a fire/disturbance event or their sprouts were shade suppressed by dense pine regeneration (or by forestry treatments). Most stands succeed back to OP/PO with time. Mean fire-return intervals are generally too great to establish and maintain pine-shrub-oak types (i.e., Pb/POw). Most mid-successional stands show no obvious signs of an original fire or disturbance, but some younger stands retain the geometric patch shapes of an old field or clearcut, or correspond with historical aerial photo signatures for an old field, clearcut or severe fire. A few limited areas of PU1 are also documented where excessive prescribed burning has eliminated shrub-oak strata in closed-canopy stands of pitch pine-shrub oak barrens. PU1 also occurs naturally in upland transition zones next to wetlands which have little or no slope, where influences from slightly high water tables and cold-air drainage and frost pockets seem to select against tree-oaks.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Pitch pine-shortleaf pine-heath upland (PU2) is related to or a variant of PU1 with over 5% cover of Pinus echinata in the canopy as an associate or codominant with Pinus rigida, or less commonly as the sole dominant. PU2 is most common as mid-successional stands within an OP/PO matrix, especially in peripheral and southern parts of the Pinelands, and is nearly absent in the fire-prone central Pinelands where pine-shrub oak types (Pb/POw) dominate, except for a few small PU2 stands near swamps. The distribution of PU2 is more restricted because shortleaf pine is less tolerant of frequent intense fires relative to pitch pine.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available