Ohio subset of Plant Communities of the Midwest ... - NatureServe

Forests and Woodlands: Midwestern Dry and Dry-mesic Oak Forests
Quercus velutina - Quercus alba / Vaccinium (angustifolium, pallidum) / Carex pensylvanica
Forest
Black Oak - White Oak / (Northern Lowbush Blueberry, Hillside Blueberry) / Pennsylvania Sedge Forest
Black Oak - White Oak / Blueberry Forest
CEGL005030
DESCRIPTION: The tree canopy is typically closed, with greater than 80% cover. Quercus velutina and Quercus alba
are the dominant species. The shrub layer contains Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium pallidum, at least in
Ohio. The herbaceous layer can be strongly dominated by Carex pensylvanica (Anderson 1996, White and Madany
1978).
Soils are well-drained (water moves through readily, but not rapidly), sandy and free of mottling. Horizons may be
brownish, yellowish, grayish, or reddish. The soils may be mottled deep in the C horizon or below depths of 0.6 m.
Stands are limited to areas of sand deposits.
Sand forests occupy portions of sand deposits where natural firebreaks have greatly reduced burning frequency.
Post-settlement fire exclusion has probably increased the acreage of sand forest at the expense of sand savannas
(such as Quercus velutina - (Quercus alba) - Quercus ellipsoidalis / Schizachyrium scoparium - Lupinus perennis
Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation CEGL002492).
COMMENTS: 2, MCS. This type is found on sands, but tends to be dry-mesic, thereby increasing the relative
contribution of Quercus alba in the type. The concept is initially derived from Illinois' "dry-mesic sand forest" (White
and Madany 1978), where it can be found in Mason County, and may occur in close proximity to pure Quercus
velutina stands, Quercus velutina / Carex pensylvanica Forest (CEGL002078), which may be on dry sand ridges.
Type may be in northern Indiana on sand. This type may historically have had a more woodland structure. In
Michigan, type may be equivalent to Manistee National Forest ecological land types ELTP 10, 11, 12, if not too far
north (Cleland et al. 1994). In Ohio this type represents acid Oak Openings region forest.
CONSERVATION RANK: G4.
DISTRIBUTION: This oak-dominated forest community is found in the southern Great Lakes region of the United
States and Canada, ranging from the northern parts of Illinois and Indiana to Michigan, Ohio and Ontario.
USFS ECOREGIONS: 212Ht:PPP, 212Hu:PPP, 212Hw:PP, 212Hx:PPP, 222Ig:CCC, 222Ja:CC, 222Ji:CCC, 222Jj:CCC,
222Kj:CCC, 251Cf:CCC
CONSERVATION REGIONS: 36:C, 45:C, 48:C
STATES: IL IN MI OH PROVINCES: ON
MIDWEST HERITAGE SYNONYMY: IL dry-mesic sand forest =
IN dry upland forest +
MI dry southern forest - black oak-white oak +
OH oak-hickory forest +
OTHER SYNONYMY: oak barrens (Anderson 1996) B. Anderson suggests that all physiognomic categories of forest,
woodland, scrub and herbaceous could be applied to his concept of oak barrens. The more closed condition would
fall under this type, and rarely under his oak-hickory forest type. In his chapter on Oak Forests, Anderson states,
"Another oak forest type excluded from the general oak category is the black oak-white oak stands on beach ridges in
northern Ohio, especially in and near the Oak Openings region west of Toledo. All of these, mostly closed canopied
stands are closely related to the partly wooded oak barrens there, and most were probably somewhat open oak
barrens themselves in the early 19th century. They may be legitimately considered as a newly formed, closed
canopied oak type, but because of their close relationship with oak barrens and their limited areal extent, they are not
separated here as a discrete, major forest type. They are included as part of the oak barren complex."
USNVC HIERARCHY: QUERCUS VELUTINA - QUERCUS ALBA - (QUERCUS COCCINEA) FOREST ALLIANCE (I.B.2.N.a)
PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST – 2001. APPENDIX: ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTIONS
414