Sumter National Forest Final Report - NatureServe

CONSERVATION RANKING & RARE SPECIESGRank: G4G5 (1997-8-15): No informationHigh-ranked species: Monotropsis odorata (G3)ELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONRange: This community occurs in the Southern Blue Ridge and Piedmont transition areas of western North Carolina, easternTennessee, northwestern South Carolina, and northeastern Georgia. It may possibly extend into Virginia.Subnations: GA, NC, SC, TN, VA?TNC Ecoregions: 51:C, 52:CUSFS Ecoregions: 231Aa:PPP, M221Dc:CCC, M221Dd:CCCFederal Lands: NPS (Blue Ridge Parkway?, Carl Sandburg Home, Great Smoky Mountains, Kings Mountain); USFS(Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Nantahala, Pisgah, Sumter)ELEMENT SOURCESReferences: Allard 1990, Ambrose 1990a, NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern U.S. unpubl. data, Nelson 1986, Peet et al. unpubl.data 2002, Schafale 1998b, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Simon pers. comm., Southeastern Ecology Working Group n.d.ROCK CHESTNUT OAK - NORTHERN RED OAK / GREAT RHODODENDRON / GALAX FORESTELEMENT IDENTIFIERSNVC association: Quercus prinus - Quercus rubra / Rhododendron maximum / Galax urceolata ForestDatabase Code: CEGL006286Formation: Lowland or submontane cold-deciduous forest (I.B.2.N.a)Alliance: Quercus prinus - Quercus rubra Forest Alliance (A.250)ELEMENT CONCEPTSummary: This montane deciduous forest is known from protected, steep north-facing slopes in the Southern Blue Ridge and rangesinto adjacent areas of the upper Piedmont. It is dominated by Quercus prinus, usually with lesser amounts of Quercus rubra and/orAcer rubrum, and always occurring over a dense, very tall shrub stratum (2-6 m) of Rhododendron maximum. In some areasRhododendron minus may dominate or Tsuga canadensis may have dense understory regeneration. Other common shrubs can includeGaylussacia ursina and Kalmia latifolia. Herbs are sparse. The ground cover is dominated by leaf litter, but Galax urceolata is inmost occurrences. Other herb species than can be typical include Chimaphila maculata, Goodyera pubescens, and Polystichumacrostichoides. Some examples may have sparse (woodland-like) canopies and occur in association with rock outcroppings. Thisforest is found on moderate to very steep slopes with northerly exposures, on lower slope positions, typically at elevations between2500 and 4000 feet. In the Great Smoky Mountains it was found consistently as a transitional band of vegetation, downslope fromdrier Quercus prinus ridgetop forests, Quercus (prinus, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens)Forest (CEGL006271), and grading into acidic cove forests, Liriodendron tulipifera - Betula lenta - Tsuga canadensis /Rhododendron maximum Forest (CEGL007543) on the steep ravines below.Environment: This is typically a mid-slope to lower slope type, but it can be found on upper slopes in a more sheltered position (M.Schafale pers. comm.).Vegetation: The canopy can contain Betula alleghaniensis (= Betula lutea), Pinus strobus, Quercus alba, Nyssa sylvatica, Magnoliafraseri, and Oxydendrum arboreum. It is intermediate between acidic cove forest and Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) forest (M.Schafale pers. comm.).Dynamics: No informationSimilar Associations:• Quercus (prinus, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia / (Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest (CEGL006271)• Quercus prinus - (Quercus rubra) - Carya spp. / Oxydendrum arboreum - Cornus florida Forest (CEGL007267)• Quercus rubra / (Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron maximum) / Galax urceolata Forest (CEGL007299)Related Concepts:• Chestnut Oak Forest (Rhododendron Subtype) (Schafale 1998b) ?• IA6d. Chestnut Oak Slope and Ridge Forest (Allard 1990)Classification Comments: This association is more protected and more mesic than Quercus (prinus, coccinea) / Kalmia latifolia /(Galax urceolata, Gaultheria procumbens) Forest (CEGL006271). It occurs at lower elevations and on more protected topographicpositions than Quercus rubra / (Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron maximum) / Galax urceolata Forest (CEGL007299). It is much lessdiverse than Quercus prinus - (Quercus rubra) - Carya spp. / Oxydendrum arboreum - Cornus florida Forest (CEGL007267), lackingthe diverse herbaceous and woody components found in that association.CONSERVATION RANKING & RARE SPECIESGRank: G4 (1999-12-21): This community is uncommon, but not rare, throughout most of its range. As currently defined, it is aregional endemic, found only in the Southern Blue Ridge. This community is often overlooked or not distinguished separately ininventories, thus it is more common than the number of documented occurrences suggests.Vegetation of Sumter National Forest April 30 2004Copyright © 2004 NatureServe80