Sumter National Forest Final Report - NatureServe

fern stratum, with Thelypteris noveboracensis and Polystichum acrostichoides most typically dominant. Other ferns include Athyriumfilix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, and Dryopteris intermedia.Dynamics: No informationSimilar Associations:• Quercus prinus - (Quercus rubra) - Carya spp. / Oxydendrum arboreum - Cornus florida Forest (CEGL007267) -- is drier andless diverse.Related Concepts:• IA6h. Montane Oak - Hickory Forest (Allard 1990) B• Montane Oak-Hickory Forest (Acidic Subtype) (Schafale 1998b) ?• Oak - Chestnut - Hickory Forest (Ambrose 1990a) BClassification Comments: This association is meant to cover the typical acidic, oak-hickory forests of the Southern Blue RidgeMountains. It has a broad concept, and there is potential for subdividing this type by moisture, elevation, or undergrowth. It can bedistinguished from Quercus prinus - (Quercus rubra) - Carya spp. / Oxydendrum arboreum - Cornus florida Forest (CEGL007267)by higher species diversity and the presence of a substantial amount of Quercus alba.CONSERVATION RANKING & RARE SPECIESGRank: G5 (1998-4-30): No informationHigh-ranked species: Carex manhartii (G3), Sisyrinchium dichotomum (G2)ELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONRange: This community is found in the Southern Blue Ridge and the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition of the eastern United States.Subnations: GA, NC, SC, TNTNC Ecoregions: 51:C, 52:PUSFS Ecoregions: 231Ag:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M221Dd:CCCFederal Lands: NPS (Blue Ridge Parkway?, Carl Sandburg Home, Great Smoky Mountains); USFS (Chattahoochee, Cherokee,Nantahala, Pisgah, Sumter)ELEMENT SOURCESReferences: Allard 1990, Ambrose 1990a, Major et al. 1999, NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern U.S. unpubl. data, Nelson 1986,Peet et al. unpubl. data 2002, Schafale 1998b, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Southeastern Ecology Working Group n.d.UPLANDS, UNVEGETATEDSOUTHERN APPALACHIAN GRANITIC DOMETWISTED-HAIR SPIKE-MOSS - MOUNTAIN CYNTHIA - LONGLEAF SUMMER BLUET HERBACEOUS VEGETATIONELEMENT IDENTIFIERSNVC association: Selaginella tortipila - Krigia montana - Houstonia longifolia Herbaceous VegetationDatabase Code: CEGL004283Formation: Low temperate or subpolar perennial forb vegetation (V.B.2.N.b)Alliance: Selaginella (tortipila, rupestris) Herbaceous Alliance (A.1985)ELEMENT CONCEPTSummary: This association is found on granitic exfoliation domes and rock faces at intermediate to high elevations in the southernBlue Ridge of the Carolinas and Georgia. This association occurs on exposed, often south-facing sites, with smooth, exfoliationsurfaces and few cracks or crevices for soil accumulation. These rock surfaces are typically steep to vertical but may include flatareas. This association typically occurs at elevations from 1067-1372 m (3500-4500 feet), but may be found at slightly higher orlower elevations. This community occurs in large patches, ranging in size from 10 to over 100 acres, with vegetation stronglydominated by shallow-soil herb mats over solid rock. These shallow mats can have 10-90% coverage and are interspersed with areasof bare rock, patches of lichens (e.g., Cladina spp., Cladonia furcata), and mosses (e.g., Grimmia laevigata). Woody species fromadjacent woodlands and shrublands may be scattered components, rooted in deeper soil pockets, older stable vegetation mats, andaround the outcrop margins. Selaginella tortipila is almost always a major dominant of the vegetation mats. Other characteristicherbaceous species are Hypericum buckleii, Packera millefolia (= Senecio millefolium), Carex biltmoreana, Carex umbellata,Solidago simulans, Danthonia epilis (= Danthonia sericea var. epilis), Danthonia compressa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Schizachyriumscoparium, Krigia montana, Trichophorum caespitosum (= Scirpus cespitosus), Houstonia longifolia (= var. glabra), and Saxifragamichauxii. Woody species can include Leiophyllum buxifolium, Quercus rubra, Pinus virginiana, Pinus rigida, Kalmia latifolia,Vaccinium spp., Gaylussacia baccata, Rhododendron catawbiense, Kalmia latifolia, and Rhododendron carolinianum.Environment: No informationVegetation: No informationVegetation of Sumter National Forest April 30 2004Copyright © 2004 NatureServe82