Sumter National Forest Final Report - NatureServe

Federal Lands: NPS (Blue Ridge Parkway?, Great Smoky Mountains); USFS (Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Daniel Boone, Nantahala,Pisgah, Sumter)ELEMENT SOURCESReferences: Allard 1990, CAP pers. comm. 1998, Eyre 1980, Peet et al. unpubl. data 2002, Schafale 1998b, Schafale and Weakley1990, Southeastern Ecology Working Group n.d.GREAT RHODODENDRON UPLAND SHRUBLANDELEMENT IDENTIFIERSNVC association: Rhododendron maximum Upland ShrublandDatabase Code: CEGL003819Formation: Hemi-sclerophyllous temperate broad-leaved evergreen shrubland (III.A.2.N.b)Alliance: Rhododendron maximum Shrubland Alliance (A.745)ELEMENT CONCEPTSummary: This community occurs along streams and on protected slopes in the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, SouthCarolina, Georgia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. It is a broad-leaved, evergreen shrubland which forms a continuous, dense shrubcanopy up to 5 m tall. Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron minus, and Rhododendron catawbiense may also occur as components of theshrub stratum. Shrub vegetation beneath the upper shrub canopy may be open to dense depending on the stand's age and topographicsetting. The ground layer is dominated by leaf litter or bare soil, although scattered herbs and woody seedlings do occur. Seedlingsand saplings of Rhododendron maximum, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, Betula alleghaniensis, and Tsuga canadensis are common andtypical herbs include Dryopteris intermedia, Heuchera villosa, Viola spp., Thelypteris noveboracensis, Listera smallii, and Galaxurceolata. This shrubland is typical along streams and on mesic, unexposed, often north-facing slopes at elevations of approximately300-1100 m (1000-3000 feet). Soils supporting this community are typically acid. Occurrences at edges of streams may flood duringrainy seasons. This community can occur as the result of disturbance and will succeed to forest with an ericaceous understory withoutsome form of disturbance. This community may have scattered woody species that are greater than 5 m tall but with generally lessthan 10% total cover.Environment: This community occurs along streams and on mesic, unexposed, often north-facing slopes at elevations ofapproximately 300-1100 m (1000-3000 feet). Soils supporting this community are typically acid. Occurrences at edges of streamsmay flood during rainy seasons.Vegetation: This evergreen, sclerophyllous shrubland is dominated by Rhododendron maximum which forms a continuous, denseshrub canopy up to 5 m tall. Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron minus, and Rhododendron catawbiense may also occur as components ofthe shrub stratum. Shrub vegetation beneath the upper shrub canopy may be open to dense depending on the stand's age andtopographic setting. Species such as Tsuga canadensis, Pinus strobus, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, and Liriodendron tulipifera in thetree canopy stratum make up less than 10% cover. The ground layer is dominated by leaf litter or bare soil although scattered herbsand woody seedlings do occur. Seedlings and saplings of Rhododendron maximum, Acer rubrum, Betula lenta, Betula alleghaniensis,and Tsuga canadensis are common, and typical herbs include Dryopteris intermedia, Heuchera villosa, Viola spp., Thelypterisnoveboracensis, Listera smallii, and Galax urceolata.Dynamics: Rhododendron maximum sprouts vigorously after disturbance, and this community often results from logging, fire,chestnut blight, or cessation of grazing. Stems greater than 4 cm in diameter survive hot fires, and fire generally stimulates basalsprouting, although intense annual fires may suppress reestablishment (Core 1966). Drastic overstory removal, heavy shading, anddisease have been found to decrease the density of or kill Rhododendron (Hodgdon and Pike 1961).This shrubland will become established by invading disturbed or cleared lands if there is adequate moisture and lack of directsunlight. This community can also result from secondary succession when a forest's canopy is removed (by logging, disease, etc.) andthe Rhododendron understory closes, forming a dense shrubland. The reestablishment of woody competitors is inhibited by the shadeof the dense shrub canopy as well as by phytotoxins in the litter and soil (Gant 1978). Rhododendron maximum Shrubland may persistfor over 60 years on a site (Ploucher and Carvell 1987) but will succeed to a forested community as trees that become established inthicket openings mature.Similar Associations:Related Concepts:• IC4b. Montane Rhododendron Thicket (Allard 1990) ?• Low Elevation Heath Bluff (Montane Rhododendron Subtype) (Schafale 1998b) ?• Submesotrophic Scrub (Rawinski 1992) ?Classification Comments: Rhododendron maximum Shrubland frequently occurs adjacent to wet herbaceous cliff vegetation,riparian shrublands, or within forests dominated by Tsuga canadensis, Quercus rubra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Pinus strobus,Quercus prinus, Picea rubens, or Abies fraseri. Similar ericaceous shrublands occur at higher elevations, over 1100 meters (3500feet), in the southern Appalachian Mountains. These high-elevation "heath balds" are distinguished from Rhododendron maximumUpland Shrubland by the dominance of Rhododendron catawbiense or by the occurrence of ericaceous shrubs typical of high-Vegetation of Sumter National Forest April 30 2004Copyright © 2004 NatureServe36