Sumter National Forest Final Report - NatureServe

Vegetation: This forest typically has a very dense canopy of Pinus virginiana and little understory vegetation. Pinus taeda or Pinusechinata may co-occur with Pinus virginiana in the canopy. The canopy can also have significant admixtures of early successionaldeciduous trees (e.g., Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Liriodendron tulipifera). Associated woody and herbaceous species varywith geography but are typically ruderal or exotic species. Shrub and herb strata are absent to sparse in coverage. In eastern Tennesseethe subcanopy may contain Acer saccharum and Cornus florida; other associated species may include Cercis canadensis,Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Lonicera japonica, and Microstegium vimineum (Andreu and Tukman 1995). In the CentralAppalachians, associates include Pinus taeda, Pinus echinata, and Pinus rigida. The dense ericaceous shrub stratum containsVaccinium spp., Gaylussacia spp., Kalmia latifolia, and Rhododendron spp.Dynamics: This is an early successional forest type. Damage from ice storms was the main disturbance observed in these stands inthe Tellico Pilot Project study area. In addition, fire and insect infestation are likely damaging agents.Similar Associations:• Pinus virginiana - Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Ulmus alata Forest (CEGL007121) -- on more calcareous orcircumneutral substrates.Related Concepts:• IA7c. Xeric Virginia Pine Ridge Forest (Allard 1990) B• Unclassified Old-Field Successional Forest (Fleming and Moorhead 2000) ?• Virginia Pine - Oak: 78 (Eyre 1980) B• Virginia Pine, RV (Pyne 1994) B• Virginia Pine: 79 (Eyre 1980) B Xeric Pine Forest (Ambrose 1990a) BClassification Comments: Early successional Pinus virginiana vegetation occurring over calcareous substrates is classed in Pinusvirginiana - Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana - Ulmus alata Forest (CEGL007121) and has species indicative of calcareoussubstrates.CONSERVATION RANKING & RARE SPECIESGRank: GNA (ruderal) (2000-6-13): This forest represents early successional vegetation and is thus not of conservation concern.High-ranked species: No informationELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONRange: This successional community is possible in the Piedmont from Pennsylvania south to Alabama, and ranges west into theAppalachians, Ridge and Valley, the Cumberland Plateau, and in scattered locales of the Interior Low Plateau.Subnations: AL, GA, IN, KY, MD, NC, NJ, PA, SC, TN, VA, WVTNC Ecoregions: 50:C, 51:C, 52:C, 58:P, 59:C, 61:CUSFS Ecoregions: 221D:CC, 221Ha:CCC, 221Hb:CCC, 221Hc:CCC, 221He:CCC, 221J:CC, 222Ej:CCC, 222En:CCC,222Eo:CCC, 231Cd:CCC, M221Aa:CCC, M221Ab:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ca:CCP, M221Cb:CCP, M221Cc:CCP,M221Cd:CCC, M221Ce:CCP, M221Da:CCC, M221Db:CCC, M221Dc:CCC, M221Dd:CCCFederal Lands: NPS (Great Smoky Mountains, Little River Canyon?, Shiloh); TVA (Tellico); USFS (Bankhead, Chattahoochee,Cherokee, Daniel Boone, George Washington, Jefferson, Sumter, Uwharrie?)ELEMENT SOURCESReferences: Allard 1990, Ambrose 1990a, Andreu and Tukman 1995, Eyre 1980, Fike 1999, Fleming and Coulling 2001, Flemingand Moorhead 2000, Nelson 1986, Patterson et al. 1999, Pyne 1994, Southeastern Ecology Working Group n.d.SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MONTANE CLIFF AND TALUSMOUNTAIN SPLEENWORT - ROCK ALUMROOT FELSIC CLIFF SPARSE VEGETATIONELEMENT IDENTIFIERSNVC association: Asplenium montanum - Heuchera villosa Felsic Cliff Sparse VegetationDatabase Code: CEGL004980Formation: Cliffs with sparse vascular vegetation (VII.A.1.N.a)Alliance: Asplenium montanum Sparsely Vegetated Alliance (A.1831)ELEMENT CONCEPTSummary: This community occurs in the Blue Ridge and upper Piedmont of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee,and Virginia. It includes vertical rock faces associated with felsic, metamorphic and igneous geologies. This community generally haslittle vegetative cover, often with 90% of the rock surface unvegetated. Mosses (e.g., Thuidium spp., Fissidens spp., Campylium sp.,Bryoandersonia sp., Plagiomnium sp.) and lichens can have moderate coverage, and vascular plants occur on ledges and rooted incracks. Asplenium montanum and Heuchera villosa are characteristic components. Other typical species include Agrostis perennans,Arisaema triphyllum, Aristolochia macrophylla, Asplenium trichomanes, Eurybia divaricata (= Aster divaricatus), Cystopterisprotrusa, Dryopteris marginalis, Hydrangea arborescens, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Polypodium appalachianum, and RubusVegetation of Sumter National Forest April 30 2004Copyright © 2004 NatureServe57