Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F122XY029TN
Tennessee River Fragipan Terraces
Last updated: 5/14/2025
Accessed: 04/22/2026
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General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 122X–Highland Rim and Pennyroyal
MLRA 122 is in Tennessee (47 percent), Kentucky (43 percent), Indiana (7 percent), and Alabama (3 percent). It makes up about 21,530 square miles (55,790 square kilometers).
SOILS:
Many of the soils in this MLRA are Udalfs. The moderately deep to very deep, well drained, clayey soils formed in limestone residuum. They are dominantly in rolling to steep areas of the “Outer Basin” (Mimosa, Braxton, Gladdice, and Hampshire series) and the undulating to hilly areas of the “Inner Basin” (Talbott and Bradyville series). The most agriculturally productive soils are the very deep, well drained, clayey or loamy soils that formed in alluvium and/or loess over alluvium or limestone residuum in nearly level to undulating areas (Armour, Cumberland, Harpeth, Lomond, and Maury series). The less extensive soils generally are moderately well drained to somewhat poorly drained and formed in loamy or clayey alluvium and/or residuum (Byler, Capshaw, Colbert, and Tupelo series). This MLRA has a significant acreage of Mollisols. Shallow or moderately deep, well drained, clayey Udolls (Ashwood and Barfield series) formed in limestone residuum dominantly in rolling to steep areas. Very shallow, well drained, clayey Rendolls (Gladeville series) formed in limestone residuum dominantly in undulating to rolling areas of the “Inner Basin.” Very deep, well drained or moderately well drained Udolls (Arrington, Egam, Lynnville, and Staser series) and somewhat poorly drained or poorly drained Aquolls (Agee, Godwin, and Lanton series) formed in loamy or clayey alluvium derived from limestone on flood plains. Most of the remaining soils on flood plains are moderately well drained or well drained Udepts (Lindell and Ocana series). Udults are of small extent in this area. Most are very deep, well drained, and loamy and formed in gravelly colluvium or colluvium and the underlying residuum on steep hillsides (Dellrose soils). Rock outcrops are common on uplands.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES:
This area supports mixed oak forest vegetation. White oak, black oak, northern red oak, and some scarlet oak are the dominant tree species. Shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, and mockernut hickory also occur. Oak, blackgum, flowering dogwood, sassafras, Virginia pine, pitch pine, and shortleaf pine grow mostly on ridgetops.
(Excerpt from United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.)Classification relationships
NatureServe Scientific Name: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest, Unique Identifier: CES202.898
Ecological site concept
Only two tree species can be selected for entry into the ESIS/EDIT database as dominants; however, multiple tree species may be co-dominant on these sites and it will vary depending on aspect, soil depth, seed sources, management, and disturbance history.
State 1. Phase 1.1: (Reference): Forestland
Plant species dominants:
Quercus spp. (oaks) – Carya spp. (hickories)/ Leersia spp. (whitegrass) -Chasmanthium spp. (woodoats)
NASIS county soil surveys list trees on these sites as southern red oak, white oak, cherrybark oak, sweetgum, hickories, yellow poplar, and pines. Southern red oak and sweetgum are the predominant trees in NASIS.
State: 2. Phase 2.1. Pasture
Managed Pasture. Plant species dominants: Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue)
Pasture plant species are dependent on seeding, weed control, concurrent land uses, on-going levels of disturbance, and landowner goals.
State: 3. Phase 3.1. Transitional (Abandoned) Field
Plant species dominants: maples (Acer spp.) – tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) / berries (Rubus spp.) / tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus)
State 4: Phase 4.1. Abandoned Croplands
Plant species dominant: henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) – mouse-eared chickweed (Cerastium L.)
Abandonment of cropland would result in many weed species taking over the site. Initially, annual weeds would be predominate followed by grasses, shrubs and finally, pioneers trees.
It would require years of management, plantings, and weed control to establish successional communities that could transition to a reference community.
State 5: Phase 5.1. Cropland
Plant species dominants: Zea spp. – Glycine spp.
Plants on these sites will be dependent upon seeding and management. Most common crops are corn and soybeans.
It would require years of management, plantings, and weed control to establish successional communities that could transition to a reference community.Similar sites
F122XY011KY Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terraces And Uplands
Somewhat Poorly Drained Fragipan Terraces and Uplands
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Quercus
(2) CaryaShrub Not specified
Herbaceous (1) Leersia
(2) Chasmanthium
