Lower Piedmont Acidic River Bluff Forest

Description

This mature forest state typically supports a somewhat open to sparse tree canopy with a closed and often dense, ericaceous shrub layer. Though usually sparse, acid-tolerant and drought-tolerant species occupy the herb layer. This ecological site exhibits a high level of variability with respect to species composition and vegetation structure, depending primarily on aspect and the degree of exposure to the elements, among other factors.

Characteristics and indicators

Stands are uneven-aged with at least some old trees present.

Dominant plant species

1. American beech (Fagus grandifolia), tree

2. white oak (Quercus alba), tree

3. northern red oak (Quercus rubra), tree

4. chestnut oak (Quercus montana), tree

5. sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), tree

6. sassafras (Sassafras albidum), tree

7. flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), tree

8. blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), tree

9. Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), tree

10. mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), shrub

11. pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides), shrub

12. American witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana), shrub

13. common sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria), shrub

14. blueberry (Vaccinium), shrub

15. mountain azalea (Rhododendron canescens), shrub

16. piedmont rhododendron (Rhododendron minus), shrub

17. mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), shrub

18. American holly (Ilex opaca), shrub

19. bursting-heart (Euonymus americanus), shrub

20. poverty oatgrass (Danthonia spicata), grass

21. cypress panicgrass (Dichanthelium dichotomum), grass

22. variable panicgrass (Dichanthelium commutatum), grass

23. downy danthonia (Danthonia sericea), grass

24. hairy woodrush (Luzula acuminata), grass

25. autumn bluegrass (Poa autumnalis), grass

26. hedgehog woodrush (Luzula echinata), grass

27. beetleweed (Galax urceolata), grass

28. trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens), grass

29. striped prince's pine (Chimaphila maculata), grass

30. little heartleaf (Hexastylis minor), grass

31. Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), grass

32. ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron), grass

33. smooth Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum), grass

34. resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides), grass

35. rock polypody (Polypodium virginianum), grass

Submodel

Description

This successional phase develops in the wake of clearcut logging, storm-related catastrophic tree mortality, or other large-scale disturbances that have led to canopy removal in the recent past. Which species colonize a particular location in the wake of a disturbance does involve a considerable degree of chance. It also depends a great deal on the type, duration, and magnitude of the disturbance event.

Characteristics and indicators

Plant age distribution is even. Plants exhibit pioneering traits such as rapid growth, early reproduction, and shade-intolerance.

Submodel

Description

This state develops as a consequence of high-grading, where the most valuable trees are removed, leaving less desirable timber specimens behind. Trees left behind include undesirable timber species, trees of poor form, diseased trees, or genetically inferior trees.

Characteristics and indicators

Typically, high-graded stands consist of a combination of residual stems from the previous stand, a high proportion of undesirable shade-tolerant species, along with some regrowth from desirable timber species. In some cases, large-diameter trees of desirable timber species may be present, but upon closer inspection, these trees usually have serious defects that resulted in their being left behind in earlier cuts.

Resilience management

Landowners with high-graded stands have two options for improving timber production: 1) rehabilitate, or 2) regenerate. To rehabilitate a stand, the landowner must evaluate existing trees to determine if rehabilitation is justified. If the proportion of high-quality specimens present in the stand is low, then the stand should be regenerated. In many cases, poor quality of the existing stand is the result of decades of mismanagement. Drastic measures are often required to get the stand back into good timber production.

Dominant plant species

1. American beech (Fagus grandifolia), tree

2. sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum), tree

3. sassafras (Sassafras albidum), tree

4. flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), tree

5. red maple (Acer rubrum), tree

6. blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), tree

7. American holly (Ilex opaca), tree

8. common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), tree

9. oak (Quercus), tree

10. pine (Pinus), tree

Submodel