West Gulf Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest

Geology

Distributed on Tertiary formations, from the Willis formation in the south, northward through Eocene formations.

Landform

Fairly restricted to rugged landscapes. Often occupies lower slope positions and adjacent steep slopes, where topographic position results in moisture accumulation and lower solar isolation. These sites may occur adjacent to bottomlands, but on more well drained soils and/or slightly higher topographic positions.

Soils

Can occur on various soil textures, from sands to clays. These soils are often characterized by moderate to high fertility and moisture retention. Soil texture, fertility, and acidity may be controlling factors in determining the species composition of occurrences of this system.

Parent Description

This system typically occurs in fairly rugged landscapes on ravines, steep slopes and low landscape positions, often near streams. Soils characteristically have relatively high moisture retention. They can be moderately fertile, acidic to circumneutral, loams to sands, or may be more nutrient rich, somewhat calcareous, tighter soils (clays and clay loams). Sites often have significant litter accumulations. Southern expressions of this system may have Fagus grandifolia (American beech) and Magnolia grandiflora (southern magnolia) as conspicuous to dominant components of the overstory where conditions are more mesic. Northern expressions fall outside of the range of these two species. The overstory canopy is generally dominated by deciduous hardwoods including Quercus falcata (southern red oak), Quercus alba (white oak), Nyssa sylvatica (blackgum), Liquidambar styraciflua (sweetgum), and Quercus nigra (water oak). Acer rubrum (red maple), Quercus hemisphaerica (upland laurel oak), Quercus shumardii (Shumard oak), Quercus pagoda (cherrybark oak), Acer barbatum (southern sugar maple), Fraxinus americana (white ash), and Carya alba (mockernut hickory) may also be conspicuous in the canopy. Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), and to a lesser extent, Pinus echinata (shortleaf pine) may be present to co-dominant in the overstory. An understory of species such as Ilex opaca (American holly), Ulmus alata (winged elm), Cornus florida (flowering dogwood), Ostrya virginiana (American hop-hornbeam), Carpinus caroliniana (American hornbeam), and/or Acer leucoderme (chalk maple) is often present. The shrub layer is typically limited, giving the forest an open aspect. Species in the shrub layer may include Callicarpa americana (American beautyberry), Ilex vomitoria (yaupon), Arundinaria gigantea (giant cane), and Viburnum acerifolium (maple-leaf viburnum). Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine grape), Smilax spp. (greenbriers), and Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) are commonly encountered woody vines. Some occurrences on more calcareous substrates lack Magnolia grandifolia (southern magnolia) and may contain species such as Tilia americana (American basswood) and Styrax spp. (snowbells) and may have a rich, more calciphilic, vernal forb flora. Such species as Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple), Arisaema dracontium (green dragon), Arisaema triphyllum (jack-in-the-pulpit), Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot), Erythronium spp. (trout lilies), Trillium spp. (trilliums), and Polygonatum biflorum (great Solomon’s seal) may dominate the aspect of the forest understory in the early spring. Later in the year, these species become inconspicuous and are replaced by species such as Chasmanthium sessiliflorum (narrowleaf woodoats), Mitchella repens (partridgeberry), Sanicula canadensis (Canada snakeroot), Carex spp. (caric sedges), and Dichanthelium spp. (rosette grasses). Ferns, such as Woodwardia spp. (chain fern), Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern), Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides (Asplenium ladyfern), and Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern), may be conspicuous. The mesic nature of sites occupied by this system, along with the topography of the sites, and the limited fine fuel production in the system, results in reduced fire frequency.