• These forests occur in a wide elevation range (2,000-4,500 feet) in the Southern Blue Ridge and in the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition, on protected sites, typically lower slopes, bottoms, and coves.
  • Associated species are characteristically montane, and typical of acidic forests.
  • This association lacks indicators of circumneutral soils and also lacks low elevation dry sites species such as Pinus echinata, Quercus falcata, Quercus stellata, and Quercus marilandica.
    
    
• The canopy of this deciduous forest association are dominated or codominated by Quercus alba, occurring with other Quercus species (Quercus rubra, Quercus prinus, Quercus coccinea).
  • Species other than oaks that can be important in the canopy include Carya alba, Carya glabra, Liriodendron tulipifera, Acer rubrum, and Magnolia fraseri.
    
    
• Common species in the subcanopy/sapling strata include Cornus florida, Acer rubrum, Carya spp., Liriodendron tulipifera, Magnolia fraseri, Nyssa sylvatica, Oxydendrum arboreum, Pinus strobus, and Halesia tetraptera.
  
  
• Shrub cover is sparse to very dense, and is often dominated by deciduous heaths.
  • Kalmia latifolia and Gaylussacia ursina are usually present, but other shrub species can include Euonymus americanus, Rhododendron calendulaceum, Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium pallidum, Viburnum acerifolium, Calycanthus floridus, Pyrularia pubera, Ilex montana, Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, and Hamamelis virginiana.
    
    
• The herbaceous stratum is sparse to moderate in coverage, but often rich in species, approaching the diversity but not the coverage of rich cove forests.
  • Associated herbaceous species vary with elevation.
  • Smilax glauca and Vitis rotundifolia are common vines.
  • Often there is a dominant fern stratum, with Thelypteris noveboracensis and Polystichum acrostichoides most typically dominant.

• The canopy and subcanopy of this forest are dominated by Quercus alba, Carya glabra, and Acer rubrum.
  • At low elevations (below 2,600 feet), Carya alba shares canopy dominance, and at high elevations (greater than 3,800 feet) Quercus rubra often codominates.
  • Occasionally Quercus falcata, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Halesia tetraptera var. monticola may have high coverage in the canopy and subcanopy.
  • Other typical species in the canopy and subcanopy include Cornus florida, Nyssa sylvatica, Oxydendrum arboreum, Amelanchier laevis, Quercus prinus, and Quercus velutina.
    
    
• The shrub stratum has sparse to moderate coverage often with no clear dominant but can also be sparse.
  • In either case, it is usually more diverse than more acidic oak forests but contains less herbaceous biomass than cove forests that may border this association.
  • Common shrubs include Acer pensylvanicum, Castanea dentata, Gaylussacia ursina, Ilex opaca, Magnolia fraseri, Robinia pseudoacacia, and Sassafras albidum.
    
    
• Herbaceous cover can be moderately dense and diverse with no clear dominant.
  • Of the plots sampled Amphicarpaea bracteata, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Desmodium nudiflorum, Polystichum acrostichoides, and Thelypteris noveboracensis most often have the highest coverage.
  • Species with the greatest constancy include Ageratina altissima var. altissima and Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Eurybia divaricata, Carex spp. (e.g., Carex laxiflora, Carex pensylvanica, Carex virescens), Chimaphila maculata, Collinsonia canadensis, Dichanthelium spp. (e.g., Dichanthelium boscii, Dichanthelium commutatum, Dichanthelium dichotomum), Dioscorea quaternata, Galium spp. (e.g., Galium circaezans, Galium latifolium, Galium triflorum), Goodyera pubescens, Houstonia purpurea, Lysimachia quadrifolia, Maianthemum racemosum, Potentilla canadensis, Prenanthes spp., Solidago curtisii, Thalictrum spp. (e.g., Thalictrum dioicum, Thalictrum thalictroides), Trillium spp. (e.g., Trillium catesbaei, Trillium undulatum), Uvularia spp. (e.g., Uvularia perfoliata, Uvularia puberula, Uvularia sessilifolia), and Viola spp. (e.g., Viola blanda, Viola canadensis, Viola cucullata, Viola hastata, Viola rotundifolia, Viola sororia, Viola tripartita), although other species may occur.
  • Common vines include Smilax glauca, Smilax rotundifolia, Vitis aestivalis, and Vitis rotundifolia.

• This community is found in the Southern Blue Ridge and the Blue Ridge/Piedmont transition of the eastern United States.

• This community was sampled from the Cades Cove quadrangle, Mount Le Conte quadrangle, Gatlinburg quadrangle, Noland Creek quadrangle, and Smokemont quadrangle.
  • Historic samples of this community come from low elevations (1,120 to 2,600 feet) on the Calderwood quadrangle.
    
    
• On low elevations of the Cades Cove quadrangle this community was sampled north of the Cades Cove Loop Road, in the vicinity of Cave Ridge (low east-facing slope, 1,791 feet) and west of Paw Paw Ridge at the head of a southwest-facing cove (2,230 feet).
  • In the southern portion of the quadrangle, at higher elevations, this community was sampled on the summits and convex high slopes of High Point; the southwest slopes below Gregory Bald; the southeastern high slopes below Moore Spring Camp; the summit ridge of Brier Lick Gap and the upper slopes south of Brier Lick Gap; the southwest middle slopes south of Doe Knob; the upper south slope of Greer Knob; on Twenty Mile Ridge south of Greer Knob; on the convex slopes north of Ekaneetlee Gap; on a south-facing side ridge of Bill Grill Ridge, south of Devils Tater Patch; and the convex west slopes of Mollies Ridge.
    
    
• This community was sampled from the northern portion of the Mount Le Conte quadrangle, on a low slope and low ridge in the vicinity of Copeland Creek (1,590 and 1,600 feet) and on a low slope above Dudley Creek (1,680 feet).
  • Variations of this community were also found just upslope from the Job Corps Center near Cherokee, NC, east of Beaugard Ridge on the Noland Divide Trail, upslope from Abram's Creek, and on the Laurel Fall's Trail.
    
    
• This community may occur in most every quadrangle of the park.

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G5 (Last reviewed: 04 30 1998).

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