• This association represents deciduous forests of concave lower slopes and flats at middle elevations (600-1,370 m [2,000-4,500 feet]) in the southern Blue Ridge and at low to middle elevations (300 to 900 m [1,000-3,000 feet]) in the northern Blue Ridge and adjacent Ridge and Valley.
  • It is distinguished by the absence or scarcity of calciphilic species, such as Diplazium pycnocarpon, Asplenium rhizophyllum, Dryopteris goldiana, Aquilegia canadensis, Solidago flexicaulis, Deparia acrostichoides, and Cystopteris protrusa, by generally occurring at elevations above 600 m (2,000 feet) (300 m at the northern end of the range), and by lacking species typical of lower elevation forests.
    
    
• The canopy is dominated by some mixture of rich-site mesophytic species such as Aesculus flava, Fraxinus americana, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, and Magnolia acuminata, occurring with more widely tolerant tree species such as Liriodendron tulipifera, Acer rubrum, Tsuga canadensis, and Betula lenta.
  
  
• The herbaceous stratum is diverse and often very lush.
  • Typical herbaceous species include Actaea racemosa, Caulophyllum thalictroides, Prosartes lanuginosa, Aruncus dioicus, Adiantum pedatum, Collinsonia canadensis, Osmorhiza claytonii, Panax quinquefolius, and Laportea canadensis.

• The canopy of this forest is dominated by various mixtures of Liriodendron tulipifera, Halesia tetraptera var. monticola, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Acer rubrum, and Fraxinus americana.
  • Other species that occasionally have high canopy coverage include Acer saccharum, Aesculus flava, Betula lenta, and Tsuga canadensis.
    
    
• If a subcanopy is present it has species from the canopy and often Cornus florida.
  
  
• The shrub stratum is sparse to moderate and is often composed of saplings of canopy species, but composition varies from site to site.
  • Some of the more common shrub species include Acer pensylvanicum, Calycanthus floridus, and Rhododendron maximum.
    
    
• The herbaceous stratum has sparse to moderate coverage but is always diverse and contains a mix of species characteristic of high base-status soils occurring with those more typical of acidic forests.
  • Dominance is variable among occurrences and may relate to varying levels of disturbance.
  • Species that most often have moderate to high coverages include Adiantum pedatum, Ageratina altissima var. altissima, Amphicarpaea bracteata, Eurybia divaricata, Carex spp. (e.g., Carex austrocaroliniana, Carex digitalis, Carex laxiflora, Carex pensylvanica, Carex plantaginea, Carex virescens), Caulophyllum thalictroides, Actaea podocarpa, Collinsonia canadensis, Dryopteris intermedia, Galium triflorum, Laportea canadensis, Maianthemum racemosum, Mitchella repens, Osmorhiza claytonii, Panax quinquefolius, Polystichum acrostichoides, Solidago curtisii, Stellaria pubera, Thelypteris noveboracensis, Tiarella cordifolia, and Viola spp. (e.g., Viola blanda, Viola canadensis, Viola cucullata, Viola hastata, Viola pubescens, Viola rotundifolia).
  • Other species commonly found include Arisaema triphyllum ssp. triphyllum, Botrychium virginianum, Deparia acrostichoides, Dioscorea quaternata, Prosartes lanuginosa, Panax quinquefolius, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Phegopteris hexagonoptera, Sanguinaria canadensis, Sanicula canadensis, Thalictrum thalictroides, and Uvularia perfoliata.
    
    
• Common vines include Aristolochia macrophylla, Smilax rotundifolia, and Vitis aestivalis.
  • Particularly on disturbed sites, Vitis aestivalis can have high coverage.

• This association occurs in the southern Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, northeastern Georgia, and southwestern Virginia.
  • Scattered outliers occur on the northern Virginia Blue Ridge and in the southwestern Virginia Ridge and Valley region adjacent to the Blue Ridge.

• This community is widespread throughout the park in coves.
  • It was sampled on multiple quadrangles throughout the park and most likely exists at least in part on all quadrangles.
    
    
• Historic samples are from the Calderwood quadrangle (1,440-1,940 feet elevation) and Thunderhead Mountain quadrangle (2,390-3,420 feet elevation).
  
  
• On the Cades Cove quadrangle, historic and recent samples of this community ranged from 1,680-3,740 feet elevation.
  • Samples from the southern portion of the Cades Cove quadrangle came from the vicinity of Forge Creek in coves along and above the creek, east and north of Gregory Ridge and below Doe Ridge; and from slopes in the lower portion of Gregory Ridge Trail; and on a slope northeast of Birch Springs Gap.
  • In the northeast portion of the quadrangle this community was sampled from a cove at the head of Maynard Creek; a cove above Rowans Creek; a cove along Cork branch, above Rowans Branch; and from a cove below Anthony Ridge.
  • An additional sample of this community was taken from the northwest portion of the Cades Cove quadrangle northeast of Spruce Double on a low slope above Abrams Creek.
    
    
• Only two examples of this community were sampled on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle, and the community is uncommon on this quadrangle.
  • The community was sampled in the central portion of the quadrangle, northwest of Mt. Winnesoka, in a cove near Indian Camp Branch (2935 feet elevation) and in the western portion of the quadrangle, on a steep, low slope above Baskins Creek (1,950 feet elevation).

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G4 (Last reviewed: 04 30 1998).
  
  
• This community is uncommon due to specialized habitat requirements, but it is not rare.
  • It is secure throughout its range, but susceptible to impacts by logging due to its location in accessible topographic positions.

Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.

Fleming, G. P., and P. P. Coulling. 2001. Ecological communities of the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, Virginia. Preliminary classification and description of vegetation types. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. 317 pp.

Fleming, G. P., P. P. Coulling, D. P. Walton, K. M. McCoy, and M. R. Parrish. 2001. The natural communities of Virginia: Classification of ecological community groups. First approximation. Natural Heritage Technical Report 01-1. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. Unpublished report. January 2001. 76 pp.

Major, C. S., C. Bailey, J. Donaldson, R. McCoy, C. Nordman, M. Williams, and D. Withers. 1999. An ecological inventory of selected sites in the Cherokee National Forest. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage. Cost Share Agreement #99-CCS-0804-001. Nashville, TN.

NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.

Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. 2002. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Schafale, M. 1998b. Fourth approximation guide. High mountain communities. March 1998 draft. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.

Schafale, M. P., and A. S. Weakley. 1990. Classification of the natural communities of North Carolina. Third approximation. North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh. 325 pp.

Schafale, Mike P. Personal communication. Ecologist, North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Recreation, Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh.

Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.