Successional Black Walnut Forest - Ecological Community of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NatureServe Unique Identifier: CEGL007879: Juglans nigra / Verbesina alternifolia Forest

Park Vegetation Plot Summary

Tree Canopy: Juglans nigra

Tree subcanopy: N/A

Tall Shrubs and Saplings: N/A

Short Shrubs and Saplings: N/A

Herbs (field): Verbesina alternifolia

Nonvascular: N/A

Click photo to enlarge.
Photo provided by NatureServe.

GLOBAL COMMUNITY CONCEPT

This is a potentially widespread association.
- This community was sampled on former homesites along streams, possibly in association with circumneutral soils, at 460-610 m (1,500-2,000 feet) elevation in the Smokies.
- In addition, the association was sampled from the Piedmont of South Carolina in low-lying, poor-drainage areas from approximately 170 to 200 m (550-650 feet) in elevation.
- The community was originally defined from former homesites in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where this association is an open, successional forest.
Juglans nigra is often the sole canopy tree, though Liriodendron tulipifera, Juglans cinerea, Robinia pseudoacacia, Morus rubra, and Aesculus flava are codominants in some examples.
The herb stratum is dominated by Verbesina alternifolia.
- Other herbs include Amphicarpaea bracteata and Ambrosia trifida.
- The exotics Rosa multiflora and Microstegium vimineum can be common in this community.

PARK VEGETATION PLOT SUMMARY

Juglans nigra is usually the sole canopy tree in this open, successional forest.
- Occasionally Liriodendron tulipifera codominates.
- Canopy trees are around 30 cm in diameter.
The herb stratum is dominated by Verbesina alternifolia.
- Other herbs include Amphicarpaea bracteata and Ambrosia trifida.
- Both Verbesina alternifolia and Microstegium vimineum are very common in this community.
- It is possible that high populations of deer such as those in the Smokies reduce competition for these plants and increase their dominance since deer do not eat either of these species but eat many of the other species which would potentially grow on these sites (K. Langdon pers. comm.).

DISTRIBUTION

North America:

This potentially widespread association is currently defined only for Tennessee but likely ranges into adjacent states.

Click map to enlarge.
Potential	Occurs

Click map to view North American distribution.

In the Park:

This community was sampled on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle and Noland Creek quadrangle and was not sampled on the Cades Cove quadrangle.
- It is likely in other areas of the park.
On the Mount Le Conte quadrangle, this community was sampled on flats along Baskins Creek and was observed on other former homesites in the northern half of the quadrangle.
In the Noland Creek quadrangle, it was observed along Goldmine Branch near the confluence with Fontana Lake.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Global Status:

Global Conservation Status Rank: GNA (ruderal) (Last reviewed: 04 02 2001).
This vegetation represents vegetation created by anthropogenic disturbance and is thus not a conservation priority.
- Grank changed from GW to GD 2001-04-02 MP.

Park Status:

Picking, digging, or otherwise damaging plants is prohibited in the Park. Collection is allowed only by special permit for research or educational purposes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Field Work:

NatureServe

Supporting Institutions:

N/A

Forest Association Described By:

K.D. Patterson, MOD. R. White

Web Page:

Charles Wilder.

Photographs:

NatureServe

Maps:

Charles Wilder.

REFERENCES

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.

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

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