• This community includes Pinus virginiana-dominated forests of low-elevation ridges and steep upper slopes, occurring primarily in the Appalachian provinces of the eastern United States, from central Pennsylvania, south and west to northern Georgia and northern Alabama.
  • This community occurs on narrow ridges, steep slopes, and other exposed topographic positions, over shallow, infertile soils.
  • This mainly evergreen forest is often of low stature, with a somewhat open to closed canopy, sparse to very dense shrub cover dominated by ericaceous species, and a sparse herb stratum.
    
    
• Pinus virginiana is the canopy dominant throughout the range of the type.
  • In some parts of the range, other Pinus species may be canopy associates, as well as dry-site Quercus species (e.g., Quercus prinus, Quercus coccinea).
    
    
• Deciduous species may form a subcanopy or sapling stratum, particularly in areas where fire has been excluded.
  
  
• Common shrub dominants include Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium stamineum, and Kalmia latifolia.
  
  
• Herbs vary with geography but are typical of infertile, xeric habitats.
  • Some typical herbs in this forest are Baptisia tinctoria, Chimaphila maculata, Dichanthelium commutatum, Epigaea repens, Euphorbia corollata, Galax urceolata, Hypoxis hirsuta, Iris verna var. smalliana, Pityopsis graminifolia, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, and Schizachyrium scoparium.

• Forests with canopies dominated by Pinus virginiana, sometimes with lesser amounts of Pinus rigida or Pinus echinata. Acer rubrum often dominates the subcanopy.
  • Other canopy and subcanopy trees increase with fire suppression and include Quercus prinus, Quercus coccinea, Quercus alba, Quercus marilandica, Quercus velutina, Pinus strobus, Oxydendrum arboreum, Nyssa sylvatica, and Tsuga canadensis.
    
    
• The tall-shrub stratum can be open to moderately dense and is typically dominated by Kalmia latifolia and/or Vaccinium stamineum.
  
  
• The short-shrub stratum is typically dense and dominated by Vaccinium pallidum and/or Gaylussacia ursina.
  • Fire-suppressed examples often have dense Pinus strobus in the shrub stratum.
  • Other shrubs include saplings of canopy and subcanopy species as well as Ilex opaca, Viburnum acerifolium, Vaccinium hirsutum, Amelanchier laevis, and Sassafras albidum.
    
    
• Herb cover is sparse, and leaf litter often dominates the ground layer.
  • Typical species in the herb stratum are Galax urceolata, Pteridium aquilinum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Epigaea repens, Chimaphila maculata, and Dichanthelium commutatum.
    
    
• Common vines are Smilax glauca and Smilax rotundifolia.

• This community occurs primarily in the Appalachian region of the United States, ranging from central Pennsylvania, south and west through the Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, and Cumberland Plateau to northern Georgia and Alabama, extending westward to scattered areas in the Interior Low Plateau and eastward into the upper Piedmont.
  • It is reported from the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, and is probably in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

• This association was sampled on the Cades Cove quadrangle but not found on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle.
  
  
• On the Cades Cove quadrangle it was sampled or observed on the northern half of the quadrangle, below 2,300 feet elevation, on south-facing slopes and low ridges.
  • It was found north of the Cades Cove Loop Road in the vicinity of Copper Road, Rich Mountain Road, Tater Ridge, and the lower slopes around Allnight Ridge.
  • West and south of the Cades Cove Loop Road this association was found on the southwest slopes above Forge Creek Road and on the south slopes and ridges of Boring Ridge.
  • This community is more common elsewhere in the park, especially on the western end of the park.
    
    
• Many historic samples from the western portion of the park (Calderwood quadrangle) represent this community.

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G4? (Last reviewed: 02 11 2001).
  
  
• This xeric evergreen forest community will be maintained on sites where local soil conditions, topographic extremes, or occasional fire function to retard hardwood invasion.
  • Infestations of southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) can cause mortality of canopy trees.
  • Examples affected by southern pine beetle in the Great Smoky Mountains can have up to 80-90% standing dead pine.

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