• This association includes mostly evergreen woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens and/or Pinus rigida, occurring over a dense ericaceous shrub stratum, on sharp ridges, mostly above 2,000 feet elevation in the Southern Blue Ridge.
  • This type is also found in limited areas of the inner Piedmont.
  • This woodland occurs across a wide elevational range (1,600-4,000 feet), on exposed ridges and upper slopes with southerly and westerly exposures, over thin, excessively drained, nutrient-poor soils, and can be associated with rock outcroppings.
  • Without periodic fire, this community will gradually succeed into forests dominated by Quercus prinus and Quercus coccinea, except on the most extreme sites, where this vegetation is self-perpetuating.
  • It is thought that woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens are associated with more xeric conditions than woodlands dominated by Pinus pungens in combination with other tree species.
    
    
• Canopy coverage can often approach that of a forest, especially in areas where fire has been excluded and deciduous species have significant coverage.
  • Deciduous species that can be important, particularly in the subcanopy, include Quercus prinus, Quercus coccinea, Quercus stellata, Nyssa sylvatica, Acer rubrum, and Oxydendrum arboreum. Pinus virginiana and Pinus strobus can have high coverage and even codominate on some sites.
    
    
• The shrub stratum is dominated by ericaceous species, typically Kalmia latifolia and Leucothoe recurva in the tall-shrub stratum and Vaccinium pallidum as a low shrub.
  • Other shrub species vary with location, but include Vaccinium stamineum, Vaccinium simulatum, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium hirsutum, Vaccinium corymbosum, Rhododendron maximum, Rhododendron minus, Gaylussacia ursina, Gaylussacia baccata, Buckleya distichophylla, Pyrularia pubera, and Fothergilla major.
    
    
• Species commonly found in the sparse herb stratum include Chimaphila maculata, Galax urceolata, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Xerophyllum asphodeloides, Chamaelirium luteum, Comptonia peregrina, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Gaultheria procumbens, Iris verna, Dichanthelium spp., and Epigaea repens, although herbaceous species composition will vary within the range of this community.
  • Smilax glauca is a common vine.

• This community has a woodland to forest canopy dominated by Pinus pungens and/or Pinus rigida, which often overtop all other trees species.
  
  
• The canopy can include many standing dead and dying Pinus species.
  • Some occurrences may have significant canopy coverage by Quercus prinus or Quercus coccinea.
    
    
• A tree subcanopy may be absent or well-developed, with as much as 80% coverage and composed of small-diameter trees, typically Acer rubrum, Oxydendrum arboreum, and Nyssa sylvatica.
  • Other tree species that can occur in the canopy and subcanopy include Amelanchier laevis, Castanea dentata, Magnolia fraseri, Pinus virginiana, Quercus rubra, Robinia pseudoacacia, Carya alba, Pinus strobus, and Tsuga canadensis.
    
    
• A tall-shrub stratum varies from sparse and patchy to dense and continuous, often dominated by Kalmia latifolia and/or Vaccinium stamineum.
  • Occurrences at high elevations (over 4,000 feet) have Pieris floribunda as a dominant shrub.
    
    
• The short-shrub stratum ranges in coverage from 0-80% and is often dominated by Gaylussacia ursina.
  • Other shrubs that may dominant this stratum include Vaccinium hirsutum, Vaccinium pallidum, and Gaylussacia baccata.
  • Additional shrub species that are found in this community include species from the canopy and subcanopy, as well as Acer pensylvanicum, Ilex montana, Pyrularia pubera, Quercus velutina, Rhododendron carolinianum, Rhododendron calendulaceum, Rhododendron maximum, and Sassafras albidum.
    
    
• In the sub-shrubs stratum Epigaea repens, Galax urceolata, and Gaultheria procumbens typically have the most coverage.
  
  
• The herbaceous stratum can be sparse to moderate in coverage and is composed of various dry site forbs.
  • Species can include Chimaphila maculata, Cleistes divaricata, Coreopsis major, Cypripedium acaule, Dichanthelium commutatum, Goodyera pubescens, Melampyrum lineare, Pteridium aquilinum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Tephrosia virginiana.
  • Smilax rotundifolia is a common vine.
    
    
• The litter layer is thick and often makes up greater than 50% of the ground cover.

• This community ranges throughout the Southern Blue Ridge, from southwestern Virginia, south through western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, into northeastern Georgia and northwestern South Carolina.

• This community was sampled on both the Cades Cove quadrangle and Mount Le Conte quadrangle and occurs in other areas of the park.
  
  
• On the Cades Cove quadrangle it was found at elevations from 2,300-3,800 feet. Areas sampled include Cobb Butt and Cobb Ridge, on south slopes and along the southern ridgeline from 3,500-3,800 feet elevation; an area north of the Cades Cove Loop Road, north of Tater Ridge, on a southwest sideridge of Cave Ridge at 2,840 feet; and just southeast of the Cades Cove Loop Road, on northwest, steep, middle slopes above Anthony Creek at 2,400 feet.
  • Historic samples that may represent this community on the Cades Cove quadrangle were taken from the broad ridges and upper, west- to southeast-facing slopes north of Parsons Branch Road, above Rabbit Creek (2,460-,2500 feet elevation); the upper east slopes of Leadbetter Ridge (2,300 feet elevation); the eastern, middle slopes of Gregory Ridge (3,040-3,440 feet elevation); and the middle and upper south slopes of Mollies Ridge / Butt from 2,840-3,500 feet elevation.
    
    
• This community seems to be less common on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle and was found at elevations from 1,850-4,200 feet.
  • It was sampled in the southwestern portion of the quadrangle, on the southeast slopes of Bullhead (4,200 feet); in the central portion of the quadrangle on the lower western slopes of Mt. Winnesoka above Roaring Fork (2,700 feet); north of Brushy Mountain, on the southeast slopes below Turkey Ridge (3,700 feet); on the southern part of Potato Ridge; and on a northeast-running sideridge of Mt. Winnesoka, above Injun Creek (2,180 feet).
  • In the northeastern portion of the quadrangle, this community was found north of Copeland Creek, on the southwest high slopes over Copeland Creek (1,850 feet).

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G3 (Last reviewed: 04 30 1998).
  
  
• This community is endemic to the southern Appalachian Mountains where it is maintained by periodic fire or extreme site conditions.
  • Recent studies show that acreage of this community has decreased due to fire suppression (Turrill and Buckner 1995) and that many remaining examples have substantial hardwood invasion.
  • Lightning-set and high-intensity controlled burns are necessary to maintain and re-establish this community type.
  • In addition, recent pine beetle outbreaks have killed off large areas of this community type in the past five years (1998-2003) in the Southeast.
  • Due to this, the global rank may soon need to be adjusted to G2.

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