Eastern Forest Type Summary 2023 PDF

forest type indicator species local/regional climatic factors and important disturbance Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau Allegheny Mountains Ridge and Valley Piedmont Coastal Plain...

forest type indicator species local/regional climatic factors and important disturbance Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau Allegheny Mountains Ridge and Valley Piedmont Coastal Plain site conditions influencing vegetation agents boreal forest red spruce colder snow matrix (higher elevations) (patch) shorter growing season ice wetter wind boreal bog Sphagnum colder patch cranberries shorter growing season sundews wetter cottongrass saturated soils low oxygen lower pH low nutrients northern hardwood forest American beech cooler snow patch matrix yellow birch shorter growing season ice sugar maple moister wind (also eastern hemlock, eastern white pine) oak-hickory forest northern red oak warmer fire patch patch matrix matrix patch black oak drier scarlet oak white oak chestnut oak shagbark hickory pignut hickory mockernut hickory bitternut hickory Appalachian cove forest white basswood moderate temperatures matrix patch (patch) yellow buckeye moderate precipitation magnolias abundant yellow-poplar southern mixed pine-oak forest loblolly pine warmer fire matrix shortleaf pine wetter southern red oak slightly higher elevation post oak sandy (and therefore dry) soils northern pine-oak forest pitch pine drier fire patch patch patch patch patch Virginia pine shallow and rocky, or sandy, soils scarlet oak lower pH black oak bear oak post oak chinquapin oak (calcareous soils) heath shrubs forest type indicator species local/regional climatic factors important disturbance Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau Allegheny Mountains Ridge and Valley Piedmont Coastal Plain influencing vegetation agents riverine forest eastern cottonwood floodplains (along rivers and streams) seasonal/periodic flooding patch patch patch patch patch black willow American sycamore silver maple boxelder slippery elm American elm American hackberry river birch northern swamp forest green ash red maple abundant low, wet locations patch patch patch patch patch abundant black gum soils inundated or saturated for much of year skunk cabbage low oxygen southern mixed hardwood swamp forest cherrybark oak warmer matrix water oak wetter willow oak slightly lower elevation swamp chestnut oak wet, often saturated/inundated soils black gum/swamp tupelo Atlantic white cedar swamp forest Atlantic white cedar warmer patch wetter soils inundated or saturated for much of year low oxygen peaty, lower pH soils baldcypress swamp forest baldcypress warmer patch wetter soils inundated or saturated for much of year low oxygen