General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 122X–Highland Rim and Pennyroyal

MLRA 122 is in Tennessee (47 percent), Kentucky (43 percent), Indiana (7 percent), and Alabama (3 percent). It makes up about 21,530 square miles (55,790 square kilometers).

SOILS:
Many of the soils in this MLRA are Udalfs. The moderately deep to very deep, well drained, clayey soils formed in limestone residuum. They are dominantly in rolling to steep areas of the “Outer Basin” (Mimosa, Braxton, Gladdice, and Hampshire series) and the undulating to hilly areas of the “Inner Basin” (Talbott and Bradyville series). The most agriculturally productive soils are the very deep, well drained, clayey or loamy soils that formed in alluvium and/or loess over alluvium or limestone residuum in nearly level to undulating areas (Armour, Cumberland, Harpeth, Lomond, and Maury series). The less extensive soils generally are moderately well drained to somewhat poorly drained and formed in loamy or clayey alluvium and/or residuum (Byler, Capshaw, Colbert, and Tupelo series). This MLRA has a significant acreage of Mollisols. Shallow or moderately deep, well drained, clayey Udolls (Ashwood and Barfield series) formed in limestone residuum dominantly in rolling to steep areas. Very shallow, well drained, clayey Rendolls (Gladeville series) formed in limestone residuum dominantly in undulating to rolling areas of the “Inner Basin.” Very deep, well drained or moderately well drained Udolls (Arrington, Egam, Lynnville, and Staser series) and somewhat poorly drained or poorly drained Aquolls (Agee, Godwin, and Lanton series) formed in loamy or clayey alluvium derived from limestone on flood plains. Most of the remaining soils on flood plains are moderately well drained or well drained Udepts (Lindell and Ocana series). Udults are of small extent in this area. Most are very deep, well drained, and loamy and formed in gravelly colluvium or colluvium and the underlying residuum on steep hillsides (Dellrose soils). Rock outcrops are common on uplands.

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES:
This area supports mixed oak forest vegetation. White oak, black oak, northern red oak, and some scarlet oak are the dominant tree species. Shagbark hickory, bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, and mockernut hickory also occur. Oak, blackgum, flowering dogwood, sassafras, Virginia pine, pitch pine, and shortleaf pine grow mostly on ridgetops.

(Excerpt from United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.)

Classification relationships

Scientific Name: Southern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest
Unique Identifier: CES202.898

Possible Associations:

Southern Red Oak - White Oak - Post Oak - Black Oak Forest
Common Name: Southern Red Oak - Mixed Oak Forest
Unique Identifier: CEGL005018

Post Oak - Blackjack Oak - (Pignut Hickory, Black Hickory) / Farkleberry Forest
Common Name: Midwest Post Oak - Blackjack Oak Forest
Unique Identifier: CEGL002075

Ecological site concept

GROUP 8 -LOAMY SKELETAL UPLANDS

The communities described in this provisional document reflect plant communities that are likely to be found on these soils and have not been field verified. This PES describes hypotheses based on available data of many different scales and sources and has not been developed utilizing site-specific ecological field monitoring. This PES does not encompass the entire complexity or diversity of these sites. Additional field studies are required prior to utilization for detailed conservation planning or developing a comprehensive and science-based restoration plan for these sites.

Forest Vegetation as listed in Official Series Descriptions (OSD):
Clarksville: Native vegetation is mixed forest of black oak, white oak, blackjack oak, post oak, shortleaf pine, hickory, ash, sugar maple, and dogwood.
Bodine: Most of this soil is in forest of chestnut oak, post oak, blackjack oak, white oak, hickory, maple, beech, eastern redcedar, and Virginia pine

Only two tree species can be selected for entry into the database as dominants; however, multiple tree species may be dominant on these sites and it will vary depending on aspect, soil depth, seed sources, management, and disturbance history.

State 1, Phase 1.1. Forestland. Plant species dominants:
black oak (Quercus velutina) – post oak (Q. stellata) / blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) –greenbrier (Smilax spp.) / little bluestem(Schizachyrium scoparium)

State 2, Phase 2.1:
Pasture. Plant species dominants:
Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue).
Species present would be dependent upon seeding and management. A variety of native and non-native grasses may be planted on these sites.

Management of pasture sites should follow conservation planning standards and protocols which include watershed protection, soil health, and adequate forage species.

Transitioning this state to a reference condition would require long-term timber stand improvement practices to control non-native vegetation and manage for desired hardwood species.

State 3, Phase 3.1:
Transitional (abandoned) field. Plant species dominants:
eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) – pines (Pinus spp.) / berries (Rubus spp.) – sumac ( Rhus spp.) / broomsedge bluestem (Andropogon virginicus) -fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus)

This phase is best described as an old field habitat with a mixture of native and introduced grasses and a variety of native and non-native herbs, forbs, seedlings, and saplings. Tree species regeneration on these sites will depend on the severity and duration of disturbance, soil characteristics, adjacent plant communities and seed sources, post-disturbance management inputs, presence or absence of continued site disturbances (grazing), slope, and aspect.

Transitioning this state to a reference condition would require long-term timber stand improvement practices to control non-native vegetation and manage for desired hardwood species.

Due to the shallow soils and high slope percentages, cropland was not included as a major state in this ecological model.

Additional soil mapunits may be added or removed from this group pending field development of ESDs.

Table 1. Dominant plant species