Ecological dynamics

F122XY020TN -Cherty Limestone Escarpment
MLRA 122

Soil mapunits included in this preliminary grouping include: Biffle, Bodine, Dandridge-Needmore, Fullerton, Hawthorn, Saffell, Sugargrove, and Sulphura. Future ESD development may result in mapunits being added or removed from this PES group.

Ecological Dynamics:

Individual sites deserve a detailed understanding before conservation and restoration practices are implemented; therefore, it should be noted that 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. Therefore, 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 also does not encompass the entire complexity or diversity of these sites. Field studies would be required to develop a comprehensive and science-based native plant restoration plan for these sites.

Forest Vegetation as listed in Official Soil Series Description:
Biffle: Native woodland consists of chestnut oak, red oak, white oak, with few shortleaf pine, beech, and hickory.
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.
Dandridge: Native vegetation is forest of oak, hickory, beech, maple, elm, and locust.
Fullerton: Where wooded -- oak, hickory, elm, yellow poplar, dogwood, and beech
Hawthorn: Most of the acreage is woodland consisting of chestnut and white oaks, hickory, hackberry, and eastern red cedar.
Saffell: Principal use is woodland of shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and upland oaks.
Sugargrove: About one-half of the acreage is cleared and used mainly for pasture. The remainder is in oak-hickory forest.
Sulphura: Most of the acreage is in woodland consisting of chestnut and white oaks, hickory, hackberry, beech, Virginia pine, and eastern redcedar.

Common trees found on site as listed in NASIS and county soil surveys for this group include:
southern red oak, white oak, black oak, scarlet oak, chestnut oak, blackgum, sourwood, yellow poplar, hickories, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and eastern red cedar.

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.

The PES reference community was determined primarily by information found in NASIS, county soil surveys (trees on site, common trees) and Glendon Smalley’s U.S. Forest Service technical report SO-43 entitled, “Classification and Evaluation of Forest Sites on the Eastern Highland Rim and Pennyroyal.”

State 1. Forestland
Phase 1.1: Plant species dominants:

southern red oak (Quercus falcata) - chestnut oak (Q. prinus) / flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) - hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) / Canadian black snakeroot (Sanicula canadensis) - ticktrefoils (Desmodium spp).

Forests on these limestone-influenced sites are generally oak or oak-hickory. In areas with more topography, the north and east slopes may show an increase in more mesic hardwood species, such as beech and maples. Understory communities contain herbs and forbs that thrive on limestone soils. The shrub layer is usually sparse in older, reference type communities but may be dense in successional stages.

Depending upon external influences such as fire and site management history, tree species may include white oak, southern red oak, scarlet oak, chestnut oak, pignut hickory, shagbark hickory, sourwood, yellow poplar, pines, eastern red cedar, blackgum, and dogwoods.

Field work and site inspections are needed to determine the typical composition and dominance of understory species.

State: 2. Pasture
Phase 2.1: Managed Pasture. Plant species dominants: Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue)

Pasture plant species are dependent on seeding, weed control, concurrent land uses, on-going levels of disturbance, and landowner goals. Individual site and soil characteristics, along with management activities, will influence production levels.

Many species of grass, both warm and cool season, are available and suitable for these sites. Common forage species include tall fescue, orchard grass, Kentucky bluegrass, Johnson grass, timothy, and various species of clover.

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 – Transitional (Abandoned Field)
Phases 3.1: Plant species dominants: eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana)/ multi-flora rose (Rosa multiflora) – berries (Rubus spp.) / tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus)

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 will likely require timber stand improvement practices to control non-native vegetation and manage for desired hardwood species.





The following information is from Glendon Smalley’s U.S. Forest Service technical report SO-43 entitled, “Classification and Evaluation of Forest Sites on the Eastern Highland Rim and Pennyroyal.”

Landtype 1, Ridges and Upper Slopes. Dominant soils include Bodine.
Dominant species: Scarlet oak, chestnut oak, white oak, hickories, southern red oak, loblolly pine, Virginia pine, and shortleaf pine.
Occasional species: black oak, blackgum, red maple, yellow poplar, blackjack oak, northern red oak, and eastern red cedar.
Common understory species: flowering dogwood, sourwood, eastern hophornbeam, winged elm, sassafras, Vacciniums, and wild plum.

Landtype 4, Cherty North Slopes. Dominants soils include Bodine, Fullerton.
Dominant species: white oak, black oak, southern red oak, yellow poplar, northern red oak, hickories, blackgum, red maple.
Occasional species: scarlet oak, chestnut oak, chinkapin oak, post oak, elms, white ash, black walnut, black cherry, eastern redcedar, American beech, sugar maple, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, Virginia pine.
Common in understory: flowering dogwood, sassafras, persimmon, eastern hophornbeam, eastern redbud, devils club, Euonymuses, hydrangea, Vacciniums.

Landtype 5, Cherty South Slopes. Dominants soils include Bodine, Fullerton.
Dominant species: white oak, scarlet oak, chestnut oak, chinkapin oak, post oak, hickories, black oak southern red oak, eastern redcedar, loblolly pine, Virginia pine, shortleaf pine.

Occasional species: red maple, elms, blackgum, yellow poplar.

Common in understory: eastern redbud, eastern hophornbeam, flowering dogwood, vacciniums, euonymuses, winged elm, sassafras, wild plum.

Landtype 6, Shaly North Slopes (soils over cherty and shaly limestone). Dominant soils include Sulphura.
Dominant species: white oak, black oak, southern red oak, yellow poplar, blackgum, red maple, northern red oak, hickories.
Occasional species: scarlet oak, chestnut oak, elms, white ash, black walnut, black cherry, sugar maple, eastern redcedar, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine.
Common in understory: flowering dogwood, sassafras, eastern hophornbeam, winged elm, American beech, eastern redbud, euonymuses and vacciniums.

Landtype 7, Shaly South Slopes. Dominant soils include Sulphura.
Dominant species: white oak, scarlet oak, chestnut oak, hickories, southern red oak, black oak, eastern redcedar, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, Virginia pine.
Occasional species: elms, yellow poplar, blackgum, American beech, white ash, sugar maple, black walnut, black cherry, and red maple.
Common in understory: flowering dogwood, sassafras, winged elm, vacciniums, eastern hophornbeam, and euonymuses.