Ecological dynamics

33 - MLRA 122
Well Drained Loamy Alluvium

Mapunits included in this project: Sullivan, Emory
Future field work may determine that this grouping be modified or split into multiple ecological site descriptions (ESDs). Soil mapunit may be added or removed pending field verification.

The natural vegetation of these sites will vary in relationship to the setting, patterns of drainage, disturbances, and previous vegetation communities. Individual sites deserve a detailed understanding before conservation and restoration practices are implemented. The provisional ecological site (PES) communities described in this document reflect plant communities that are likely to be found but do not encompass the entire complexity or diversity of these sites. Future field work is required develop a full ESD which can be utilized for conservation planning purposes.

NASIS data list trees on site for mapunits in this group include: white oak, northern red oak, cherrybark oak, tulip poplar, black walnut, and pines.

The NRCS county soil surveys list various hardwoods on site: northern red oak, white oak, cherrybark oak, tulip poplar, black walnut, and pines.

Vegetation in the official soil series description (OSD):
Sullivan: Most of the areas are used for growing corn, hay, and pasture. The native vegetation is mixed hardwoods.
Emory: Areas large enough to crop or adjacent to other cropland are used for growing corn, cotton, tobacco, hay crops, and vegetable crops. The original vegetation was hardwood forest, including oak, maple, gum, yellow poplar, hickory, ash, beech, and sycamore.

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.”

Description of Landtype 21: Footslopes, Terraces, and Stream bottoms With Good
Drainage in Coves
Dominant soils include Sullivan
Vegetation- white oak, yellow-poplar, northern red oak, blackgum, hickories, sweetgum, red maple, and American sycamore. Occasional trees: cottonwood, elms, American beech, hackberry, black oak, eastern redcedar, black walnut, black cherry, white ash, sugar maple, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine southern red oak, boxelder, and Virginia pine. Flowering dogwood, cane, persimmon, American hornbeam, eastern redbud, vacciniums, sassafras, sourwood, pawpaw, euonymuses, hawthorns, and hydrangeas are common in the understory.

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

Ecological Dynamics:

State 1. Phase 1.1. (Reference): Forestland
Quercus rubra (northern red oak) - white oak (Quercus alba) / American hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) - paw paw (Asimina triloba) / mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)


Trees on these sites will vary depending on age of stand, previous disturbances, on-going levels of disturbance (such as grazing or logging), aspect, and soil depth. Other trees possible for these sites include: Acer saccharum (sugar maple), Acer rubrum (red maple), Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar), Fraxinus spp. (ash), Juglans nigra (black walnut), Tilia americana (basswood), Carya cordiformis (bitternut hickory), Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory), and Ulmus americana (American elm).

Without disturbances, a rich herb and forb layer would be present. Dozens of native species would occur. Spring wildflowers would be prolific on undisturbed, old-growth locations.

State: 2. Phase 2.1. Pasture
Plant species dominant: 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. Depending on levels of management, dozens of weed species may be present.

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 Field
Plant species dominants: tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) – maples (Acer spp.) / berries (Rubus spp.) – Roses (Rosa spp.) / Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue) –giant ironweed (Verona gigantea)

State 3 is a successional state that would occur after pasture management ceases. Typified by a variety of grasses, forbs, herbs, and young trees, these sites are usually wildlife friendly, pollinator beneficial, and are often maintained by landowners to maximize wildlife habitat.

Trees found on site are a mix depending on seed sources and age of the site. Hardwood seedlings and saplings are abundant depending on seed sources. Multiflora rose, briars, berries and brambles a frequent component. Common species included Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota), mullein (Verbascum spp.) thistles (Cirsium spp.), lespedeza (Lespedeza spp.), lambs quarters (Chenopodium album), horse nettle (Solanum carolinense) and pigweed (Amaranthus albus). Other native herbaceous species possible are giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). White crownbeard (Verbesina virginica), yellow crownbeard (V. occidentalis) and common lowland wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) may be present.

Transitioning this state to a reference condition will require management inputs including timber stand improvement practices and control of non-native vegetation.

State 4: Phase 4.1. Abandoned Croplands
Plant species dominant:
henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) – mouse-eared chickweed (Cerastium L. )

Abandonment of cropland would result in many weed species taking over the site. Initially, annual weeds would be predominate followed by grasses, shrubs and finally, pioneers trees.

It would require years of management, plantings, and weed control to establish successional communities that could transition to a reference community.

State 5.0. Phase 5.1. Cropland

Plant species dominants: dependent upon seeding and management. Most common crops are corn and soybeans.

This state can be transitioned to any of the other states with sufficient management inputs: forest restoration and timber stand management, pasture plantings, long-term weed control, etc.

Transitioning this state to a reference condition will require extensive timber stand improvement practices to control non-native vegetation and manage for desired species.

TO VALIDATE THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROVISIONAL ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION FUTURE FIELD WORK IS NEEDED. This will include detail field inspections and monitoring and multi-site data collection including medium to high intensity vegetation sampling, soil correlations, and an in-depth analysis of gathered data. A final field review, peer review, quality control, and quality assurance reviews of the ESD will be needed to produce a document to be utilized for accurate on-site conservation planning.