This is the historic climax plant community for this ecological site. An open canopy of longleaf pine exists with a minimal scrub oak understory, commonly turkey oak (Quercus laevis) with some bluejack oak (Q. incana) and blackjack oak (Q. marilandica). Fire is the most important process in maintaining the natural vegetation of this ecological site. The amount of canopy closure in this community depends on the fire regime. Lack of fire tends to lead to the degradation of the natural vegetation by causing canopy closure by hardwoods and loss of longleaf pine and native grasses.
The longleaf pine-hardwood forest state is characterized by a more closed canopy relative to the reference state. Scrub oaks (Quercus incana, Q. marilandica) begin to rival longleaf pine. Less fire-tolerant pines such as loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) begin to establish. Hardwood trees such as dwarf post oak (Q. margarettae), and persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) compete with the remaining longleaf for canopy space. Shrub density and mass is increased relative to the reference state. Herbaceous species richness and productivity will continue to decline with canopy closure and the resulting decrease in sunlight penetration. Species richness is the number of different species present.
Lack of a favorable environment for regeneration and competition from hardwoods and other pines have resulted in either longleaf being lost from the site, or remaining individual trees being widely dispersed. Pines such as loblolly pine may have become established due to lack of fire. Canopy closure approaches 100 percent, dominated by oaks with some hickory, sweetgum, and persimmon. Because of lack of sunlight penetration to the understory, shrub size and numbers are reduced relative to state 2, and herbaceous species characteristic of the reference state are very sparse or no longer present.
The Mixed Oak - Hardwood state is the product of long-term lack of fire management (century scale?). This community phase is naturally present in patches within the larger ecological site, most often on microsites that are protected from fire (Frost and Langley, 2008; Edwards et al., 2013). However, large-scale fire suppression allows continued encroachment of fire-tolerant oaks, and longleaf pine reproduction eventually ceases. This leaves the site open for continued scrub oak domination. Fine fuels typical for low intensity ground fires are absent, but coarser fuels such as branches and leaves are present.
At Fort Gordon near Augusta, GA, this state has resulted from annual dormant season burns after hardwood establishment (Michale Juhan, personal communication). The timing and frequency of the prescribed fire have not been favorable for longleaf regeneration. Brockway and Outcalt (2000) suggest that presecribed fire alone is not effective at enhancing natural longleaf establishment after a major disturbance event such as wildfire. Hardwood removal (chemical or mechanical) in combination with prescribed fire is much more effective.
Longleaf pine are planted to grow trees to a marketable size or to attempt to restore a system that would be similar to the reference plant community and in the interim sell pine straw as an urban landscape mulch (Alig et al., 2002). However, the richness of herbaceous species and associated animals are unlikely to completely mimic the reference state. However, this state is a functioning ecosystem with strong similarities to the reference plant community. Planted pines are generally even-aged and evenly spaced. If longleaf pine planting density is too high, the trees will shade out heliophytic native ground cover. In dense even-aged stands needle fall may be high, which can contribute to hotter fires. Consultation with a professional forester is recommended before establishing a longleaf pine plantation. Grasses commonly planted in this state are wiregrass, little bluestem, Indiangrass and switchgrass.
Loblolly and slash are the pine species most often planted in the region to produce a marketable wood product. Establishment of these pines has resulted in longleaf stands lacking native ground cover. Subsequent management will be in keeping with long-term and interim objectives and may include vegetation management with prescribed burning, and periodic stand thinning.
If a pine plantation is not established, the most common agricultural use of the site is pasture or hay production. Fruit and vegetable production, and row crops can be regionally important.
Agricultural yield information is available through Web Soil Survey (WSS) and can accessed here: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.html
When management or regular disturbances cease on cut-over forest, row crop or forage land, weedy and woody species become established.
The abandoned field state is recognized by secondary plant community succession.
Invasive species such as Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), silktree (Albiziz julibrissin), and cogon grass (Imperata cylindrical) can invade and dominate southern pine sites and prevent many uses. Cogon grass is particularly difficult and costly to control.
Model keys
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The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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