Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F140XY026PA
Dry Till Uplands
Last updated: 10/01/2024
Accessed: 12/21/2024
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): 140X–Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and Catskill Mountains
This area is primarily in the Southern New York Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province of the Appalachian Highlands. The top of the dissected plateau in this MLRA is broad and is nearly level to moderately sloping. The narrow valleys have steep walls and smooth floors. The Catskills in the east have steep slopes. Elevation is typically 650 to 1,000 feet on valley floors; 1,650 to 2,000 feet on the plateau surface; and 3,600 feet or more in parts of the Catskills.
The average annual precipitation in most of this area is 30 to 45 inches. Rainfall occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms during the summer, but most of the precipitation in this area occurs as snow. The average annual temperature is 40 to 50 degrees F.
The dominant soil order in this MLRA is Inceptisols. The soils in the area dominantly have a mesic soil temperature regime, an aquic or udic soil moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. Frigid soils are found within the higher elevations.
This area supports forest vegetation, particularly hardwood species. Beech-birch-maple and elm-ash-red maple are the potential forest types. The extent of oak species increases from east to west, particularly in areas of shallow and dry soils. In some areas conifers, such as white pine, are important. Aspen, hemlock, northern white-cedar, and black ash grow on the wetter soils. In some parts of the area, sugar maple has potential economic significance. Some of the major wildlife species in this area are white-tailed deer, cottontail, turkey, pheasant, and grouse.
Classification relationships
USDA NRCS:
LRR: R - Northeastern Forage and Forest Region
MLRA 140 - Glaciated Allegheny Plateau and Catskills Mountains
NY Natural Heritage Program Plant Community Classification:
Allegheny Oak Forest
PA Natural Heritage Program Plant Community Classification:
Dry oak - heath forest
Ecological site concept
Landform/Landscape Position:
The site occurs on benches, hills, hillslopes, ridges and ground moraines. Slopes range from 0 to 35 percent.
Soils:
The soils consists of moderately deep, well drained and somewhat excessively drained, loamy-skeletal soils that formed in glacial till derived mostly from sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Representative soil is Oquaga.
Vegetation:
The reference plant community is an oak dominated forest (Dry oak - heath forest, PA Natural Heritage Program). Black oak and scarlet oak are often the most common on the site. Other associated trees include chestnut oak, white oak, red oak, pignut hickory, and eastern white pine. Black huckleberry and lowbush blueberry are common shrubs. In openings following tree falls or other natural disturbances poverty oatgrass and little bluestem may occur with early successional trees such as eastern red cedar and black birch. Invasive exotic plants such as Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, winged euonymus, and shrub honeysuckles can occur in disturbed sites.
Associated sites
| F140XY027NY |
Well Drained Till Uplands |
|---|---|
| F140XY008NY |
Frigid Steep Till Uplands |
Similar sites
| F140XY023NY |
Shallow Till Uplands |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Quercus rubra |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Viburnum recognitum |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Uvularia sessilifolia |
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