The Central Oak-Pine macrogroup consists of the
following habitats:
Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV.
566,276 total acres of habitat, of which 38.4% is conserved.
Description: A mixed forest or
woodland of pitch pine and/or Virginia pine mixed with dry-site oaks (primarily scrub oak, scarlet
oak, and chestnut oak). Red pine and shortleaf pine may also occur. Some areas have a fairly
well-developed heath shrub layer; a graminoid herb layer dominated by Pennsylvania sedge, poverty
grass, and common hairgrass may be more prominent in others. The vegetation is patchy, with
woodland as well as open portions, or even sparse cover on dry rocky hilltops and outcrops.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Northeastern Interior Pine Barrens
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT. 42,742 total acres of
habitat, of which 28.4% is conserved.
Description: A fire-adapted
system of Northeast glacial sandplains, typically an open woodland but sometimes including patches of
closed-canopy forest and herbaceous openings. Pitch pine is the usual dominant; red oak, white pine,
and gray birch are common associates. A tall-shrub layer of scrub oak or dwarf chinkapin oak is
characteristic, as is a low-shrub layer of heath and sweetfern. Small changes in elevation create
pockets with saturated soil, where shrubs such as hazelnut, buttonbush, highbush blueberry, and alder
form dense cover. Grassy areas dominated by little bluestem, native lupine, and other forbs, provide
habitat for rare invertebrates like the frosted elfin. Black racer and eastern
ribbon snake are associated with this habitat.
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pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Piedmont Hardpan Woodland and Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: MD, VA. 49,430 total acres of habitat, of which 2.4% is
conserved.
Description: A hardwood woodland
that occurs where a particularly dense clay hardpan has developed over a range of mafic rocks (igneous
rocks rich in iron and magnesium), creating dry conditions for plants despite the presence of deep
soil. Open woodlands and more limited areas of shallow glade-like vegetation are the usual cover.
Typical canopy trees include white oak, post oak, pignut hickory, and white ash. The open canopy leads
to a better developed herb layer than in most Piedmont forests, one that is usually grassy. Some sites
may have once supported open prairies or prairie savannas when they burned more frequently.
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pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
North Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA.
2,145,627 total acres of habitat, of which 16.1% is conserved.
Description: A hardwood forest
largely dominated by oaks, often mixed with pine. White, red, chestnut, black, and scarlet oaks are
typical, and american holly is sometimes present. Sassafras, birch, aspen, and hazelnut are common
associates in earliersuccessional areas. In the northern half of the range, conditions can grade to
dry-mesic, reflected in the local abundance of beech. A heath shrub layer is common; the herbaceous
layer is sparse. In southern-more occurrences in Maryland or Virginia, pines (shortleaf, Virginia, and
particularly loblolly) may be important, even strongly dominant canopy trees. The pine component is
usually an indication of past human disturbance.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
North Atlantic Coastal Plain Maritime Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA. 127,121 total
acres of habitat, of which 20.3% is conserved.
Description: A forest-shrubland
mosaic encompassing a range of woody vegetation on barrier islands, near-coastal strands, and bluffs
at the outer edge of the coastal plain. Defined by its proximity to maritime environments, and usually
speciespoor, the vegetation includes narrow bands of forests or woodlands, often featuring stunted
trees with contorted branches and dense vine layers. A range of trees may be present depending upon
location and degree of protection from most extreme maritime influences. They may include some
combination of pines (like pitch, Virginia, loblolly, and shortleaf pine) and oaks (scarlet, black,
scrub, post) as well as eastern red cedar, black cherry, American holly, sassafras, and red maple. The
shrub layer may be dense; the herb layer is often sparse.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
North Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: MA, NJ, NY, RI. 491,551 total acres of habitat, of which
46.8% is conserved.
Description: A dry, fire-adapted
forest with a variable canopy of pitch pine, a tall-shrub layer dominated by scrub oak, and a lowshrub
layer characterized by blueberry and other heaths. Other oaks (scarlet, black, chestnut, white) are
also sometimes present. Composition and structure vary with fire frequency. In general, tree oaks are
more prevalent in those stands having a longer fire-return interval, while fire frequencies of eight
to ten years foster the growth of "pine plains," dwarf pine stands one meter in height. Dwarf-shrubs
such as lowbush blueberry, bearberry and golden-heather typify the field layer of pine plains. Scrub
oak stands may occur without pine cover, particularly in low-lying areas where cold-air drainage
inhibits pine growth.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, WV. 17,032,701
total acres of habitat, of which 19.1% is conserved.
Description: An oak-dominated,
mostly closed canopy forest that occurs as a matrix (dominant) type through the central part of our
region. Oak species characteristic of dry to mesic conditions (e.g., red, white, black, and scarlet
oak) and hickories are dominant in mature stands. Chestnut oak may be present but is generally less
important than other oak species. Red maple, black birch, and yellow birch may be common associates.
Heath shrubs are often present but not well developed. Local areas of limy bedrock, or colluvial
pockets, may support forests that reflect the richer soils. With a long history of human habitation,
many of the forests are midsuccessional, in which pines (typically Virginia or white) or tuliptree may
be codominant or dominant.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Central Appalachian Dry Oak-Pine Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WV.
3,845,317 total acres of habitat, of which 34.1% is conserved.
Description: An oak or oak-pine
forest of dry sites, characterized by a variable mixture of drought tolerant oaks (chestnut oak, white
oak, red oak, black oak, scarlet oak) and pines (pitch, white, Virginia). It occurs broadly in the
Central Appalachians and northern Piedmont ecoregions, most commonly as a large (to very large) patch
habitat. It has a much more limited range in New England, where hickories may be present. Community
structure ranges from open woodlands to closed forest. Heath shrubs are common in the understory; the
herb layer is often sparse and lacks diversity. In the absence of fire this system may tend to succeed
to hemlock and locally common hardwoods.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Southern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: MD, PA, VA, WV. 33,532 total acres of habitat, of which
69.8% is conserved.
Description: A conifer forest of
slopes and ridges at high elevations in the Southern Appalachians. Table mountain pine is typical and
often dominant, occurring with pitch pine, Virginia pine, or Carolina hemlock. Chestnut oak, scarlet
oak, and scrub oak are usually present and are sometimes abundant in examples that have not burned
recently. A dense heath shrub layer is typical; herbs are usually sparse but may be more abundant and
shrubs less dense when fires occurred more frequently. Periodic fire presumably also maintained a more
open woodland canopy structure in these communities. In some areas pines may be able to maintain
dominance due to edaphic conditions, such as very shallow soil or extreme exposure, but most sites
appear eventually to succeed to oak in the absence of fire.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Southern Appalachian Oak Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: VA, WV. 2,869,246 total acres of habitat, of which 13.4%
is conserved.
Description: An oak forest of low
to mid-elevations and low to moderate moisture dominated by white, red, black, chestnut, and scarlet
oaks, with varying amounts of hickory, black gum, and red maple. Centered in the Southern Blue Ridge,
it is found only in the very southwestern part of our region. Chestnut was commonly a dominant or
codominant until its elimination in the early 1900s. Some areas have dense evergreen heath shrubs of
mountain laurel or great rhododendron; others have deciduous heath layers of blueberry and/or
huckleberry. Successional communities with heavy tuliptree, pine, and black locust are also included
in this system. Oaks can be long-lived with typical age of mortality ranging from 200 to 400 years for
most species. White oaks can live as long as 600 years.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Pine Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: VA. 1,796,901 total acres of habitat, of which 3.0% is
conserved.
Description: A hardwood or mixed
forest of rocky ridges and upper slopes in the Southern Piedmont. Upland oaks dominate, sometimes with
pine as a significant component. Once the dominant matrix-forming forest of the Piedmont, much of it
is now composed of large patches of post-clearing successional forests in which pines (shortleaf,
Virginia, loblolly) often dominate for a number of decades. Understory and shrub layers are generally
well developed, and herb layers may be sparse to moderate. Species vary with soil chemistry. This
forest occurs in a variety of dry to dry-mesic habitats, but historic and remnant high quality
examples are rare. An unusual expression of this in Virginia consists of old loblolly pine savanna
that has developed after frequent burns on military lands.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: PA, VA, WV. 2,261,249 total acres of habitat, of which
8.4% is conserved.
Description: A dry hardwood
forest dominated by white oak, southern red oak, chestnut oak, scarlet oak, and black oak, with lesser
amounts of red maple, pignut hickory, mockernut hickory, and sometimes sprouts of American chestnut.
Scattered and small inclusions of shortleaf or Virginia pine may occur, particularly along to
escarpments or following fire. Pitch pine and table mountain pine are also sometimes present,
particularly in West Virginia. In the absence of fire, white pine may become established. Heath shrub
layers are common. Chestnut was also common in these forests before chestnut blight eradicated it from
the canopy.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Southern Ridge and Valley/Cumberland Dry Calcareous Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: VA, WV. 914,360 total acres of habitat, of which 9.5% is
conserved.
Description: A hardwood forest of
dry to dry-mesic calcareous substrates dominated by combinations of oaks (white, red, black, post,
chinkapin), hickories, sugar maple, black maple, white ash, and sometimes pine and/or red-cedar. Tulip
poplar and black locust are common trees in logged stands. Understory and herb layers vary from lush
to sparse. These forests are the matrix vegetation type under natural conditions. Much of this system
is currently composed of successional forests that have arisen after repeated cutting, clearing, and
cultivation of the original forests. Endemic to the southern part of the Ridge and Valley province, it
reaches only into the southwestern part of our region.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.
Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest
pdf
Guide for this habitat.
Regional Distribution: VA, WV. 147,890 total acres of habitat, of which 63.7%
is conserved.
Description: A high elevation
hardwood forest dominated by red oak and white oak, with the individuals often stunted or
wind-flagged. Chestnut oak and xeric hickories are also sometimes present. Chestnut trees were
important in this system historically, but are now found only as stumps and sprouts. Early azalea and
other heath shrubs, along with mountain holly, are common in understory vegetation, though graminoid
species and ferns dominate in some examples. At the northern end of its range in our region, patches
of this habitat type are often less than 10 acres, but can be much larger on very long or broadly
convex ridges.
Download the
pdf for this habitat for information about species, crosswalks to state names, and condition of this
habitat.