Central Appalachian pine–oak rocky woodland is a forest system found in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. It occurs on lower-elevation hilltops, outcrops, and rocky slopes in the central Appalachian Mountains, the Allegheny Plateau, and the northern Piedmont. ^[1]

Flora

These forests have a patchy or open aspect. Pitch pine ( Pinus rigida) and Virginia pine ( Pinus virginiana) are common within their respective ranges. These pines are often mixed with dry-site oaks such as chestnut oak ( Quercus prinus), bear oak ( Quercus ilicifolia), northern red oak ( Quercus rubra), and scarlet oak ( Quercus coccinea). Sprouts of chestnut ( Castanea dentata) can also be found. In the northeast, eastern red-cedar ( Juniperus virginiana) or hophornbeam ( Ostrya virginiana) are sometimes important. In the understory, some areas have a fairly well-developed heath shrub layer, others a graminoid layer, the latter particularly common under deciduous trees such as oaks. ^{[1] [2]}

Adjacent transitions

In the north, this system transitions to the Northern Appalachian-Acadian rocky heath outcrop, where spruce begins to appear. In the south it transitions to Southern Appalachian montane pine forest and woodland, where table mountain pine ( Pinus pungens) becomes prominent. It differs from the Central Appalachian dry oak–pine forest by having open, treeless areas, rather than unbroken forest. ^[1]

References