Building the NVC: A case study of xeric longleaf pine Robert K. Peet & Kyle A. Palmquist University of North Carolina

The ESA Vegetation Panel Working with partner organizations to establish standards for the US National Vegetation Classification. Implementation of ESA–FGDC standards requires: Descriptions be based on publicly available plot data Descriptions span the geographic range of a type Recognized types perfectly tile the universe of variation.

Example of the NVC Hierarchy Example Upper Forest & Woodland Level 1 – Formation Class Forest & Woodland Level 2 – Formation Subclass Temperate Forest Level 3 - Formation Warm Temperate Forest Middle Level 4 – Division Southeastern North Amer. Warm Temperate Forest Level 5 – Macrogroup Longleaf Pine & Sand Pine Woodland Level 6 – Group Xeric longleaf Pine Barrens Group Lower Level 7 – Alliance Longleaf Pine/northern Wiregrass Woodlands Level 8 – Association Longleaf Pine / Scrub Oak Sandhill (Northern Type)

Looking to CVS for a Demonstration of the NVC

The Carolina Vegetation Survey Multi-institutional collaborative program Established in 1988 to document the composition and status of natural vegetation of the Carolinas. We provide data services & analysis to: US-NVC (FGDC), NCDENR (EEP,NHP), USDA-NRCS.

Why fire-maintained longleaf pine? Large spatial extent Physiognomically simple (longleaf and wiregrass?) >120 recognized associations (+ many closely related) Southeastern Coastal Plain contains 1600 endemics and 6800 total higher-plant taxa. ~ 1100 plots containing >1600 taxa scattered over 2/3 of the range representing most of the best examples remaining in NC, SC, GA, FL. Conservation significance (vanishing set of types with many rare taxa)

Longleaf pine ecoregions

Ecoregions of the Southeastern US 66: Blue Ridge Mountains 45: Piedmont 65: Southeastern Plains 63: Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain 75: Southern Coastal Plain

General gradient model longleaf pine ecological groups

G154: Xeric and Subxeric Longleaf Pine Woodland 31 Associations G190: Wet-Mesic Longleaf Pine Woodland 25 Associations

G596: Mesic Longleaf Pine Flatwoods – Spodosol Woodland 20 Associations G009: Dry-Mesic Loamy Longleaf Pine Woodland 36 Associations

Initial clustering 3 groups equivalent to alliances

Alliances of G154: Xeric and Subxeric Longleaf Pine Woodland Pinus palustris / Quercus incana Woodland Alliance Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida stricta Alliance (proposed) Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida beyrichiana Alliance (proposed) Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis, Q. geminata Alliance (proposed) Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida condensata (proposed)

Supporting information Constancy table with indicators noted

Ordination showing accepted clusters Northern Carolina Ordination showing accepted clusters

3577 = 3584 xxx1 < xxx2 > >< xxx3 xxx4 xxx5 Type Plots Proposed longleaf pine type name Relationship Established NVC association 3577 5 Pinus palustris / Quercus geminata – Q. hemisphaerica / Osmanthus americanus Woodland = Pinus palustris‑ Pinus taeda / Quercus geminata‑ Quercus hemisphaerica - Osmanthus americanus var. americanus / Aristida stricta Woodland 3584 7 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Stipulicida setacea – Selaginella acanthonota Woodland Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida stricta / Cladonia spp. Woodland xxx1 32 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida stricta – Baptisia cinerea Woodland <  3586 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Gaylussacia dumosa / Aristida stricta Woodland xxx2 14 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus geminata /Aristida stricta Woodland >  3589 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus geminata / Vaccinium tenellum / Aristida stricta Woodland " ><  xxx3 12 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus geminata / Rhynchospora megalocarpa Woodland 3590 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida purpurascens / Stipulicida setacea (Rhynchospora megalocarpa, Selaginella acanthonota) Woodland xxx4 18 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus incana / Gaylussacia dumosa / Aristida stricta Woodland 3591 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus (incana, margarettiae) / Gaylussacia dumosa / Aristida stricta Woodland xxx5 Pinus palustris – P. taeda/ Quercus laevis / Gaylussacia frondosa Woodland 3592 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus incana / Gaylussacia dumosa – Gaylussacia (baccata, frondosa) Woodland   Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus (incana,margarettiae) / Gaylussacia dumosa / Aristida stricta Woodland

Southern Carolina & Georgia Ordination showing accepted clusters

Type 7844 13 >< ≠ 3583 3590 xxx6 12 > 3593 xxx9 4 < 7842 Proposed longleaf pine vegetation types Relationship Established NVC association 7844 13 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus incana / Aristida beyrichiana - Stipulicida setaceaWoodland ><  Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis - Quercus incana / Aristida beyrichiana - Baptisia perfoliataWoodland   “ ≠ 3583 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida beyrichiana - Pityopsis aspera Woodland 3590 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida purpurascens / Stipulicida setacea (Rhynchospora megalocarpa, Selaginella acanthonota) Woodland xxx6 12 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Toxicodendron pubescens / Schizachyrium scoparium – Physalis virginiana Woodland >  3593 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis - (Quercus incana) / Vaccinium tenellum / Schizachyrium scoparium - Eriogonum tomentosum Woodland xxx9 4 Pinus palustris / Quercus marilandica / Aristida beyrichiana – Tephrosia virginiana Woodland <  7842 Pinus palustris - Quercus incana - Quercus marilandica / Aristida beyrichiana - Nolina georgiana Woodland xx10 10 Pinus palustris Gaylussacia dumosa / Schizachyrium scoparium – Pteridium aquilinumWoodland 8491 Pinus palustris - Pinus (echinata, taeda) / (Quercus marilandica, laevis) / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland xxx7 3 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Chrysoma pauciflosculosa / Aristida purpurascens Woodland. 3946 Chrysoma pauciflosculosa - (Clinopodium coccineum) Dwarf-shrubland xx12 7 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus margarettae / Licania michauxii / Aristida beyrichiana Woodland 4492 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis – Quercus incana / Quercus margarettiae / Licania michauxii / Aristida beyrichiana Woodland 4487 Pinus palustris / Quercus stellata / Quercus elliottii / Sporobolus junceus Woodland = Pinus palustris / Quercus incana - Quercus stellata / Aristida beyrichiana - Sporobolus junceus - Nolina georgiana Woodland xx13 14 Pinus palustris / Quercus margarettae / Mimosa microphylla – Ionactis linariifolia Woodland 4488 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Gaylussacia dumosa / Aristida beyrichiana - Helianthus atrorubens Woodland 4263 Pinus palustris / Quercus (hemisphaerica, laevis) / Morella cerifera / Aristida beyrichiana Woodland

Ordination showing accepted clusters Florida Ordination showing accepted clusters

xx21 >< >< xx22 < ≠ xx23 xx24 xx25 xx26 xx27 Type Plots Proposed longleaf pine vegetation type name Relationship Established NVC association xx21 13 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida beyrichiana – Tephrosia chrysophylla Woodland >< 8569 Pinus palustris / Quercus (laevis, myrtifolia) / Aristida beyrichiana - Chapmannia floridana Woodland " ><  4491 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis - Quercus geminata / Ceratiola ericoides Woodland xx22 19 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Licania michauxii / Eriogonum tomentosum Woodland <  3583 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida beyrichiana - Pityopsis aspera Woodland ≠ 3587 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Schizachyrium scoparium - Rhynchosia cytisoides Woodland xx23 4 Pinus palustris / Quercus geminata / Aristida beyrichiana – Conradina canescens Woodland NA xx24 25 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida beyrichiana – Sorghastrum secundum Woodland xx25 28 Pinus palustris / Quercus margarettiae / Aristida beyrichiana – Rhynchosia reniformis Woodland 4490 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Serenoa repens - Vaccinium stamineum / Aristida beyrichiana Woodland xx26 5 Pinus palustris / Quercus geminata / Aristida condensata – Cyperus plukenetii Woodland xx27 20 Pinus palustris /Quercus minima / Aristida beyrichiana – Carphephorus odoratissimus Woodland   3601 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Serenoa repens - Clinopodium coccineum Woodland

Documentation -- VegBank All 996 Longleaf plots analyzed for inclusion http://vegbank.org/cite/VB.ds.199699.CVSLONGLEAF Plots representing the 7 associations of the proposed Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Aristida stricta Alliance Pinus palustris / Quercus geminata – Q. hemisphaerica / Osmanthus americanus Woodland http://vegbank.org/cite/VB.ds.199634.CEGL003577 Pinus palustris / Quercus laevis / Stipulicida setacea – Selaginella acanthonota Woodland http://vegbank.org/cite/VB.ds.199635.CEGL003584

Concluding observations Need for more quantitative type definitions (greater precision and accuracy) for both applications and tools Your data are needed!! Key gradients vary geographically Entitation will be a blend of the objective and subjective Quality varies with region and type Coming soon – open process Contributors and reviewers needed

We are pleased to acknowledge the support and cooperation of Gap Analysis Program