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Don Francis
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Upland Mixed Forest
Upland mixed
forests occur on mesic soils in areas that have generally
experienced long periods without fire. Without frequent fire,
upland pine forests will eventually succeed to this type. On
the WEA, this community’s canopy is dominated by sweetgum, slash
pine, loblolly pine, southern red oak, swamp laurel oak, water
oak, pignut hickory and live oak. The shrub layer includes red
maple, titi, southern magnolia, wax myrtle, water oak, sweetleaf,
sparkleberry and highbush blueberry. Due to excessive density
of the canopy and shrub layers, herbaceous cover is sparse but
includes Virginia snakeroot, winter grape-fern, tall
elephantsfoot and partridgeberry with several woody vines such
as trumpet creeper, yellow jessamine and various greenbrier
species.
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