Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland
This ecological system encompasses dry hardwood forests mainly on acidic soils in the Allegheny and Cumberland plateaus. It is also found on ridges in the Southern Ridge and Valley region, such as in eastern Tennessee. This is a dry forest system, found on nutrient-poor or acidic soils. These forests are typically dominated by white oak, southern red oak, chestnut oak, and scarlet oak, with lesser amounts of red maple, pignut hickory, and mockernut hickory. Small stands of shortleaf pine and/or Virginia pine may occur, particularly adjacent to escarpments or following wildland fire. Eastern white pine may be prominent in some stands, especially in areas that have not burned in wildland fire. Sprouts of American chestnut can often be found in areas where it was formerly a common tree. Nearly all mature American chestnut trees died from the chestnut blight outbreak during the 20th century. For more information, see NatureServe Explorer.
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