Forest vegetation and vascular flora of Reed Brake Research Natural Area, Alabama
January 22, 2021
| Eight forest community types are defined and described for Reed Brake Research Natural Area, a 242 ha tract in the Hilly Coastal Plain of central Alabama. Community locations are related to topographic position, past logging history, slope direction, and slope steepness. The community types are: Longleaf Pine, Shortleaf Pine-Hardwoods, Southern Red Oak-Mixed Oak, Chestnut Oak, Loblolly Pine-Upland Hardwoods, Loblolly Pine-Lowland Hardwoods, Sweetgum-Yellow-Poplar, and Swamp Tupelo-Sweetbay. Due to fire protection, hardwoods are increasing in importance in the Longleaf Pine communities. An annotated floristic list is presented, with 235 vascular plant taxa referable to 75 families and 153 genera. |