Odland Black

Black Oak - Scarlet Oak Woodland State Rank: S3S4 - Vulnerable

associates. A sparse subcanopy may have indicator of the type. Open Oak species of recent disturbance such as grey Forests/Woodlands occur on hill birch, black cherry, and sassafras, as well slopes with short red and white oak as species less tolerant of fire such as trees scattered over a grassy or low flowering dogwood or shadbush. shrub understory around small Lowbush blueberries, huckleberry, and rock outcrops. They often occur scrub oak form a low shrub layer, with between a rocky summit and the scattered sheep laurel, maple-leaved surrounding taller forest. Mixed viburnum, and American hazelnut. A Oak Forests/Woodlands have more sparse herbaceous layer includes scattered oak species than BOSOW (black, patches of Pennsylvania sedge, bracken scarlet, and white plus red oak and fern, and pink lady's slipper. Wintergreen chestnut oak), and black birch. The Black Oak in woodland with wintergreen may be dense in areas with little past soil type is broadly defined and showing below huckleberry layer without leaves. Photo: Patricia Swain, NHESP. disturbance. BOSOW could be considered as a defined those of all oak forests. Orange sallow subtype. Coastal Forests/Woodlands are moth may be present when either smooth Description: Black Oak - Scarlet Oak within a few miles of the coast at <~60 ft. or fern-leaf false fox glove, its larval food Woodland (BOSOW) is an open, short elevation and receive storm winds and plants, is present in sufficient abundance. (<20m (~60 ft.)) oak/heath community spray. The diverse canopy includes oaks maintained by regular light fire or other and often has American holly, sassafras, Examples with Public Access: disturbance. The woodland occurs on dry and black gum. Oak - Hemlock - White Salisbury Marsh WMA, Salisbury; sites, often sandy, gravelly, or rocky Pine Forests (OHWPF) are the most Clinton Bluff WMA, Clinton; Green Hill slopes. Without fire, a deep accumulation broadly defined in the continuum of oak Park, Worcester; Cape Cod NS, Truro. of oak leaf litter impedes germination of dominated forests; specific types are split seeds that need mineral soil, restricting out from this matrix type. OHWPF is such species to small patches of Scarlet oak leaves and acorn. Photo: Franklin dominated by a mix of tree oaks with disturbance. Except on the driest sites, Bonner, USFS (ret.), Bugwood.org. scattered white pine and hemlock, either without regular fire, the woodland of which may be in local dense patches. community succeeds to more diverse, Differentiating from Related White Pine - Oak Forests have >25% denser and taller Oak - Hemlock - White Communities: BOSOW are part of a cover of white pine overall (not just local Pine Forest or one its variants. continuum of dry, acidic communities that patches). Pitch Pine - Oak Forests/ contain a variety of tree oak and pine Woodlands have >25% cover of pitch Characteristic Species: In BOSOW, species. Many of the types of oak pine overall (not just local patches). black oak is the dominant canopy species communities grade into one another in with a high proportion of scarlet oak. time and space and are difficult to Habitat for Associated Fauna: White oak and red maple are common differentiate both in a classification and Black Oak – Scarlet Oak Woodlands on the ground. They all have tree oaks and would be part of the habitat of wide Black Oak - Scarlet Oak Woodland is a a low shrub layer dominated by plants of ranging or large animals. Acorns are fairly open oak/heath community the blueberry family. BOSOW are overtly important food for white-tailed deer, black maintained by regular fire; Often woodlands: most canopy trees are bear, grey squirrels, other small rodents, occurring on dry slopes, this community relatively short (<20m (~60 ft.)) and the and Wild Turkeys and other birds. The grades into Mixed Oak and Pine - Oak canopy is generally interrupted (<~60% understory of blueberries and Forests; The subcanopy is sparse, and cover) rather than continuous. Abundant huckleberries is used by many of these the shrub layer dense; Scarlet oak in an often burned woodland. scarlet oak with black oak is the key same species. Passerine birds would be Photo: Patricia Swain, NHESP.

From: Classification of Natural Communities of Massachusetts htthttpp://www;mass;gov/nhesp/://www;mass;gov/nhesp/ Updated: 2016 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of FishFisheeriesries & Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd;, Westborough, M! 01581 (508) 389-6360