Characteristic Plants Oak - Northern Hardwoods Forest These plants are frequently found in this community type. Those with an asterisk are State Rank S5 Maine, maple-leaved viburnum is an often diagnostic of this community. indicator shrub. Canopy Community Description American beech This is a mixed upland forest type with Similar Types Paper birch red oak and northern hardwoods in the Oak - Pine Forests, the most similar type, Red maple canopy. Some stands are almost entirely generally lack sugar maple, white ash, and Red oak* deciduous (typically oak - beech), while ironwood. Beech - Birch - Maple Forests Striped maple others are mixed with white pine, red have only minor amounts of red oak, and Sugar maple* spruce, hemlock, or (especially along the generally are strongly deciduous (>75%) White pine coast) northern white cedar. Red oak rather than mixed. Spruce - Northern Sapling/shrub comprises up to 25-85% cover; beech Hardwoods Forests lack red oak. Oak – Northern Hardwoods Forest American Beech is less than half that of red oak. Large Maple-leaved viburnum isolated protected stands (on the order of 25 red oak trees are prominent. Red maple Conservation, Wildlife, and Striped maple acres or less) may not be viable in the long is frequent. The shrub/sapling layer is Sugar maple Management Considerations run; though larger stands, or naturally small usually sparse (<25%, but occasionally up White pine Most sites in Maine are on lands with a stands protected within a managed forest to 50% cover). The herb layer is likewise Herb long settlement history, and have apparently matrix, could be viable. spotty (usually <10% cover, sometimes been timbered, pastured, or burned in the Bracken fern 20-50% cover), with very few dwarf shrubs Canada mayflower past. Several sites occur on public lands but The community provides nesting habitat aside from lowbush blueberry, and with Starflower are not necessarily designated as areas to be for a large number of passerine bird species, typical forest herbs and tree regeneration Wild sarsaparilla set aside from timber harvest. Small and such as black-throated blue warbler, black- (red maple, red oak, white pine, beech). Wild-oats throated green warbler, scarlet tanager, and Few bryoids are found on the leaf litter Location Map ovenbird. Mature stands offer excellent covered forest floor. potential sites for cavity nesters. The rare Associated Rare Plants red-winged sallow moth uses red oak as one American chestnut Soil and Site Characteristics of its host plants and may be found in this Mountain-laurel Sites occur on gently to somewhat steeply community. The globally uncommon early Nantucket shadbush sloping (15-35%) mid- and lower slopes, hairstreak butterfly uses beech as its larval Ram’s-head lady’s-slipper occasionally upper slopes, but usually not host plant. highly exposed sites. Known sites are at Associated Rare Animals low elevations (<1200’) on moderately well Distribution Early hairstreak drained mineral soils, often rocky but not Primarily the Laurentian Mixed Forest Red-winged sallow extremely shallow (typically 25-50 cm) and Province (except for the far northern Whip-poor-will Red Oak - Northern Hardwoods White Pine Forest loamy, with pH 5.0-5.4. portion) and southern portion of the New England - Adirondack Province, extending Diagnostics eastward and westward from Maine. These are closed canopy forests in • Alonzo Garcelon Wildlife Management which red oak and Landscape Pattern: Matrix-forming in Area – Kennebec Co. at least one northern southern Maine, though currently many • Center Hill, Mount Blue State Park hardwood species occurrences exist as large patches due to – Franklin Co. (beech, sugar maple, fragmentation. • Mt Megunticook, Camden Hills State or, infrequently, yellow Park – Knox Co. birch) dominate the Examples on Conservation • Patte Hill, White Mountain National canopy. In southern Lands You Can Visit Forest – Oxford Co. • Albany Mountain, White Mountain • Sebago Lake State Park – Cumberland Maple-leaved Viburnum National Forest – Oxford Co. Co. Maine Natural Areas Program