White Pine - Oak Forest State Rank: S5 – Secure White Pine - Oak Forest is a common, Differentiating from extremely variable forest community of Related Communities: mixed dominance with oaks and white White Pine - Oak Forests have pine in the canopy; It is a common stage >25% cover of white pine of forest succession, indicating overall (not just local patches). widespread past disturbances; They are often in a successional sequence from layer in a variety of proportions. Successional White Pine Associated canopy trees regularly occur in Forests: the key difference is low numbers: hickories, pitch pine and the >25% of oaks in the sassafras are more likely in southern or WPOF canopy. In southern or coastal areas while white and black very dry areas WPOF may birches are more northerly. American grade into Pitch Pine - Oak beech and red maple occur throughout. Forests/Woodlands which production, an important source of American chestnut is a frequent shrubby have >25% cover of pitch pine and <25% wildlife food, is substantially greater in tree. The shrub layer is variable in canopy of white pine. Related forest types oak forest types than in northern forest abundance and species. Heaths may form in the oak continuum have <25% white types. Oaks and acorns play a a prominent shrub layer with lowbush pine. Coastal Forests/Woodlands are fundamental role in the organization and blueberries, black huckleberry, mountain within a few miles of the coast at <~60 ft. dynamics of wildlife communities. laurel, and/or sheep laurel. Maple-leaved elevation and receive storm winds and White Pine - Oak Forest with scattered shrubs. viburnum and witch-hazel may occur in spray. The diverse canopies include oaks Examples with Public Access: Photo: Beverly Vucson, DFG. less dry conditions. Typical sparse herb and often American holly, sassafras, and Myles Standish SF, Plymouth; Freetown layer plants include bracken fern, wild black gum; white pine may be present. In SF, Freetown; Quabbin Reservation, Description: White Pine - Oak Forest sarsaparilla, Canada mayflower, partridge the northern areas, WPOF may grade into Belchertown; Wachusett Meadow WS (WPOF) is a widespread successional -berry, and pink lady's slipper. Evergreen Northern Hardwoods - Hemlock - White (MAS), Princeton. community that occurs below 915m (3000 patches of club mosses such as ground- Pine Forests that are dominated by sugar ft.) on slopes or flat to gently rolling pine, southern ground-cedar, and staghorn maple and white ash with <25% canopy moraines, till, or outwash plains. Sites are clubmoss are particularly apparent in the cover of white pine and the only oak is dry (but not very dry) to moist (mesic). winter. red oak. The forest canopy is closed with mixed dominance of pines and deciduous trees in Habitat for Associated Fauna: the canopy, often with a super-canopy of There are no species known to be white pine. Indicators of past land use restricted to the White Pine - Oak Forest, such as stone walls, old wood roads, and most animals in the forest are widespread stumps often appear throughout. generalists. All types of upland forest provide valuable structural attributes such Characteristic Species: In White as tree cavity den sites (which are utilized Pine - Oak Forests white pine (25-75% by a variety of bird and mammal species) cover) and oak species (25-75% cover) and large woody material (which is (primarily red or black with white, scarlet, White Pine needles and trunk. Photos: Chris utilized by various amphibian, reptile, and White Pine Oak Forest on an upper rocky slope. and chestnut oaks) dominate the canopy Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org. invertebrate species). Oak acorn 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 .