Texas Piney Woods III

Forest Range Types of Eastern North America

The fundamental and practical distinction between coniferous and deciduous forests is useful (and was used herein), but precise, non-arbitrary "lines" are impossible when presenting and discussing forest range types in the eastern half of the continent. This is especially the case when climax or potential natural vegetation is used as the basis for forest types (ie. when cover types, or the more specific management cover types, are discussed as being more or less synonymous with permanent forest types). As discussed in detail below, the epic work of Lucy Braun (1950) is still the definitive basis for the ecological discussion and classification of those North American forests which extend from the Atlantic Coast to slightly beyond the Missouri and Mississippi River drainages. Braun (1950) included all the coniferous forests (forest types, regions, etc.)-- the generic "southeastern pine region"--as part of her one Deciduous Forest Formation.

The forest range types included in the following section include coniferous, deciduous, and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. This is confusing but unavoidable given the nature of the vegetation and the standard understanding (the Braun interpretation) of ecological relations and classification of this forest vegetation. Most of the southeastern pine types presented are management cover types maintained silviculturally as more economically valuable coniferous forests rather than as the climax mixed hardwood-pine forest types. In other words, efforts were made to fit the Society of American Foresters (1980) cover types with the climax types of Braun (1950) and the potential natural vegetation units of Kuchler (1966).

The major forest communities or forest zones of eastern North America are broad or wide in their spatial patterns unlike the narrow zonation characteristic of the forests of western North America. The "young" mountains of the western part of the continent are taller (in fact, still getting taller) and as a result have more elevation-based zonation of vegetation than do the geologically older and more eroded (lower) eastern mountains such as the Applachians or Ozarks. So too, are the soils of the Atlantic Coast more zonal (ie. major soil units are larger or broader in spational dimension like those of the vast continental interior whereas soils of the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Slope ranges are more of the intrazonal spatial scale. See for illustration the national soil map of dominant soil orders and suborders (Soil Survey Staff, 1998).

Vankat (1979, p. 137) wrote that relief within the eastern deciduous forest "is quite variable" yet earlier Vankat (1979, p. 41) had also correctly noted that "low hills" were characteristic of much of this deciduous forest region. Again, contrast this with the extreme physiography of the Rockys or Sierra Nevada-Cascade Ranges.

The classic and still-definitive work on forests of eastern North America (approximately east of the 98^th meridian) is the life's work of Dr. Lucy Barun (1950). Braun interpreted this entire vegetation as one great forest formation existing as a mosaic of forest regions which in turn were made up of community units that she labeled variously as belts, areas, districts, sections, divisions, etc.

"The Deciduous Forest Formation of eastern North America is a complex vegetation unit most conspicuously characterized by the prevalence of the deciduous habit of most of its woody constituents. This gives to it a certain uniformity of phsiognomy, with alternating summer green and winter leafless aspects. Evergreen species, both broad-leaved and needle-leaved, occur in the arboreal and shrub layers, patticularly in seral stages and in marginal and transitional areas. They are not, however, entirely lacking even in some centrally loocated climax communities" (Braun, 1950, p. 31). "The Deciduous Forest Formation is made up of a number of climax associations differing from one another in floristic compositon, in physiogonomy, and in genesis or historical origin. While the delimitation of associations may be made on a basis of dominant species, and it is from these that the climax is named, dominants alone fo not suffice for the recognition of these units. … Although the delimitation in space of an association is difficult, if not impossible, it is entirely possible to recognize and to map forest regions which are characterized by the prevalence of specific climax types, or by mosaics of types. These regions are natural entities, generally with readily observable natural boundaries based on vegetational features. … Forest regions must not be confused with climax associations. Even though a region is named for the climax association normally developing within it, it should not be assumed that the region is coextensive with the area where that climax can develop. Each of the several climaxes, although characterizing a specific region, nevertheless occurs in other regions." (Braun, 1950, p. 33-34). Braun (1950, ps. 35-37) listed nine forest regions making up the Deciduous Forest Formation of eastern North America:

Mixed Mesophytic Forest Region,
Western Mesophytic Forest Region,
Oak-Hickory Forest Region,
Oak-Chestnut Forest Region,
Oak Pine Forest Region,
Southeastern Evergreen Forest Region,
Beech-Maple Forest Region,
Maple-Basswood Forest Region, and
Eastern Hemlock-Eastern White Pine-Northern Hardwoods Region.

Braun (1950, ps. 11-12) interpreted these same combinations of species as forest communities at the scale (both spatial, mostly, and, also, temporal) of climax association from which, as quoted immediately above, Braun derived the names of forest regions. Braun (1950, ps. 11-12) distinguished between the association-abstract and the association-concrete, a distinction discussed in the review of the derivation of vegetation cover type from the concept of plant association. The Braun association is the association of F.E. Clements. Indeed the entire ecological paradigm on which Braun (1950, ps. 10-15) based her monographic treatment of the North American Deciduous Formation is Clementisan except allowance for and inclusion of edaphic and physiographic climaxes of Cowles, Tansley, etc. Vankat (1979, ps. 137-150) and Delcourt and Delcourt in Barbour and Billings (2000, ps. 365-378) described eastern deciduous forest vegetation under the Braun (1950) associations of the Clementsian model.

It is important to bear in mind that the Braun associations can occur in more than the one forest region bearing the name of the association (eg. the Oak-Pine Association commonly occurs and the Maple-Basswood Association infrequently occurs in parts of the Oak-Hickory Forest Region).

Several of the species combinations that delineate deciduous forest regions and associations were also used as forest cover types by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) as for example White Pine-Hemlock (SAF 22), White Pine-Northern Red Oak-Red Maple (SAF 20), Sugar Maple-Basswood (SAF 26), and Beech-Sugar Maple (SAF 60). The Society of American Foresters emphasized that it's forest cover types were "based on existing tree cover" ("… forest as they are today…") and that some types may be climax while others are "transitory" (ie. seral stages leading to another climax).

Braun (1950, p. xiii) specified: "Some of the communities for which composition is given are readily referable to 'forest cover types' as defined by the Society of American Foresters". She then added, "However, an attempt to classsify all communities as to 'cover types' would be artificial" and often impossible. Undoubtedly this was due to the differences in classification by Braun's climax basis (with seral communities clearly specified) versus the existing or present-day forest communities basis of the SAF.

The Society for Range Management (Shiflet, 1994, p. xi) also specified the criterion of "existing vegetation" and that some rangeland cover types are climax and others are seral. The author of this collection of photographs and descriptions repeatedly reminded readers of this situation, but specified that most of the rangeland and forest cover types included herein were climax vegetation. That criterion exist for forest range types of the Eastern Deciduous forest Formation with most photographs being of either old-growth or second-growth forest with climax species composition as described in the classic literature such as Braun (1950) or Shelford (1963, ps. 17-119).

The nine forest regions of Braun (1950, ps. 35-37) were retained with little modification as series in the fairly comprehensive suystem of vegetation (primarily, climax; secondly, disclimax or subclimax) used in A Classification of North American Biotic Communities by Brown et al. (1998). Their organization of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Formation was: Oak-Hickory Series, Oak-Chestnut Series, Beech-Maple Series, Oak-Pine Series, Maple-Basswood Series, and Hemlock-white Pine-Mixed Hardwood Series within the Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community and Mixed Mesophytic Series and Pine Series within the Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community. The Brown et al. (1998) series were included following SAF and/or SRM cover type designations. Additional designations as for forest wetlands were shown as required.

Historical Footnote and Editorial

The consistent and persistent use of the eastern deciduous forest associations of Braun (1950) by the foremost contemporary ecologists provides the beginning student of Ecology with a textbook example of the necessity of learning the fundamental concepts— and the language(s) thereof —that are the foundation of his selected field of Biology. No ecological monograph, including those of John E. Weaver or Victor E. Shelford, ever used Clementsian concepts and terminology any more consistently or with any more practical application than did Braun (1950). All three of these (and there were others besides these) patriarchal ecologists of North American vegetation left future generations with not only the seminal but also the definitive treatises of the communities to which they devoted their professional lives.

Their like, their genre of comprehensive, panaramic, descriptive, first-hand accounts of vegetation on this grand scale, will not likely appear again before icicles hang in Hell. The contemporary research world is hung up on numbers, even generated or simulated (vs. real data) numbers often for numbers-sake alone, and especially numbers of publications. This has gone beyond Lord Kelvin's admonition to "express it in numbers", (indeed Kelvin used actual numbers derived from physical experiments) to the point that quantity is everything and quality (always subsidary to quantity) itself is based on numbers. Not only is there little room for Descriptive Ecology, but there is hardly more for descriptive analysis of experiments and observations because the gold-standard of refereed publications has descended, has been perverted, to the quantitative entity of LPU (Lowest Publishable Unit). A natural length paper based on objectives of the study is split into as many LPUs as possible to extend the author's bibliography. This procedure does not allow enough results to be included in any one paper to allow a discussion of findings from a comprehensive perspective. Besides the experimental procedure (complete with lots of numbers and split-nine-ways-to-Sunday replications) is the most important part according to anonymous peer-reviewers

In an institutional culture where "Publish or Perish" has become prostituted to a realm of pot-boiler papers written from predictable-outcome, piss-ant projects the next generation of Brauns, Weavers, Shelfords are "dead meat" if they devote (ie. sacrifice) their careers to document for eternity the kind of knowledge their "takes a lifetime" research produced. Such incredible work is left to not only the fully vested or tenured but the tenured full professor of independent financial means at career's end (and then there is not enough time left to do the work). A key factor in the creative genius and amazing productivity of Frederic E.Clements was that he was able to spend most of his career working for the rich Carnegie Foundation which freed him from the routine of classroom teaching and daily chores of academia thereby enabling him the luxury of a self-proclaimed "escaped professor" (Brewer, 1988, p. 503). Alternatively, the most lasting and useful research is the province of the academic martyr to whom pursuit of knowledge or satisfaction of curiosity are of higher utility than organizational rank and its financial renumeration.

Thus the Ecology student is left with the classical works of those "giants in the earth" who reigned when knowledge was the domain of a more leisurely, honest, genteel, and collegial time and culture.

The scholar of biblical texts cannot read just the several English translations of the Holy Bible. He must also understand the native tongues of Hebrew, Arabic, or Greek in which Holy Writ was written. So too with the "scripture" of Ecology. And the language of vegetation, at least North American vegetation, is Clementsian. The serious student of vegetation must be knowledgable and conversant in this language given that so much of the all-encompassing vegetation literature was written predominately from the view of Clementsian Ecology (and vocabulary). These original, monographic works remain the basis, however distant, of current investigations or even classifications of vegetation. The basic ecological concepts in such natural resource fields as Range Management and Forestry remain Clementsian at root (eg. the Clementsian association is the basis of the forest and range cover types as used in North America).

Any who would refuse to familarize themselves with Clementsian Ecology because there are exceptions to and alternative models for some of its general, long temporal-large spatial scales traverse the terrain of ecological literature half blind. In their zeal to reform the basic vegetation paradigm to include, justifiably, the exceptions they end up "throwing the baby out with the bath water".

For the Record

Though the designation of Texas Piney Woods (usually written as one word, Pineywoods) clearly indicated a geopolitical unit this was not the most important reason for the specifiction or distinction. (And it was certainly not intended as a prideful or chauvistic usage.) Rather there were ecological, historical, and logistical justifictions for the inclusion of the state name as a specifying noun. Obviously that part of the eastern deciduous forest formation (Braun, 1950; see above) historically known as Pineywoods includes portions of other states including conterminous parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Ecologically, the Texas segment of the Pineywoods is, in biologically important aspects, unique and distinct from those parts of Pineywoods in other states. This is due largely to history and politics whereby the natural boundaries formed by rivers (Red and Sabine) were used as state lines. For example, slash pine (Pinus elliotii), which extends from the Atlantic Ocean on across the Gulf Coast, does extend west of the Sabine River (ie. slash pine does not cross the state line from Louisiana into Texas). In other words, the Texas portion of the Southeastern Pineywoods lacks one of the four major native yellow pines of southeastern (Gulf Coastal) North America. Likewise, those parts of the traditional Pineywoods that extend across the Red River into southeastern Oklahoma and beyond the surveyor-drawn state line into Arkansas do not include longleaf pine (P. palustris) as a native species. The Pineywoods of Arkansas and Oklahoma include only two of the four major species of pines native to the Southeastern Pineywoods. Likewise, the extensions of Pineywoods into these states to the north include no forest communities that even faintly resemblethe Big Thicket part of the Texas Pineywoods.

Logistically, the author as a state employee of Texas had personal, cultural, and political connections to parts of the Texas Pineywoods while he lacked equivalent contacts in neighboring states (even though he was an Okie and as much Arkansawyer as Texan). So again, the designation of Texas Pineywoods was a meaningful distinction.

The above specifics notwithstanding, this chapter on the Texas Pineywoods included examples of forest range vegetation from neighboring states that were equivalent to or the same as those to their south or west. For example, Oklahoma has (for various reasons, including shorter time of occupation by white man) forests that are generally in substantially higher successional status than those of the older Lone Star State.

The Texas Big Thicket- A General Tour

The following series of photographs were taken along portions of the Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve (Hardin County, Texas). These scenes extended from 1) upland pine-mixed hardwoods form or what would be the regional climax forest if viewed from the monoclimax perspective (theory) down through 2) bottomland forests that were mostly swamps or, at least, seasonal forest wetlands ) and in coming back to upland climax forest 3) bay gall or titi scrub forests. Taken together these three forest cover types comprise the vast bulk of the Texas' Big Thicket form of Pineywoods.

Grazing/browsing in this protected area by ungulates was limited to native white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and occasional free roaming feral hogs (Sus scrofa).

A more inclusive (though far from comprehensive) treatment of the Pineywoods was presented in parts I and II of the Texas Pineywoods and Longleaf Pine.

1. Exterior of typical Big Thicket woods- Physiogonomy and structure of the climax upland mixed hardwood-pine forest of the Big Thicket form of Pineywoods. Ajilvsgi (1979, ps. 20-21) described this vegetational expression of climax Big Thicket forest as the Beech-Magnolia-Loblolly Slopes. Tree species in these two views of the same stand included American beech (Fagus grandifolia), sougthern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), white oak (Quercus alba), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), American holly (Ilex opaca), yaupon (I. vomitoria). The first five of these species have been interpreted as the major climax trees of the upland big Thicket. Sweetgum is a pioneer species that persist into subclimax or, sometimes, into the climax forest community. American holly is a climax associate species and yaupon is generally the dominant of the general shrub layer which can consist of three or even four layers or shrub strata. An herbaceous component--at least as a distinct layer or zone was lacking, owing in large part of a combination of 1) very limited light reaching the forest floor and 2) heavy litter layer of tree leaves. There were widely scattered (and not very robust) individuals of longleaf woodoats (Uniola sessifolia).

This was a second-growth forest, but one with the species composition and general structure of old-growth minus many large decaying snags. There were various age classes (from seedling through senescing to standing dead) of beech, southern magnolia, and loblolly pine, the three dominant tree species. For example the decaying trunk in center was senescing magnolia. The tree with yellow paint spot (right foreground) was sweetgum.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented . South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

2. Typical Big Thicket mix- Example of species composition of climax upland forest of the Big Thicket: 1) southern magnolia (two foremost trees), 2) loblolly pine (left background), 3) sweetgum (center; bent trunk), 4) American beecch (right foremost bigger tree at right in second photograph), 5) yaupon (the everywhere shrub), and 6) dense leaf mulch for the ground layer and, thus, 7) absence of herbaceous layer. Good sample of the Beech-Magnolia-Loblolly Slopes described by Ajilvsgi (1979, ps. 20-21).

3. Two views of the dominant hardwoods- In the first of this pair of shots American beech (foreground) and southern magnolia (left midground) produced such a dense canopy and mulch of leaves that only shade-adapted shrubs could survive in lower layers of forest vegetation. The most conspicuous of these shrubs was Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). Note regeneration of both dominants. These are generally clasxsified as Very Tolerant.

The second photograph showed an even deeper leaf layer that effectively mulched any herbaceous species that might have found a microsite that got frequent periods of light. Foreground tree was American beech. Three loblolly pine with a white oak 'snuggled" in amongst the pines. Southern magnolia repreented by seedlings and saplings (center and right foreground).

4. The Big Thicket blend- The characteristic mixture of loblolly pine and mixed hardwoods was represented by this photograph. Two large American beech (leftmost trees) with three straight boles of white oak to rear of beech and a mature loblolly pine to right of the white oaks. A sapling of beech and a seedling of American holly were to front of the pine (right mid- to foreground).

Once again the dense canopy and thick, mulching layer of leaves precluded development of any herbaceous species.

5. A taste of the Big Thicket recipe- Two approaching-maturity American beech (foremost trees). Loblolly pines to right-rear of beech. Saplings and seedlings of southern magnolia. Yaupon, the overall dominant shrub, all around.

Mulching effect of heavy leaf layer on ground combined with characteristic dense shade precluded development of an herbaceous layer. In other range feed was largely limited to mast, mostly beechnuts in this photoplot.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

6. Was this reproduction with or without sex?- Two large trees of southern magnolia with regenerated shoots all around them. Some of these (in both examples) were undoubtedly basal sprouts (= offshoots or clonal shoots) from the mature parent tree. Perhaps there were also some distinctly different genetotypes (genetic plants) produced from seed. Leaf-bearing branches of American beech were present in both slides: at right and at left in first and second photograph, respectively. Titi or swamp cyrilla (Cyrilla racemifolia) was at base of magnolia shown in first photograph.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

7. Local stand- Local group of loblolly pine represented by three approaching-maturity adults. While loblolly pine dominated this local stand the climax hardwood dominants, American beech and southern magnolia were present as saplings and seedlings (far left margin, especially second photograph) indicating that these two species were in the successional ascendency. Also present was water oak (Quercus nigra) ranging from stages of senescence (represented by the broken-off stag in center background) to seedling (center midground). Yaupon was the main shrub species.

In other words, even though loblolly pine dominated this Big Thicket forest stand the assemblage was not a single-species stand. By contrast, plantations of loblolly pine grown intensively for pulp, poles, or saw timber are silvicultural monocultures. Such cropping systems are strictly speaking more like tree farming than actual forestry per se. Loblolly pine plantations are a range cover type because there is a grazable/browsable understorey of mostly native/naturalized plant species, but such grazable tree-dominated pasture is a "far cry) from the natural forest community as seen here and presented throughout this section of Range Types of North America. (Loblolly pine plantations were treated in previous parts of the Pineywoods portion.)

This "photoplot" of Pineywoods presented an example of the natural vegetation of a community of loblolly pine-mixed hardwood forest. This included the typical sparcity to near absence of an herbaceous layer in the forest understorey. Plant communities of loblolly pine plantations typically do have herbaceous layer(s) so as to provide more of an herbage (and perhaps also a browse) feed component. Range feed in native or natural Pineywoods forest, especially the upland forms at climax, is limited mostly to mast such as beechnuts and acorns.

8. Contrast in regeneration- Two "photoquadrants" in which showing differences in regeneration of loblolly pine. In the first of these two slides looblolly pine was still in the runnin' with a pine sapling beside adult pine. Yet, loblolly pine was being replaced on this sere by American holly (the small sapling to the left-rear of the pine sapling. In the second slide there was no reproduction of loblolly. Instead small saplings of American holly and seedlings of southern magnolia were growing beneath the crown and close to the trunk of a young adult pine. A pole-sized white oak at the left margin added to this near-textbook composition of upland Pineywoods forest. In neither of these "photo-samples" was loblolly pine regenerating as successfully as the more shade-tolerant hardwoods.

The exact successional status of loblolly pine in upland forests remains somewhat uncertain to forest ecologists. In relict stands of climax forest (and there are few relict stands of old-growth Pineywoods to study) loblolly pine is almost always present. In many such samples of this potential natural vegetation loblolly pine appears to be preent as a persistent pioneering or, at least, early seral species. With progression of Pineywoods upland forests toward old-growth status shade-tolerant hardwoods such as American beech, southern magnolia, and various shrub species comprise progressively greater proportions of the forest canopy (species composition).

These two samples showed that loblolly pine does continue to reproduce, albeit in much more limited quantities, in upland forests having the climax species composition.

Viewers should note again the very limited cover of herbaceous most of which was longleaf woodoats.

.Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

9. Summary shots of upland Pineywoods- Two views of the loblolly pine-mixed hardwood forest in Texas Big Thicket. First slide: loblolly pine (big trunk, center midground), white oak (two trees to immediate left of big loblolly pine), southern magnolia (large seedlings and small sapling in right-center foreground), and American holly (foremost sapling as trunk only). Second slide: white oak (with leaves in immediate center foreground), southern magnolia (eg. large seedling or small sapling in center foreground), loblolly pine , and pignut or bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) as represented by straight bole at left margin.

10. Gap in the woods- Range vegetation at edge of small opening with American beech (right background and left margin) sharing dominance with American holly (left foregrond). With this much light longleaf woodoats, generally the major or most common grass in understorey of Pineywoods forest in higher states of succession, were abundant ((as in left foreground). A couple of shortleaf pine seedlings had also established in this local patch of a clearing. Unfortunately, the photographer in his haste on a guided tour, missed a lot of the show. Some monocot forb failed to catch the attention of this hurried author only to show up conspicuously in the developed photograph. Any suggestions from viewers?

11. A thicket in the Big Thicket- Local depression on the Beech-Magnolia-Loblolly Slope (Ajilvsgi, 1979, ps. 20-21) forest community was a more mesic habitat that produced a more diverse and better developed shrub layer dominated by yaupon and titi or swamp cyrilla (Cyrilla racemifolia) plus woody vines such as grape (Vitis sp. ) and green-briar (Smilax sp.). There was regeneration of loblolly pine present as small seedlings (lower right corner first photograph). Speces mix was more obvious in second photograph showing American beech (complete with leaves at upper left), southern magnolia, loblolly pine, and white oak. Red maple (Acer rubra) was present in smaller proportions in rear.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

12. White titi or swqmp cyrilla- Flowering leader of Cyrilla racemifolia, one the major shrubs (sometimes a small tree) of typically wet forest environments in the pine-mixed hardwoods and, especially, wetland forests such as cypress-tupelo sloughs. Titi is one of several shrub species that gave this part of the Pineywoods the descriptive title of Big Thicket.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

13. A Very Tolerant shrub- Caprinus caroliniana--known variously as American hornbeam, blue or water beech, musclewood, or ironwood--was growing at edge of a local moist depression (a seasonally ponded habitat) in the loblolly pine-mixed hardwood upland forest of Texas' Big Thicket. This species has been regarded as one of the most shade, competition, etc.- tolerant of all shrubs in the eastern deciduous forest. this fine specimen shared its water-rich, yet well-drained soil environment with numerous seedlings and saplings of American holly, another Very Tolerant species (Wenger, 1984).

14. A wetter thicket in the Big Thicket- Another low-lying and seasonally ponded local relief in the loblolly pine-mixed hardwoods upland forest produced a slightly different local forest range plant community than those presented above. Yaupon was present (as almost always) along with titi or swamp cyrilla. American holly (eg. blotched trunk center foreground) was also abundant, but water oak (eg. biggest trunk in photograph and those at far right) was the local dominant tree from standpoint of crown cover and regeneration.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

15. Edge of a loblolly- Outermost margin of contact between a ponded habitat with loblolly pine, southern magnolia, plus some sweetbay or swamp magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) and a slough dominated by bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and water tupelo or tupelo-gum (Nyssa aquatica).These two slides presented the loblolly pine-magnolia wet forest. Slides of the cypress-tupelo-dominated slough were shown and described below.

Forest vegetation in the first of these two photographs had developed on the somewhat less mesic habitat that was farther from the bald cypress-tupelo slough. This local forest community had a shrub understorey dominated by yaupon and with some Vitis species as well as a few sweetgum seedlings. Vegetation in the second photograph (a plant community closer to the slough) was at edge of a canebrake of native giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea) and also supported a lot of cnain fern (Woodwardia areolata). Titi or swamp cyrilla was about as abundant as yaupon. Big trees in this second (more mesic) "photoplot" were loblolly pine (leaning trunk at left) and water oak (right). Sapling in left foreground was swamp or sweetbay magnolia).

Loblolly pine derived this common name from its frequent occurrence in localized, water-holding lowlands, especially those with ponded features, that in the American backwoods frontier were known as loblollies. (See Harlow et al. [1979, p, 93] for derivation of "loblolly".) Loblolly pine is adapted to a variety of soils and soil water contents (including former cropland or old fields), but it generally does best on wetter forest sites (Harlow et al., 1979; Burns and Honkala, 1990).

16. Scarred parent and offspring escorted by woody grass- Center stage was a fire-scarred American beech with a sapling that was most likely a sexually produced offspring, but with beech it is hard to distinguish sexual from asexual shoots because this species produces plentiful root sprouts or suckers (Burns and Honkala, 1990). Fire could have initiated such root suchering. The rather stunted shoots of giant cane, the only species of bamboo native in the Pineywoods, were asexual progeny from a nearby canebrake.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

There are also bottomland forests within the Big Thicket in addition to the larger areas of upland forests. Some of these lowland forests are wetlands, especially swamps and bayous which often cover rather extensive areas. Other lowland forests develop on local depressions, natural ponds, or similar areas that hold water, at least on a seasonal or ephemeral basis (ie. during wet weather). These depressions that are usually local or small in scale are traditionally known by locals as "sloughs". The next two sets of paired photographs followed by two single-slide sets showed two local sloughs the first of which was dominated by bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) with water tupelo or tupelo-gum (Nyssa aquatica) as the associate speceis and with giant cane as the herbaceous (understorey) dominant. The second slough was a consociation of bald cypress with water elm (Planera aquatica) comprising a shrub component and an herbaceous layer absent. The two single photogrphs were of forest range vegetation at the edge of this second slough so that Intolerant and pioneer plant species were also present on this vegetational margin.

17. Big Thicket slough- Local slough with bald cypress the dominant tree species and tupelo-gum or water tupelo as associate arborous species with a sporadic or interrupted understorey of giant cane. A continuous layer of canebrake with American beech, southern magnolia, sweetbay or swamp mangolia, and loblolly pine surrounded this slough. The first of these two slides presented a general view of this local climax forest range while the second photograph revealed greater detail (with restricted spatial perspective).

In the first slide the three trees with smoother bark were water tupelo; rest (included big tree at left margin) were bald cypress. Giant cane, the native bamboo of the Pineywoods, was conspicuous as the main component of the herbaceous undestorey. In the second of these paired slides leaves and panicles of broadleaf woodoats (Uniola latifolia) were visible at left foreground with giant cane. Leaves of American holly were visible in upper left corner of this second slide as were numerous "knees" (pneumatophores) of bald cypress. These "knees" are assumed to aid bald cypress trees growing in ponded water (roots are in water-logged soil) to obtain adequate oxygen. Bald cypress does, however, typically grow pneumatophores even on well-drained soils not subject to ponding. All tree trunks in second slide were bald cypress.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One form or variant of SAF 102 (Baldcypress-Tupelo). Tupelo-Cypress Series (223.11) in Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forest biotic community (223.1) of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

18. Cypress slough- Bald cypress dominated this depression that ponds water on a seasonal/ephemeral basis. This was another "neck of the woods" just "around the bend" from the local slough shown in the preceding two photographs. In this second slough water tupelo was absent and instead four trees of bald cypress, overall community dominant, were featured. The second photograph presented a vertical view of this stand and included only the two left-most bald cypress. The surub-sized, leaning tree in background of both slides was water-elm or planertree (Planera aquatica), a common associate with cypress and tupelo. The nearly prostrate saplings in immediate foreground of both slides was American beech which illustrated the Very Tolerant status of this species and its ability to grow toward light even in very dense shade.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One form or variant of SAF 101 (Baldcypress). Tupelo-Cypress Series (223.11) in Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forest biotic community (223.1) of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

19. Grandma and the young 'uns- Stand, a consociation, of adult bald cypress including a decaying adult in a slough. On the edge of this bald cypress stand there were two saplings of American beech (front left margin and one behind it) and a large seedling of sweetgum (lower left corner) along with good cover of giant cane and broadleaf woodoats. Also present was a species of Ribes as well as a large seedling of the alien (and highly invasive) Chinese tallowtree (Sapium sebiferum). Chinese tallowtree is relatively tolerant of shade, but it is mostly a pioneer of old fields and fresh clearcuts and does not typically survive in dense shade. The example shown here would probably not survive for much longer; at very least it will have to resprout following partial uprooting by this photographer as soon as the Nikon FM had snapped this instructive shot.

20. Dominants of two botanical worlds- At edge of a slough that was home to a grove of immense bald cypress numerous seedlings of American beech were growing in the nearly bare soil of this seasonal wetland. Will some of these seedlings of this Very Tolerant species survive to adulthood so as to develop into a stand of one of the climax hardwood dominants? Or will beech drown out so that bald cypress remains as an edaphic or edaphotopographic climax?

The present stand of bald cypress was a consociation of that species with water elm or planertree (the large shrub to left of the massive bald cypress) as the associate species, a common relationship of forest vegetation in sloughs. The woody vine growing of the immense old-growth bald cypress was trumpet creeper. Far in background on slightly higher ground a stand of large sweetgum formed another local forest community.

21. Just above the slough- At the outer edge of the bald cypress slough shown immediately above (the preceding two sets of single photographs and one set of paired photographs) at slightly higher elevation and less moist soil a smaller depression in the land surface supported a forest range community with an herbaceaous understorey dominated by beaked panicgrass (Panicum aanceps subsp. rhizomatum) and with giant cane and broadleaf woodoats as associate species. This subspecies of beaked panicgrass which has longer, more narrow rhizomes can form extensive colonies on favorable habitats such as the mesic environment of this depression. Also growing in this shallow natural "pond" (land depression) was some Vitis species, titi or swamp cyrilla, and the ever-present yaupon.

Tree species included rather massive and very straight boles ("mast pole"-type trunks) of bald cypress in middle background (edge of the cypress slough), but with water oak (midground), sweetgum (foremost adult tree in right foreground), and loblolly pine (trunks of two adults in left background). There were various age classes (seedling through sapling to adult) of the latter three species.

This forest range vegetation was an ecotone between bald cypress-water tupelo wetland (slough) forest and the regional climax of loblolly pine-mixed hardwood upland forest.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

22. Climax trees and grass in the Big Thicket- Three views of a canebrake (of Arundinaria gigantea) understorey in a loblolly pine mixed hardwood forest that developed at the margin of the bald cypress-water tupelo and bald cypress sloughs presented above. This composite range vegetation was at confluence of local and varied wetland and upland forests. The canebrake understorey, though discontinuous or patchy in its presence, had developed consistently throughtout the variants of forest vegetation.

The first of these three slides showed giant cane, the understorey dominant, with some (sporadic cover) broadleaf woodoats in front of two large bald cypress at edge of a slough while leaves of southern magnolia "framed" this "photoplot" at upper right and center. The second slide was of forest range vegetation farther away from the slough. This second "photoplot" also featured giant cane, but tree species were sweetgum (eg. leaves at far upper left corner, trunk and leaves ar right margin), American beech, southern magnolia, loblolly pine and American holly (this latter represented by the sapling in center midground). Third "photoplot" showed giant cane along with an adult loblolly pine, juvenile American holly, and (at middle of right margin) an individual of Carolina buckthorn (Rhamnus caroliniana).

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (1213.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented . South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

23. Baygall- Range vegetation of a local (small) baygall in a dry autumn. Baygalls are one of the more unique range plant communities in the Texas Pineywoods. They are especially common in the Big Thicket portion of the Pineywoods. Baygalls are a unique kind or type of wetland. A baygall is basically a bog ecosystem consisting of a series of mounds and intermounds that create local variations in microrelief. Poorly drained soils in addition to seepages and accumulations of water are primarily responsible for this microtopography and the distinctive range vegetation that developed on it. While trees, including loblolly pine (one of the regional dominants), frequently grow on baygalls it is primarily shrubs and smaller tree species that are responsible for a form of woody vegetation that commonly forms a nearly impenetrable “tangle" or dense thicket that mightbe at least part of the basis for the colorful term "Big Thicket".

The example of a small or restricted baygall presented here was somewhat different from a larger and more typical expression of this Big Thicket ecosystem. (An example of this form of baygall was given in Texas Pineywoods II above.) Dominant plant species (all woody) of this Pineywoods baygall varied among sweet bay (Magnolia virginiana), black titi or swamp cyrilla (Cyrilla racemiflora), and red bay (Persea boronia). Gallberry holly (Ilex coriacea) was absent from these two snapshots of a Pineywoods baygall. According to Ajilvsgi (1979, p. 16) the term baygall was derived from the common names of sweet bay and gallberry holly, generally the two dominant species of this unique forest vegetatio of the Big Thicket. Among locals a baygall is also often refered to as a titi, undoubtedly a reference to abundance or black titi or swamp cyrilla in this vegetation, the forms of which can range from forest to shrubland (scrub) wetlands.The latter form was more descriptive of the range plant community viewed here.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). No SAF. One variant form of Mixed Hardwood Series (223.13) of Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forest biotic community (223.1) of Brown et al. (1998). South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

24. Back on the drier uplant slopes- Parting shots of the climax beech-magnolia-loblolly pine slopes community of Texas' Big Thicket. Two final "photoquadrants" of the regional climax (= monoclimax) forest of the Big Thicket phase of the Pineywoods. In the first photograph a fine specimen of a mature southern magnolia (foremost tree at left-center ) and a loblolly pine along with an uprooted American beech (lowere right corner) along with the always-there yaupon represented the climax Beech-Magnolia-Loblolly Slopes (Ajilvsgi, 1979, ps. 20-21) form or subtype of Big Thicket Pineywoods.Some herbaceous species were present in this more open local forest community. These included narrowleaf woodoats along with an indentified species of Carex and another of Cyperus (inflorescences were absent from both species).

The second photograph presented an all-in-one representation of the dominant species of the loblolly pine-mixed hardwoods upland forest. In addition to two adult loblolly pine ((center midground) there was almost every imaginable age class of southern magnolia ranging from aged adult (largest tree; immediate left foreground) to seedlings, saplings, and poles plus many immature age classes of American beech. Both yaupon and American holly were present. As all so typical, however, an herbaceous component was "conspicuous by its absence" on this deep leaf layer-covered forest floor.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October. FRES No. 16 (Oak-Gum-Cypress Ecosystem). One of several variants of SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). Oak-Pine Series (122.14) in Northeastern Deciduous Forest biotic community (122.1) even though in southeastern part of continent; an Oak-Pine Series or, perhaps, the Mixed Mesophytic Series (123.11) for Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreen Forest biotic community [123.1] of Brown et al. (1998) would seem warrented .South Central Plains- Flatwoods Ecoregion, 35f (Griffith et al., 2004).

25. Fungal fellows of the Big Thicket- These two species of fungi on the floor of a loblolly pine-American beech-Southern magnolia upland Pineywoods forest. Cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis crisp= S. radicata), left, and Dyer's polypore (Phaeolus schwainitizii), right, were right at home growing in the moist humus formed from decomposing leaves, twigs, and other detritis of this climax forest.

Both of these species are in th order, Aphyllophorales (the older designation) or Polyporales (newer name for the order) whose members are, in general, wood decomposers. This order is especially interesting because it is polyphyletic being interpreted as in both the Basidiomycetes and Hymenomycetes. Basidiomycetes are filamentous fungi made up of hyphae (as well as fruiting bodies) that undergo sexual reproduction by producing basidia, club-shaped end cells. Hymenocycetes are fungi whose fruiting bodies bear hymenophores where hymenium refers to the tissue layer in which cells develop into basidia or asci, the spore-producing structures.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

26.Cauliflower mushroom (Sparassis crisp= S. radicata)- Closer-in view of the specimen seen immediately above.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

27. Dyer's polypore (Phaeolus schwainitizii)- Detailed shot of the individual fruiting body introduced above.

Kirby Nature Trail, Big Thicket National Preserve, Hardin County, Texas. Early October.

Mesic to Hydric Mixed Hardwood Bottomland Forest

There are a number of forms and recognized cover types of bottomland forest in eastern and southern North America (Eyre, 1980) with some forests being "pretty much" pure types or variants thereof, but there is also an almost infinite variation of unrecognized or non-described forest communities that are combinations of some of these more widespread and simplier forest cover types. One such example was presented immediately below. This was a second-growth forest that was apporaching old-growth status. This forest was actually a composite or a vegetational mosaic of several commonly recognized cover types.

This forest range community was a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest that was an "amalgamation" of trees (sweetgum, green ash, water oak, overcup oak, and willow oak) with a multi-layer understorey ranging from taller shrubs like water-elm and blue beech or American hornbeam down to an upper herbaceous layer comprised of canebrakes, a lower herbaceous layer of caric sedges and broadleaf woodoats, and finally, sporadic cover of cryptogams including fungus and lichen.

This "amalgated" example had developed on the Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas.

28. Entry into a restoring primevial forested bottom- Introduction to the composition and structure of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest in the Texas Pineywoods, part of the westernmost edge of the North American Eastern Deciduous Forest. This was a second-growth mixed hardwood forest that was approaching old-growth state from standpoint of species composition and vegetational layers. It clearly appeared to be the climax vegetation for this forest site, but this forest range community lacked the senescing/dying/dead trees of the ultimated old-growth forest.

The first slide presented general structure of this forest with young adult trees of overcup oak and water oak (left foreground), nearly maximum adult-size of a sweetgum (right near-background), American hornbeam or blue beech (shrub in center midground), and a well-developed two-layer herbaceous zone of giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea), dominant of the upper layer, and broadleaf woodoats (Uniola latifolia), dominant of the lower layer, along with Louisiana caric-sedge (Carex louisiana) which was the associate of this lower herbaceous layer.

The second slide featured an overcup oak (left margin) and two giant sweetgum (right midground) with blue beech or American hornbeam dominating the shrub layer and the herbaceous (= woody or semi-woody grass) layer dominated by giant cane.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; early estival aspect. FRES 15 (Oak-Hickory Forest Ecosystem. K-91 (Oak-Hickory Forest). No one specific or single forest cover type described by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980). So varied that that there was not a "one-for-all" appropriate biotic community unit in Brown et al. (1998), much of this vegetation fit Mixed Hardwood Series 223.13 of Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forests 223.1 of Warm Temperate Swamp and Riparian Forests 223 (Brown et al., 1998 p. 43). South Central Plains- Floodplains and Low Terraces Ecoregion 35b (Griffith et al., 2004).

29. Moving farther into, seeing more of the same- Interior of a mixed hardwood bottomland forest at (or, at least, nearing) climax stage for this forest range site in the Pineywoods of northeast Texas. The first slide served as a"photo-dendrograph" with sweetgum (left and right background), water oak and willow oak (center), American hornbeam or blue beech (right margin), and giant cane (everywhere). The second slide showed two giant sweetgum trees (at right center background) and three smaller water oak (to left of the two larger sweetgums) along with seedlings of American elm and green ash and the dead shoot of American hornbeam or blue beech in right foreground). Broadleaf woodoats were in foreground of this second slide. Giant cane (the native bamboo species) was widespread in the understorey seen in both of these slides.

30. Smaller trees and big cane- Three views at progressively closer camera distance of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest range that developed on the old bed of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas. Shoots of giant cane were in evidence everywhere in these three views. There was also considerable cover of broadleaf woodoats plus some local cover of Louisiana caric-sedge. The smaller (presumedly, younger) trees were mostly of overcup oak and sweetgum. The first slide had a pole-sized overcup oak in left foreground (with lower epicormic branches) and a sweetgum at far left background while rest of trees were also overcup oaks.

The second slide the two herbaceous layers in this bottomland forest: 1) an upper layer of giant cane (a woody to semi-woody grass) and 2) a lower layer of broadleaf woodoats and Louisiana caric-sedge. Also in this second slide were poles of sweetgum and overcup oak with large sapling-sized shrubs of blue beech or American hornbeam and water-elm or planertree at far right. The third of these three slides featured sweetgum (large tree at right background and the pole in immediate center foreground) and overcup oak (poles at far right midground). Of course, the shoot of giant cane, the native east Texas bamboo species, "stole the show in both the second and third "photographic forest plots".

31. Herbaceous actors- A local colony of Louisiana caric-sedge along with tall shoots of giant cane were importnt players on the floor of a mesic mixed hardwood forest range that developed on the old channel of the upper Sabine River in the Pineywoods of east Texas. The dead and rotting log in immediate center foreground illustrted importance of decomposer in natural ecosystems.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; fruit-ripening phenological stage of the caric-sedge.

32. Not that far from Louisiana- Local large plant (a clonal colony) of Louisiana caric-sedge (Carex louisiana) growing in the understorey of a mesic mixed hardwood forest range on the old channel of the upper Sabine River in the Pineywoods of east Texas. This is a more western part of once-vast Eastern Deciduous Forest Region or, as the Cajuns would see it, the Texas "lap land" (that part of Texas where Louisiana laps over).

Louisiana caric-sedge is a widely distributed, growing in an interrupted species range from Texas to Virginia (along both the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts) and up through the lower Midwest to Indiana and Kentucky. Louisiana cric-sedge is capable of growing into large plants as seen here.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; fruit-ripening phenological stage of the caric-sedge.

33. Boys and girls in the wet woods- Staminate flower clusters (long, narrow, threadlike parts at left and center) and pistillate flower clusters with spikelets of Louisiana caric-sedge (Carex louisiana) on the floor of a mesic to wet mixed hardwood forest on the old river bottom of the Sabine River in east Texas.

This was one of several sexual shoots on the large plant (a clonal colony) of Louisiana caric-sedge introduced in the immediately preceding two-slide/caption unit.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; fruit-ripening phenological stage of the caric-sedge.

34. Male and female parts- In the first or upper of these two slides a staminate flower cluster was a left on the most distal portion of a shoot apex and a pistillate inflorescence was at right center or lower down of the shoot apex of Louisiana caric-sedge. In the second or lower slide the female flower cluster in the first slide was shown at closer camera distance to present more detail of spikelets with ripening achenes.

These organs were on a large plant (a clonal colony) of Louisiana caric-sedge introduced in the two-slide/caption unit two units above.

Carex louisiana is in the subgenus Eu-Carex, species of which have three stigmas and the achenes are three-sided (Steyermark, 1963, p. 313)

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; fruit-ripening phenological stage of the caric-sedge.

35. Canebrake and hardwoods- Two local canebrakes (stands of giant cane of species, Arundinaria gigantea) in the tall herbaceous understorey beneath various woody angiosperms on the old channel of the upper Sabine River in east Texas near the western perimeter of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Region. Tree species in the first slide included overcup oak, willow oak, and water oak along with some sweetgum. Woody species in the second slide, which was on outskirts of a water-containing slough, were southrn red oak, water oak, overcup oak, and sweetgum and the two principal and tall-growing shrubs, planertree or water-elm nd blue beech or American hornbeam plus the low-growing Virginia creeper and colony-forming poison ivy.

36. Wet enough for a riparian refugee- A multi-trunked river birch (Betula nigra) provided an example of a shrub species of the middle woody layer of a mixed hardwood bottomland forest that developed on the old channel of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas near the western perimeter of the Eastern Deciduous Forest that once covered much of the eastern half of North America. The two more abundant shrubs of this middle woody layer were blue beech or American hornbeam and water-elm or planertree. Notice that one of the shoots (trunks) of this multi-shoot river birch had already succumed to maturity and was rotting into the fertile soil of this productive forest.

Major trees of this mixed hardwood forest were overcup oak, water oak, willow oak, and sweetgum. Green ash was a locally important hardwood tree species. The lower herbaceous layer of this forest range as seen here was dominated by broadleaf woodoats while Louisiana caric-sedge was a distant associate species.

37. Life among the living and dead- Interior of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream bed of the upper Sabine River in the Texas Pineywoods. These two slides and the slide immediately bdlow constituted a "double nested photo-plot" with the first of the current two-slide set being the overall plot and the second of these two slides being the first level subplot of the first slide of overall "photo-plot". The featured trees of this "three-part show" were a large, mature-adult sweetgum (big trunk at left midground of first slide) and a snag of and a large live tree of sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). The sugarberry snag was to immediate right of big sweetgum in first slide. The large, rotting trunk in right foreground of second slide was that of swamp or bottomland post oak (Quercus similis). Live sugarberry and sweetgum were in distant background of first slide and middle background of second slide. There were also some trees of overcup oak in background of the second slide.

For whatever reason(s) sweetgum ( typically a pioneer tree species) and sugarberry (characteristically a climax or, at least, a high seral tree species) were present at similar stages in the life cycle of individual trees of their species. Both species had large, fully mature trees (even dead individuals in case of sugarberry) plus some seedlings. The other big story in these two slides was the well-developed, multi-layered understorey. This understorey consisted of large (small tree-size) plants of the shrub species, blue beech or American hornbeam, planertree of water-elm, and river birch. (See immediately preceding slide/caption set for example of river birch.). There was much cover of woody vines that made up most of a lower shrub layer. Liana species included poison ivy, muscadine grape, roundleaf green-brier, Virginia creeper, and peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea) There were two layers of herbaceous cover: 1) an upper layer of giane cane (a semi-woody grass) and 2) a lower and interrupted layer dominated by broadleaf woodoats with Louisiana caric-sedge as the associate.

The fungus at right base of the bottomland or swamp post oak snag (immediate foreground; slightly right center) was peppery milk-cap (Lactarius piperatus var. glauescens), a generally poisonous fungus of the Basidiomycetes class. This fungus was the subject of the next slide/caption set ...

38. Life on the dead- The fruiting body or caprophore of peppery milk-cap (Lactarius piperatus var. glauescens) growing at base of a rotting snag of swamp postoak in a mixed hardwood forest that developed on the former stream channel of the Sabine River in the Pineywoods in northeast Texas. The leaves to the right of the fruiting body were of poison ivy, a major liana in this second-growth forest that was either at or apporaching the climax state.

Fungus were commonplace in this mesic to wet bottomland forest.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

39. Big because they were early- Interior of a mesic to wet, second-growth mixed hardwood forest on part of the old stream bottom of Sabine River in northeast Texas near the western edge of the Eastern Decisuous Forest Region. This second-growth forest, which was at or, at least, approaching the climax forest community, waas part of the forest complex of the Texas Pineywoods. In the first of these two slides the large tree in left margin was a green ash and the large tree in right foreground and another in left background (to right of the green ash) were sweetgums. Trees in the badkground of this view were overcup, water, and willow oaks.

In this first slide, the single-stemed shrub in immediate right-center foreground (to right of large sweetgum) was blue beech or American hornbeam, which overall was the dominant shrub in this forest. In this first as well as the second slide, the semi-woody grass, giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea), made up an upper herbaceous layer while a lower herbaceous layer was made up of broadleaf woodoats, and Louisiana caric-sedge as dominant and associate species, respectively, of this layer.

In the second slide the large tree in right foreground was a green ash and the larger tree in center midground (to immediate right, as seen here) was an immense sweetgum. Numerous trees of overcup oak and willow oak grew in the background as seen in this second slide. In addition to giant cane and Louisiana caric-sedge, various species of the warm-season Panicum and Paspalum were presen.

40. Big 'uns and littlier 'uns- In a second-growth mixed hardwood forest that formed on the old bottom of Sabine River in the Pineywoods in northeast Texas this gargantuan green ash grew among sweetgums (large tree in left background; to left of the big green ash); overcup, willow, and water oaks; and green ash along with American hornbeam or blue beech (the sapling-like single-trnuked shrubs in the first slide) which was the most abundant shrub throughout this mesic to wet forest.

Greater details of the trunk of the old-growth specimen of green ash along with blue beech and the grass, broadleaf woodoats, and the grasslike species, Louisiana caric-sedge were presented in the second slide. Giant cane, a semi-woody native grass, formed a more-or-less continuous upper herbaceous layer while broadleaf woodoats and Louisiana caric-sedge comprised a sporadic (interrupted) lower herbaceous layer along with a few forbs.

41. Big tree and big grass (and both of them woody)- The semi-woody to woody native bamboo, most commonly known as giant cane (shown to better advantage in the first of these two slides), and an old-growth specimen of sweetgum (details of its trunk presented in the second slide) along with American hornbeam or blue beech, a sapling of willow oak, and numerous liana species formed this local community or stand within a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest in the Pineywoods of northeast Texas. This forest range vegetation developed on the old stream channel of the Sabine River at the western edge of the Easter Deciduous forest Region.

The hole in the lower trunk of this sweetgum was a fire scar that resulted in a partial hollow (pronounced "holler" in these parts) where tree tissue was heat-killed.

Other adult--though still young trees--in background of the first slide included overcup and willow oak plus some larger (presumedly older) trees of sweetgum. The most prominent liana in this local "photo-dendrogram" was Alabama supplejack that was growing up the trunk of the fire-scarred sweetgum. Other woody vines included poison oak, roundleaf green-brier, peppervine, and Virginia crreeper. The main species of a lower herbaceous layer were broadleaf woodoats and Louisiana caric-sedge. There were some forbs at early pre-bloom phenological stages that could not be positively identified.

42. Started later, but going to stay- Interior of a second-growth mixed hardwood forest that developed on the old stream channel (an old river meander)of Sabine River in northeast Texas. Three progressively closer camera distance views (a "double-nested photo-plot") of an immature (as to growth) adult and a large sapling or small pole of overcup oak and a shrub-sized blue beech or American hornbeam along with a well-developed, two-layered herbaceous understorey. The sapling or pole overcup oak was in front of and, in first slide to left of, the adult overcup oak. The blue beech or American hornbeam was to immediate right of the adult overcup oak.

The two layers of the herbaceous understorey were: 1) an upper layer made up of the semi-woody giant cane and 2) a lower, eradic layer dominated by broadleaf woodoasts with Louisiana caric-sedge as associate. Woody vines included Virginia creeper and poison ivy (including the one twinning on trunk of the young adult overcup oak. The giant tree in the right background was a sweetgum.

43. Over and under- A larger and sexually mature tree (behind in the first slide) and a sexually immature sapling (in front of first slide) and lower trunk with leaves on a lower branch (second slide) of overcup oak (Quercus lyrata) in a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest that developed on an old meander of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

44. Another over and under view- Another example (the second specimen) of overcup oak showing trunk (first or vertical slide) and leaves on a lower branch of the same tree (second or horizontal slide) in a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June;

45. Big plants; big botanical variety- Three progressively closer (shorter camera distances) views of representative hardwood specis on a bottomland mixed hardwood forest that developed on a previous stream bed of the Sabine River in northeast Texas. This was mesic to wet forest range was in the Texas Pineywoods near the western border of the main body of the Eastern Deciduous Forest.

The largest tree, which was at right in the first two slides and the huge trunk in the third (vertical) slide, was an old-growth water oak. The two left-leaning trees in the first slide and the one left-leaning tree in the second slide were overcup oaks. There was also a much smaller overcup oak in between the two left-leaning overcup oaks in the first slide. The larger trunk in the right midground of the third (vertical) slide was an overcup oak (one of those in the previous two slides shown from a different camera point). A specimen of American hornbeam or blue beech was represented by the extremely right leaning, single-shoot shrub to the left and growing diagonically across the immense water oak in the first and second slides and to the right of and leaning toward the water oak trunk in the third slide. There were two other blue beech at left in the first and second slides.

There were several species of woody vines including poison oak, peppervine, and Virginia creeper. There were some plants of broadleaf woodoats and Louisiana caric-sedge.

Note: discussion of water tolerance ratings of various tree and shrub species that are dominants and associates of wet to extremely mexic southern forests was provided in the immediately preceding section in this chapter that dealt with a swamp chestnut oak-mixed hardwood forest on the floodplain of the Catahoula River in east Louisiana. A repeat of that discussion and descriptio n was deemed as redundant and unnecessary at this short distance.

46. Big tree tells a hot story- An old-growth water oak deep inside a mixed hardwood bottomland forest had a relatively small fire scar on its lower trunk, but in the strange manner of some such fire entries the flames caught the oaks inner wood (possibly due to partially rotted heartwood) and exited as a fire chimney. Remaining charcoal inside the trunk and charred edges of burnt bark were ample evidence of fire incidence and injury to this tree. The flames (the heat from them anyway) extended far up the trunk (upwards of 15 feet or more) with the lower part of the fire chimney being over five feet above ground level.

There was no evidence of fire injury or even charred bark on neighboring overcup oaks and blue beech or American hornbeam. Overcup oaks were of relatively small size suggesting that they had grown after a surface fire in this forest or, alternatively, that fire damage to the muh larger (presumedly older) water oak had been inflicted by lightening strike restricted to this one tree.

Plant species in the understorey of this bottomland forest as seen here included poison ivy, Virginia creeper, Louisiana caric-sedge and unidentified (early growth-stage) forbs.

Examples of reducers or decomposers- Presented immediately below were two fungus species that grew and were reproducing on two dead and fallen branches off of the fire-injured water oak seen immediately above. Decomposers along with producers and consumers are the three biotic groups of range or forest ecosystems. Yes, obviously reducers also consume dead, decaying (they are the decayers) biomass, but in the ecosystem concept groups such as bacteria and fungus are described as reducers or decomposers.

47. Life on dead- Rusty gulled polypore (Gloeophyllum sepiarium) on a dead, fallen branch of water oak on the floor of a mixed hardwood bottomland forest that developed on an old meander of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This branch had fallen from the fire-scarred (fire chimney) water oak shown in the three immediately preceding slides.

This polypore fungus is in the Polyporaceae (in order, Aphyllophorales of the Basidomycetes).

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

48. More life on dead- Several fungal species were living off of the dead substrate of a fallen water oak branch in a mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This large branch was off of the water oak with the fire chimney that was shown in three slides in the second slide/caption set above this set.

The orange-colored fungus in these two images was ochre spreading tooth (Sleccherinum ochraceum) which is in family Hydnaceae (in order, Aphyllophorales of the Basidomycetes).

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

Attention: students should have noted that both of the above fungus species on the dead branches of a fire-scared, old-growth water oak were in the same taxonomic order and two different families. Basidomycetes is a class (a taxonomic unit within the higher taxonomic unit called division in Botany) the species of which produce their basidia and basidiospores, spore-bearing structures resembling clubs, on or in a basidiocarp. Basidiocarp is the sporocarp, the structure which bears the spore-producing hymenium. The hymenium in turn is a layer of tissues in the fruiting body of the fungus within which cells develop and differentiate into the basidia.

49. All around a slough- A misec hardwood bottomland forest developed on the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This mesic to wet forest community was on the western portion of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Complex of eastern North America, a part of what is commonly called the Texas Pineywoods. Seen here was a local slough or water-ponded local habitat around which grew second-growth trees of several hardwood species. The large tree with "banded" bark (trunk with horizontal bark "stripes") at left in the first two of these three slides and in left center of immediate foreground in the third slide was southern red oak (Quercus falcata). The three trees to right of the southern red oak (one conspicuously larger than the other two) in the first two slides. In the third slide the largest overcup oak was to left read of the southern red oak and other overcup oaks were to the right of the "banded" or "striped" bark southern red olak. The largest tree in the background (right of center) in the second slide was an immense sweetgum. There was also a water oak and sapling of green ash in this second photograph and, as seen from a slightly different angle, in the third photograph. A green ash seedling was in left foreground (lower left corner) of second photograph.

Shrubs included the woody vines, trumpet creeper and roundleaf green-brier, and (in distant background) planertree or water-elm.

The pronounced grass-like understorey (foreground of all three slides) was some unidentified (pre-bloom stage) Carex species.

50. At edge of a slough- A local slough inside a mesic to wet mixed hardwood bottomland forest that was on the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas, part of the Texas Pineywoods that is intslf a part of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. The first of these two scenes presented a green ash and a sugarberry standing side-by-side (left and right, respectively) and two trunks of American elm to close together they appered as a single forked trunk (which they were not). The larger tree trunk in right-center midground waa a sweetgum. Other smaller trees (large shrubs) were planertree or water elm (shown in greater detail at closer camera distance below).

The green ground cover in foreground of the first slide and the feature of the second slide was poison ivy with some Virginia creeper as an associate to it.

51. In the slough, part one- Two synopsis views of a local slough in the interior of a mesic to wet mixed hardwood bottomland forest on an old meander of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This forest was a part of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Region of North America, a range community of the western border of this vast forest complex. The small trees of large shrubs that were actually growing in the shallow, ponded water of the slough were water-elm or planertree. This included the crooked trunk in right foreground of the second slide. Examples of these water-elm plants--especially, the right-leaning individual in center midground of the first slide--were shown in more detail in the immediately following two-slide/caption unit.

The tree in right foreground of first slide and the same tree in left-margin foreground of the second slide was an overcup oak. The large tree in left midground and the tree in extreme right margin of the first slide were sweetgums. Green, bushy appearing plant cover in lower right corner of the first slide was mostly poison ivy with some roundleaf green-brier. The green covering on the water surface was millions of fronds of duckweed (Lemna aequinoctialis), a monocotyledon generally valuable as a forage for ffsh and herbiverous waterfowl.

52. In the slough, part two- A local slough, body of shallow (generally less than one foot deep) ponded water, supporting several specimens of planertree or water-elm and with a nice straight overcup oak at right margin in the first of these two slides. A woody vine of Alabama supplejack was climbing the trunk of the overcup oak. The green, shimmering cover on the water was comprised of countless fronds of duckweed, an aquatic monocot that serves as a major forage source for fish and birds (eg. ducks and geese as implied by the common name) and, perhaps, even forage-feeding furbearers.

The second slide was a closer-in and more complete view of the shoot of the planertree shown in the first (vertical) of these slides. This same individual plant was also shown in the first slide in the immediately preceding two-slide/caption unit.

This slough was deep inside a mixed hardwood bottomland forest that was on the old stream channel (an old meander) of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This was an example of some of the forest vegetation of the Texas Pineywoods at the western "forest frontier" of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Complex.

53. Outside and in- Physiogonomy (first slide) and species composition and structure (second slide) of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest that developed on sligher higher and drier (less moist or wet) ground of an old meander of the Sabine River in northeast Texas.

In the first slide, tree species shown were (from left to right, respectively) willow oak, overcup oak, willow oak, and, rightmost tree, black oak. There was a large (by shrub standards) blue beech or Amereican hornbeam between the black oak and the willow oak that was to the right of the overcup oak.

In the second slide, tree species were sweetgum (left); willow oak; three black oaks at right (including one at far right); and behind between the sweetgum and to left rear of willow oak, was an overcup oak. Also at right in this second scene was a large shrub or small tree (single trunk) of blue beech or American hornbeam and then a snag of something.

The understorey in the local community of the first slide was broadleaf woodoats whereas giant cane (the native bamboo) made up most of the understorey in the community presented in the second. Some cover of both of these grasses was present in both of these scenes of local forest range communities.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; early estival aspect. FRES 15 (Oak-Hickory Forest Ecosystem. K-91 (Oak-Hickory Forest). Forest cover type as described by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) was Willow Oak-Water Oak-Diamondleaf oak (88). So varied that that there was not a "one-for-all" appropriate biotic community unit in Brown et al. (1998), much of this vegetation fit Mixed Hardwood Series 223.13 of Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forests 223.1 of Warm Temperate Swamp and Riparian Forests 223 (Brown et al., 1998 p. 43). South Central Plains- Floodplains and Low Terraces Ecoregion 35b (Griffith et al., 2004).

54. Inside a floodplain forest range- A second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest in the Texas Pineywoods (northeast Texas) furnished an amazing standing crop of herbage on an old meander of Sabine River. This was a beautiful example of hardwood forest range in the western "forest frontier" of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Complex that in pre-whiteman days extended from parts of the Atlantic Coast to the TransMississippi West.

Native forest tree species in this sylvan scene included overcup oak in left foreground, swamp post oak (Quercus similis) in center midground, another swamp post oak in right midground, and a water oak, the center tree in midground with very dark trunk. Herbaceous cover in the foliage-rich understorey was almost all broadleaf woodoats with some unidentified caric-sedge (as in lower left corner). There were some individuals of blue beech or American hornbeam.

55. More variation on the same forest "theme"- Sylvan views of a local stand of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This Pineywoods forest was part of the western extension of the Eastern deciduous Forest Region. In the first slide, which served as a "photographic dendrogram", a young adult overcup oak (left-center was surrounded by numerous saplings of overcup oak (these were most likely progeny of the young and sexually mature overcup) while a smaller water oak was at right-center. There were several smaller plants (shrubs) of eastern hop-hornbeam amid an herbaceous understorey dominated by broadleaf woodoats and with some immature, unidentified caric-sedges as a generic associate. There was also auite a bit of cover of roundleaf green-brier.

The froest range vegetation in the second slice was similar to that of the first photograph with an herbaceous understorey dominated by broadleaf woodoats. There were also some plants of an unidentified (immature) composite forb. Roundleaf greenbrier was well-represented. The larger tree terunk in left margin was an overcup oak and the smaller, darker-trunked tree in right-center midground was a winged elm (Ulmus alata). The single-stemed shrub in between (and slightly behind) theovercup oak and winged elm was an eastern hop-hornbeam.

56. Two key trees- Swamp post oak (left) and willow or willowleaf oak (right) along with poison ivy, roundleaf green-brier, broadleaf woodoats, and an unidentified (very young) composite forb made up this local forest stand that was part of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas. This was part of the Pineywoods portion of the once-vast Eastern Deciduous Forest Region.

57. Old and burled- An old-growth specimen of overcup oak with a very lage burl in an otherwise second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of the Sabine River in northeast Texas. The stress or injury that induced this growth was not known to this author. This overcup oak appeared to be serving as a nurse plant to small saplings of several other tree species including a water oak at its left and two sugarberry at its right.

Most of the herbage was that of broadleaf woodoats, the dominant or associate grass species throughout most of this forest, but there was a good represntation of giant cane, the native bamboo that was also a common dominant (often more so that broadleaf woodoats) grass. Poison ivy, roundleaf green-brier, trumpet creeper were well-distributed woody vines and eastern hop-hornbeam was a shub of drier habitats that was also present.

Willow Oak-Water Oak Type in a Mesic Hardwood Bottomland Forest

A second-growth though a seemingly climax-composition had developed on land of slightly higher elevation in a mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream bed (a former meander) of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This was part of the western Pineywoods that a vegetational subdivision of the once-vast Eastern Deciduous Forest Region of eastern North America. In the section immediately below, an example of the Willow Oak-Water Oak-Diamondleaf (Laurel) Oak cover type (number 88) recognized by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) was presented.

58. Still yet, more variation: another local forest community- This second-growth forest stand was one of many local communities comprised of various hardwood species that formed a mixed hardwood forest range that had developed on an old meander of the past stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. This vegetation was mostly a group of willow oaks, hence the Willow Oak-Water Oak-Diamondleaf Oak forest cover type (see below).. Tree species represented here included five willow oaks beginning on the left, a green ash in center foreground with a Virginia creeper climbing it, two sweetgums to right of the green ash, and at farthest right (slightly behind) another willow oak.

Much of the green ground cover in foreground was peppervine, but there was also cover of trumpet creeper and broadleaf woodoats.

59. Picturesque forest assemblage- Deep inside a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest that developed on an old meander of the upper Sabine River there was this forest stand co-dominated by water oak and willow (willowleaf) oak (sweetgum was the associate tree species) with a multi-layered understorey. Giant cane (native bamboo that in this forest was a semi-woody plant) formed an erratic or interrupted upper herbaceous layer, but there was a limited lower herbaceous layer. Instead there was a lower woody (shrub layer) comprised largely of liana species which also extended to the upper shrub layer when some of these woody vines climbed trees as, for example, Alabama supplejack on the trunk of the willow oak in the right foreground of the second slide. There was a fairly high density and shrub canopy of American hornbeam or blue beech in this forest stand.

The featured plant species in these two slides was dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) that occupied the left foreground of the first slide and the center of the second slide. Together these two slides made up a "nested photo-plot" with the second photograph being a "sub-plot" of the first photograph or overall "photo-plot".

Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June; early estival aspect. FRES 15 (Oak-Hickory Forest Ecosystem. K-91 (Oak-Hickory Forest). Forest cover type as described by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) was Willow Oak-Water Oak-Diamondleaf oak (88). So varied that that there was not a "one-for-all" appropriate biotic community unit in Brown et al. (1998), much of this vegetation fit Mixed Hardwood Series 223.13 of Southeastern Swamp and Riparian Forests 223.1 of Warm Temperate Swamp and Riparian Forests 223 (Brown et al., 1998 p. 43). South Central Plains- Floodplains and Low Terraces Ecoregion 35b (Griffith et al., 2004).

60. Near ultimate Pineywoods forest and range- Structure and composition of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest in northeast Texas on an old meander of the upper Sabine River. A remarkable array of tree species was present in the first slide, which served as a general "photo-quadrant", while the second slide, which served as a "photographic sub-plot", featured tree species found on the right side of the first slide. In the first slide, the largest tree (left-most tree) was water oak playing host to a commensal poison ivy vine, willow oak was the right-most tree as were most of the trees in the middle with darker-colored trunks, swamp post oak (Quercus similis) was the second tree from the right, other lighter-colored trunks in the middle of the line-up were overcup oaks, the larger sapling in midground (immediately to left of the swamp post oak) was a water oak and the smaller, sapling-sized plants were eastern hop-hornbeam. There was a large seedling of sugarberry in front of the overcup oak in center midground of this first slide and--shown to better advantage--in left foreground of the second slide.

Forest vegetation in the second (vertical) slide was a "photographic sub-plot" of slightly less than the right half of the first slide or "photo-plot". These trees left to right were: overcup oak, water oak, swamp post oak (largest tree with knots on trunk), and willow oak. As noted in the preceding paragraph there was a large seedling of sugarberry in front of the overcup oak, left-most tree in left foreground.

Most of the understorey herbage (herbaceous layer) was that of broadleaf woodoats but there was some cover of immature (unidentifiable) caric-seddge. Besides tree-climbing poison ivy, trumpet creeper and roundleaf green-brier were common liana species.

61. Textbook example of Pineywoods range- A local herbage-rich community in a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest in the Pineywoods of northeast Texas. This forest had developed on an old meander of the Sabine River. Forest vegettion shown here was a local stand of willow oak with some water oak and a sapling (light trunk in dead-center) of green ash and a lush understorey of some species of caric sedge (Carex sp.), which this author could not identify at its pre-bloom stage, plus the ever-present broadleaf woodoats. The main shrub species were American hornbeam or blue beech and highbush or squaw huckleberry (Vaccinum Stamineum).

The extremely water-favorable soil environment made for a highly productive herbaceous understorey. Unfortunately for some uses, such floodplain habitats have their costs under certain conditions. The year after the slides in this section were taken, severe flooding drowned so many of the white-teailed deer fawns that there was no deer hunting permitted on this wildlife management area.

62. Local stand and a "mixed message" succession-wise- Local stand of forest vegetation that was part of a diverse, second-growth, mixed hardwood btottomland forest on the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. Three slides at progressively shorter camera distance served as "double-sub-plotted photo-quadrant" of a local stand of willow oak with multiple vegetational layers including a prominent layer of shrubs and sapling trees and an herbaceous layer that was fairly consistent in its understorey coverage. The principal herbaceous species in this forest stand was Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus) although broadleaf woodoats was ever-present throughout this forest. There was also coverage of Panicum, Paspalum, and Carex species. These pre-bloom/pre-fruit graminoid species could not be identified based on vegetative features by your newly arrived author.

The lesson in forest succession provided by this set of three slides was built around presence of green ash (seen most conspicuously in center foreground of the second slide and in right foreground of the third slide). Green ash had unquestionably established after the willow oaks had made consoderable growth. Green ash had obviously germinated, emerged, and continued to survive in (under) the shade of willow oak. Whether green ash would come in successional time to replace the willow oaks or merely to persist along with them into the climax forest (or perhaps for both to remain only into some subclimax stage) remained to be seen. This could only be seen at a point in time beyond the temporal scale of this publication's continued growth and development.

In their nearly comprehensive coverage of silvics of North American tree species Burns and Honkala (1990) described willow oak as a subclimax species that was generally ranked as intolerant (intolerant of shade/competition). Green ash was inconsistent in its general tolerance (shade/competition) which ranged from intolerant to moderately tolerant (Burns and Honkala, 1990). Viewed from perspective of tolerance--which was not to rule out other variables (including chance) as being important--presence of green ash along with willow oak was a plausable outcome in this second-growth forest, the climax of which was not know with certainity.

Technical note and experienced advice: the first of these three slides was botched up by an Epson Perfection 700 scanner. Epson Far From Perfection over-exposed this slide. Even Adobe PhotoShop with "all its king's horses and all its king's men" could not restore a slide whose image at least approached perfection. Never invest in Epson products.

63. Dominant of moist woods- Trunk and lower branch with leaves of willow (sometimes, called willowleaf) oak (Quercus phellos) in a second-growth, mixed hardwood forest on an old meander of Sabine River in northeast Texas.

Willow oak is a member of the white oak subgenus, Leucobalanus.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

64. Willowed oak leaves- Leaves of willow oak on the tree and branch introduced immediately above. In a second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of the Sabine River in northeast Texas.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

65. Bark dwellers on a branch in the bottomland- Two species of lichen growing on a dead branch that fell of of the willow oak featured in the two immediately preceding slide/caption sets. The flat, spreading lichen was a foliose lichen perhaps of the species known as common greenshield lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata). The fruticose lichen was a beard lichen of species Usnea endochrysea known by the common name of bushy beard lichen.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

66. Beards on a branch in the bottom- Closer-in views of bushy beard lichen (Usnea endochrysea) growing on a dead branch of willow oak tht fell from the tree introduced above which was used as an example of willow oak. In the second slide there was also part of a foliose lichen, most likely common greenshield lichen (Flavoparmelia caperata).

These ectophytes (plant species that grow on the outside of other plants) were commensal species that grew on both live and dead willow oak. Commensalism is a symbiotic relationship in which one species (lichen in this case) lives off of another species, the host (willow oak in this instance), this latter of which gets nothing--good or bad--out of the relationship.

This lesson only ends with commensalism. The more basic (if that be the most descriptive term) story of this living together (= symbiosis or symbiotic relationship) was the lichen itself. Lichen is actually two species: a fungus and an algae. These two diverse groups of plants grow in such intimate relationship that they literally become "one flesh" and are recognized as a species (one "fused" species actually made of two species).

The story then continues to herbivory as animals consume the lichen. In other words, lichen are the beginning of their own food chain.

Life on the range is remarkable. For that matter, all life anywhere is remarkable.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June.

67. Another mixed message on forest succession- Local stand of vegetation in a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomland forest on an old meander of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas. The "photo-dendrogram" of the forest community "sampled" here included young (still rapidly gorwing) yet sexually mature water and willow oaks showing for example a water oak (left margin) and two willow oaks (right midground and far-right background). Shrubs included poison ivy, which was "growing everywhere", and eastern hop-hormbeam (shorter shrubs in center midground). Broadleaf woodoats dominated the herbaceous understorey which formed a nearly complete layer in this forest range community. There were some Panicum and Paspalum species as well. Giant cane, the dominant grass over much of this forest, was not present in the local "sample" of forest plant community seen here.

The "real story" in this "photo-plot", however, was represented by a sapling of green ash (right midground). Willow and water oaks have generally been regarded as constituting climax or subclimax species in forests that form on alluvial sites. By contrast, green ash has been generally been regarded as a seral species that follows such pioneer species as cottonwood and willow, although green ash does sometimes persist into the climax forest as an "earlier entrant". In the definitive silvics treatment of North American trees, Burns and Honkala (1990) regarded willow oak and water oak as subclimax species and ranked them as intolerant of shade/competition. Burns and Honkala (1990) stated that green ash was inconsistent in its general tolerance (shade/competition) which "varies from intolerant to moderately tolerant to shade" though much of such work was based on more northern habitats. Regeneration of green ash in this bottomland forest currently dominated by willow oak and water oak presented something of a conflicting phenomenon, but based on shade/compoetition tolerance of these species it appeared that green ash was persisting along side the dominant subclimax oak species. This was consistent with large green ash that were approaching old-growth status on lower and more mesic habitats (see above, this section).

This local stand was an example of the Willow Oak-Water Oak-Diamondleaf (Laurel) Oak cover type (type number 88) recognized by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980). In describing this forest cover type, Shropshire in Eyre (1980, p, 63) concluded: "It probably represents a topographic/edaphic climax, but when it is heavily cut, species such as sugarberry, green ash, American elm, and red maple may capture the site, at least temporarily". This large tract of mixed hardwood bottomland forest (at least some parts of it) had been logged approximately a half century prior to time of these photographs.

Taken in total, presence of green ash alongside subclimax willow oak and water oak plus the tolerant shrub, eastrern hop-hornbeam (Wegner, 1984, p. 3) was not overly surprising.

68. Changes to be- A young adult (sexually mature) overcup oak (left) that was representative of one of the dominant to associate species of a second-growth mixed hardwood bottomand forest range appeared to be in the successional process of being replaced (succeeded) by sugarberry as represented by the sapling immediately to right of the overcup oak.

Overcup oak has a tolerance (general or shade/competition) rating of intermediate (Burns and Honkala, 1990) whereas Fowells (1965) rated sugarberry as tolerant of shade. On the other hand, for flooding tolerance Midleton (1999, p. 146) showed sugarberry as being Wealky Tolerant whereas overcup oak was rated as Highly Tolerant. On the somewhat higher ground (hence, drier or less wet soil) of the local habitat seen here, tolerance to flooding (= water tolerance) was less relevant or determinative than general (shade/competition) tolerance. Sugrberry is tolerant whereas overcup oak is only intermediate. It follows that in the grand scheme of forest succession --and the always specified, "other things being equal"-- sugarberry will replace overcup oak. Obviously other things are not always "being equal" hence factors such as, say, fire could "deflect" the normal path of succession (might modify the typical "trajectory" of community development on this forest sere; the ultimate or terminal vegetational state might be a pyric climax or an edaphic climax rather than a climatic climax).

Successional status of water oak and willow oak as subclimax species and co-existence (and regeneration) of green ash beside these oaks was treated in the immediately preceding slide/caption set. It was even more to be expected that the shade-tolerant sugarberry might replace its neighboring oak species (even the intermediately tolerant overcup oak).

Broadleaf woodoats dominated the herbaceous layer of this second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest that was on the old stream channel of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas. There were also some Panicum and Paspalum species as well as unidentified Carex species. The major shrub was American hornbeam or blue beech.

The habitat on which this local "photo-sample" of this second-growth, mixed hardwood bottomland forest developed was more mesic than that of the "photo-sample" of this same forest tract seen in the immediately preceding slide/caption set.

Ending interesting note: that the mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old channel of Sabine River is in a floodplain was demonstrated in graphic form the year after the above slides were taken. Spring rains were so heavy that this entire forest tract was flooded and under water for so long that all the white-tailed deer fawns drowned. There was no fawn crop in that year and the Old Sabine Wildlife Mangement Area was closed to deer hunting. Sometimes Mother Nature's rules seem harsh. The abiotic factor that is responsible for the great productivity--indeed the very life--of floodplain forests is the same abiotic factor that can bring death to these bottomland forest ecosystems. Students must always remember that death--the final end of all biotic life, the completion of the life cycle--is a part of the life of such forest ranges.

Location note: Presented in the chapter entitled Loblolly Pine Forest was a upland tract of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forest that developed on hillsides immediately above (contiguous with) the mixed hardwood bottomland forest on the old stream channel of Sabine River. This tract of second-growth loblolly pine was also part of Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas.

Given that this loblolly pine upland forest was contrminous with the mesic to hydric mixed bottomland forest, the water oak-willow oak-water oak complex, that tract of second-growth loblolly pine upland forest was also included in this chapter of the Texas PineyWoods.

69. Outside view of an moist upland forest- Exterior view (first slide) showing physiogonomy and outer structure and an entering"-the-woods" view (second slide) showing outer tructure of a second-growth loblolly pine-overcup oak- sweet pignut hickory forest that developed on an upper terace of the old stream channel of Sabine River in northeast Texas. Current co-dominants of this subclimax forest were loblolly pine and overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), but it was obvious from tree seedling regeneration that the most prolific tree species and the one that was moving inexorably to domiance (or, at very least, tri-dominance) was Carya glabra, sweet pignut (usually only, pignut hickory). (This successional development was shown below.)

There were scattered seedlings of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and red maple (Acer rubra) in this forest. What that protended for future species composition of this forest was not known.

Shrubs in this second-growth advanced seral (successional) forest included: roundleaf green-brier (Smilax rotundifolia), American beautyberry (Callidarpa americana), eastern or American hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), American hornbeam or blue beech (Carpinus caroliniana), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), muscatine grape (Vitis rotundifolia), and highbush or squaw huckleberry (sometimes, deerberry or deer huckleberry) (Vaccinium stamineum).

There was essentially no herbaceous cover and nothing even approaaching an herbaceous layer.

The western edge of the Texas Pineywoods was about the most westward extension of the main body of the once vast Eastern Deciduous Forest Region, a complex of varied forms (cover types, forest associations, forest sites, etc.) that once extended from the Atlantic Coast to the TransMississippi West. Only the Texas vegetational areas of the Post Oak Savanna and Cross Timbers and Prairies occur farther to the west and these are, strictly speaking, devoid of a pine (Pinus species) component.

Old Sabine Bottom Wildlife Management Area, Smith County, Texas. Late June- early estival aspect. FRES 14 (Oak-Pine Forest Ecosystem). K-101 (Oak-Hickory-Pine Forest). Forest cover type as described by the Society of American Foresters (Eyre, 1980) was SAF 82 (Loblolly Pine-Hardwood). This should be the biotic community unit of Oak-Pine Series 123.13 (which was not given) in Southeastern Deciduous and Evergreem Forest 123.1 of Warm Temperate Forest and Woodland 123 (Brown et al., 1998 p. 38). South Central Plains- Floodplains and Low Terraces Ecoregion 35b (Griffith et al., 2004).

70. Outer look at forest make-up- A stand of second-growth, moist, upland forest that developed on an upper terrace of the former channel of the uper Sabine River in northeast Texas. Loblolly pine was the obvious dole dominant of this local stand. Both American hornbeam or blue beech and eastern hop-hornbeam, the two main (co-dominant) upright shrub species of this forest community grew together in right foreground. There was a seedling of sweetgum to their immediate left. A young (relatively small) plant of muscadine grape was in the lower left corner of this "photo-plot". There were also some seedlings of pignut hickory plus a sizable cover of the nearly-always-there roundleaf green-brier.

71. Three looks at the interior- Deep inside a second-growth loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest that developed on an upper terrace of the old channel of Sabine River. Almost all trees in these three views of a single (the same) forest stand were loblolly pine including the biggest tree trunk (right -center midground in first and second slides; left margin in third slide) and the trunk at left margin in the three slides. Loblolly pine was present as several age/size classes in this stand. The small shrub in immediate front of the biggest loblolly pine was a young (and profusely blooming) American beautyberry. Larger upright shrubs (some resenbled small trees of sapling size) were 1) eastern hop-hornbeam, 2) American hornbeam or blue beech, and 3) flowering dogwood with the former being most abundant (having greater density and cover). The liana or woody vine, roundleaf green-brier was ubiquitous. The left-leaning tree in right margin of all three slides was a sweetgum. Sweetgum and loblolly pioneered the previous clearcut from which this second-growth forest developed, hence their general or rough similarity in size.

Most tree seedlings were those of pingnut hickory, the species with greatest regeneration in this forest. Most of the trees in the backgrounds, which was a deep hollow, of these slides were widely spaced overcup oak with some loblolly pine and southern red oak.

Leaf litter (mostly needles of loblolly pine with some hardwood leaves) that completely covered the soil surface, absence of any herbaceous cover (not to mention lack of an herbaceous layer), and the sparse or sporadic shrub layer were all noticeably pronounced in these three slides. This forest track was home to a large resident herd of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).

72. Dominant gymnosperm; dominant angiosperm- In the deep interior of a second-growth loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest that developed on an old meander of the upper Sabine River a specimen of loblolly pine, the dominant gymnosperm, (left margin) and an individual of overcup oak, the dominant angiosperm, (right center foreground) along with a seedling of pignut hickory, the future co-dominant angiosperm (to immediate right of the overcup oak), plus a completely leaf-covered soil surface showed to good advantage the composition of this form of the Texas Pineywoods.

There were representative plants of the shrub species, eastern hop-hornbeam and American hornbeam (also called blue beech, musclkewood, or ironwood) in the forest vegetation of these two "photo-plots".

73. Remake on the forest floor- Inside a second-growth loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest that developed on an old meander of the Sabine River there was a completely leaf (mostly pine needles)-covered floor out of which grew numerous seedlings of pignut hickory, the hardwood tree species that was "ascending" the sere so as to be on the path to becoming the co-dominant hardwood tree (with overcup oak). In these two slides (they served as "photo-dendrographs") southern red oak (Quercus falcata) was the local dominant hardwood tree species. Specimens of southern red oak included the trunk in left margin and in left-center midground of the second slide. Thus this upland forest, which was on the western edge of the Texas Pineywoods, had a representative species of both the red oak (subgenus Erythrobalanus) and white oak (subgenus Leucobalanus) as well as a generally shade/competition tolerant (Burns and Honkala, 1990) hickory growing with loblolly pine.

Shrub species "captured" in these two slides included eastern or American hop-hornbeam, American hornbeam (also called blue beech and ironwood), flowering dogwood (eg. right foreground of first sldie), roundleaf green-brier, highbush or squaw huckleberry (Vaccinium stamineum), and American beautyberry.

Herbaceous species were absent from this second-growth, upland loblolly pine-mixed hardwood forest. It was not known if the leaf litter layer on the soil surface had anything to do with the lack of herbaceous species. Likewise, the role (if any) of a high population of resident white-tailed deer on the understorey was unknown.

The loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest vegetation shown in this series of slides represented one of several forest cover types in a management tract that was part of the Texas Pineywoods which, in turn, was at the western edge of the main body of the pre-white man Eastern Deciduous Forest Region that once covered much of the eastern half of North America.

74. A tough, little, hardwood character- The center feature of these two slides was eastern hop-hornbeam, the most abundant shrub species in a second-growth, upland loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest that developed in northeast Texas on the old channel of Sabine River. In the first slide, besides the specimen of eastern or American hop-hornbeam there was the very edge of a southern red oak along the extreme left margin and four or five boles of loblolly pine in the badkground. Much of the forest crown cover in the background was a mix of overcup oak and loblolly pine with lesser cover an density of southern red oak.

The second slide featured two closely spaced-together plants of eastern hop-hornbeam to present the general morphology or habit of this shrub. Other forest species visible in this second slide included American beautyberry, pignut hickory, red maple, and sweetgum most of which were seedlings or small saplings.

The completely leaf litter-covered ground surface was a prominent feature of this upland forest made of comparatively young trees and numerous shrub species. While there were enough plants of the shrub species and tree seedlings, especially pignut hickory, to comprise something of a lower woody layer, there were almost no herbaceous species and certainly nothing even approaching an herbaceous layer in this second-growth forest with its relatively deep leaf layer on the soil surface. What effect, if any, the mulch-like leaf covering of the land surfact had on herbaceous plant species was not known. Leaf cover did not appear to retard--certainly not prevent--tree regeneration.

75. Young hardwoods on an upland- The woody understorey--albeit it quite "spotty" (erradic or interrupted in cover)--ofr ansecond-growth, upland loblolly pine-overcup oak-pignut hickory forest that developed on the old stream channel of the upper Sabine River in northeast Texas. This variant of the general loblolly pine-mixed hardwood (=loblolly pine-oak-hickory) forest cover type was part of the southeast Pineywoods which, itself, was "part and parcel" of the once vast Eastern Deciduous Forest Region or Complex that streatched from the Atlantic Coast across the TransMississippi West of North America.

The first (horizontal) slide served as a synopsis shot of the woody undergrowth that included the shrub species American beautyberry, roundleaf green-brier, eastern or American hop-hornbeam, flowering dogwood, and blue beech (also called variously American hornbeam, ironwood, or musclewood). The "featured attraction" of this first "photo-quadrant", however, was the prolific reproduction of pignut hickory that was conspicuously "gaining ground" and becoming the new co-dominant hardwood tree species (along with overcup oak).

The second (vertical) slide "held" large sapling-sized or small pole-sized loblolly pine (various ages and sizes were present) plus saplings and, mostly, seedlings of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), red maple, and, as represented by being the "star attraction" in foreground of this shot, pignut hickory. Shrub species present in this second photograph included American beautyberry, eastern hop-hornbeam, and roundleaf green-brier.

The overlarge large leaves on the pignut hickory seedling in "center stage" (and less prominently in foreground of the first slide) were shade leaves, leaves that develop in microhabitats which are primarily shaded (at least a good proportion of the time) and that, in response to this condition of low light intensity, grow to substantially greater dimensions yet with thinner layers of tissue, especially mesophyll. Shade leaves contrast markedly from sun leaves in having much greater size and thinner tissue to capture limited photons of light.

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