Chapter 4 Habitats
4.4.13 Montane Oak Forests 4.4.13.1 Ecosystem Description
Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (Schafale 2024) defines this natural community as Mountain Oak Forests Theme. Montane oak forests are found on Blue Ridge Mountain and foothills slopes and ridges and are dominated by various species of oaks. They once included a large component of American Chestnut before the blight in the early part of the last century eliminated it as a canopy species. There are several subtypes associated with this community (Schafale 2024) . • Calcareous Oak-Walnut Forest • Chestnut Oak Forest (Dry, White Pine, Mesic, Boulderfield subtypes) • High Elevation Red Oak Forest (Typic, Rich, Heath, Orchard Forest, Stunted Woodland, Boulderfield subtypes) • High Elevation White Oak Forest • Low Montane Red Oak Forest • Montane Oak-Hickory Forest (Acidic, Basic, Low Dry, White Pine, Boulderfield subtypes) These forests are dominated by a variety of oak species depending on soil moisture and location on or above the Blue Ridge escarpment or in the foothill mountains. Mountain Oak forests are on open slopes, ridge tops, spur ridges, and low rises and flats in valleys. They are the majority of the middle elevation landscapes (Schafale 2024) . 4.4.13.2 Location of Habitat Montane oak forests occur in the Mountain ecoregion and foothill mountains on exposed sites such as ridge crests and south- to west-facing slopes, typically from about 3,000 to 4,500 feet elevation. They cover rugged areas in the South Mountains, Brushy Mountains, and other foothill ranges. According to the most recent Southeast GAP analysis, montane oak forest communities comprise over 271 thousand acres (nearly 110 thousand hectares) of land cover in North Carolina (SEGAP 2023) . This represents less than 1% of the state’s land cover. 4.4.13.3 Problems Affecting Habitats Fire Suppression. It is unclear if changes in fire regime will be beneficial or harmful to oak forests. Fire suppression has allowed non-fire-tolerant species, including tree species, to increase in montane oak forests. Many oak forests have seen a lack of oak regeneration that is likely related to lack of fire. If a warmer climate brought an increase in fire, it might offset some of the alterations caused by suppression of fire. Severe fires during droughts would cause extensive canopy mortality and be destructive to oak forests, especially if occurring with the increased fuel loads resulting from recent fire suppression. Climate Change. Prolonged or severe drought stress has been associated with oak decline and with canopy mortality. Chestnut Blight caused dramatic compositional shift by almost
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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