Natural Resources: Plants Species

The Daniel Boone National Forest is in the mixed mesophytic region of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Forests in this area are characterized by a wide variety of species both in the understory and in the overstory. This complex of species varies in composition with changes in aspect and relationship to water and soil. Among the species found in the canopy layer on north and east slopes and in coves are northern red oak, basswood, beech, yellow poplar, sugar maple, birch, red maple, and hemlock. West slopes contain yellow poplar, red oak, white oak, and hickories. On the south slopes and on the ridges, where moisture becomes more limiting short leaf pine, chestnut oak, white oak, and Virginia pine are common associates.Over 40 commercial species occur on the forest, and also present are at least as many non-commercial trees and shrubs.

Constituting 49% of the Forest, upland hardwood types predominate.These stands are composed of various combinations of white oak, chestnut oak, northern red oak, black oak, scarlet oak, southern red oak, hickories, and occasional pines. Cove hardwoods occur on 24% of the sites. These highly productive areas support stands of northern red oak, white oak, basswood, yellow poplar, hemlock, sugar maple, beech with an occasional but signify cant occurrence of black cherry and black walnut. Stands of yellow pine are composed primarily of shortleaf pine, with pitch pine, table mountain pine and Virginia pine present. There are also some planted areas of loblolly pine. Pine forest types occupy 15% of the forest area. The mixed pine hardwood forest type is composed of stands that are more than 25% both hard wood and softwood. These stands are classified as either pine hardwood or hardwood pine, depending on which component constitutes a majority. These areas are composed of scarlet oak, chestnut oak, black oak, white oak, and hickory in combination with either yellow or white pine. This forest type occupies 12% of the area.

White pine comprises less than l% of the Forest, but this species occurs in combination with other groups.

Perhaps the eastern deciduous formation reached its remarkable complexity in the Cumberland Plateau. Local differences in topography, soil, temperature, and rainfall produced many smaller distinctive associations in the forest. The composition of species within associations has been altered extensively by man and disease. Past use of land has resulted in an increase in light seeded and/or intolerant species, such as Virginia pine, shortleaf pine, yellow poplar, and red maple. The American chestnut, a common member of the forest-community until eliminated by blight, has for the most part been replaced by scarlet and chestnut oak. The general habitat of the forest is a mosaic of association of various several stages of mixed mesophytic, hemlock-hardwood, beech-birch-maple, oak-hickory, and pine-oak. Throughout most of the Forest, oak-hickory and pine-oak predominate.

Conspicuous types in the understory include the rhododendron or fern-ephemerals on moist sites and mountain laurel or blueberry-huckleberry on dry sites. The woody component of other understories usually consists of dogwood, sourwood, and black gum in association with seedlings of the more tolerant species in the understory. Two species of plants, the white-haired goldenrod (found near the base of sandstone cliffs in the Red River Gorge Area) and a relic population of Canadian yew in Lee County will require special studies and consideration of management.

The Daniel Boone has been mapped as to type of cover. Understory communities by community name and description are listed in Forest Process Records located in the Forest Supervisor's Office.

Title: Plants
Last Updated: September 18, 2008