DOCUMENT

Name:   Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) Interagency Handbook Reference Conditions. Appalachian Dry-Mesic Oak Forest - APOK(APOK)

Date Published:  3/1/2005

Document Type:  report

Brief Description:  This system consists of predominately dry-mesic to dry forests occurring on open and exposed topography at lower to mid elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge, Southern Ridge and Valley, and Central Appalachians.

Complete Description:  This system consists of predominately dry-mesic to dry forests occurring on open and exposed topography at lower to mid elevations in the Southern Blue Ridge, Southern Ridge and Valley, and Central Appalachians. This is the upland forest that characterizes much of the Appalachian highlands of the southeastern United States. It occupies a region of considerable size and environmental diversity with respect to landform, climate, soils, and geology. Various species of oak (Quercus spp.) are consistently present as major components of the tree stratum. Historically American chestnut (Castenea dentata) was a dominant or co-dominant in many of these communities until its virtual elimination by the chestnut blight fungus [Endothia (Cryphonectria) parasitica] during the early 1900’s. Contiguous forests of tens to hundreds of thousands of acres once occurred. Elevations of these forests range from less than 800 feet to over 4000 feet. Occurs on open slopes, ridgetops, lower elevation peaks, and higher parts of broad valley bottoms. Bedrock may be of any type. Soils are usually deep residual soils, but are often rocky. Some shallow soils, colluvium, and other soils may be present locally within the group, but shallow soils tend to produce environments that are more extreme and have a larger component of various pine species. Soils can range from acidic to circumneutral or basic, and the vegetation varies accordingly.

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Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) Fire Regime Condition Class

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Distribution ®	Format ® Online Source: http://frames.nbii.gov/frcc/documents/PNVG/EastNew/APOK_Description.pdf Fees: none Instructions: Created 3/1/2005. 9 page .pdf available at http://frames.nbii.gov/frcc/documents/PNVG/EastNew/APOK_Description.pdf
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Details ®	Created Date: 10/21/2006 Metadata Creator: Elizabeth Caldwell The Nature Conservancy ecaldwell@tnc.org Type: FRAMES document Metadata Version: 1 Security Information: Schema: http://frames.nbii.gov/metadata/documents/documents.xsd
Keyword(s):	FRAMES subject categories fire ecology GACC regions Eastern none NIFTT none FRCC GACC regions Southern
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