252 T HE STUDY OF PLANT COMMUNITIES • Chapter X 



recently, oak-chestnut forest. The almost complete elimination 

 of chestnut (Castanea dentata) by blight has left practically none 

 of the original forest that extended along the mountains from 

 southern New England to Georgia. Chestnut oak (Quercus mon- 

 tana) and scarlet oak (Q. coccinea) are important species today. 

 Tulip poplar, red and white oaks, and some hickory are common 



FlG. 124. Savannah-like transition from deciduous forest to grassland. Bur 

 oak predominates in these scrubby clumps of trees on the Anoka sand plain 

 northwest of Minneapolis. Note blowout in sand dune in process of restabili- 

 zation by Hudsonia— Photo by W. S. Cooper. 



associates. None of this association remains in its original state 

 today, for the remnants untouched by extensive lumbering opera- 

 tions have been modified by the ravages of chestnut blight. 



Pitch pine (Finns rigida) is the important successional species 

 throughout the range, but shortleaf and Virginia pine (P. echinata, 

 P. virginiana) are increasingly noteworthy southward. 



In its southern extent, the association is restricted to the moun- 

 tains, occupying most of the favorable slopes. Northward it is 

 found on progressively lower sites, occurring as far east as Long 

 Island. 66 Through the foothills of the mountains, it grades into the 

 oak-hickory climax of the bordering Piedmont Plateau. 



Oak-Hickory Association— In all directions from the deciduous 

 forest center, except northward along the mountains, precipitation 

 decreases and becomes less effective. This results in dominance by 



