Mixed Oak / Heath Forest (Low-Elevation)

Mixed Oak / Heath Forest features oaks with colorful names in the canopy – white oak, black oak, scarlet oak, and chestnut oak. Blueberries and huckleberries colonize the understory. It grows on dry, nutrient-poor uplands of the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and lower-elevation central Appalachian Mountains.

This common and wide-ranging community can be found in the Northern Blue Ridge, Ridge and Valley, Cumberland Plateau, and Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain provinces. It’s well-documented in Virginia, Tennessee, and Maryland, and also occurs in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Stands are located between 30 and 700 meters (100-2300 feet) elevation on slightly to moderately rolling sites of Piedmont and Inner Coastal Plain uplands, mountain valleys, and lower mountain slope benches. In the mountains, this community often grows on sediments that were deposited by ancient rivers. These ancient alluvial fan deposits are especially extensive along the western foot of the Blue Ridge.

The range map shows the states in which this natural community has been documented.

More About This Natural Community

This forest’s canopy consists of a mixture of white oak, scarlet oak, black oak, and chestnut oak. Its shrub layer is dominated by black huckleberry. In areas that have been disturbed by fire or logging, you may see pines in the canopy including Virginia pine, shortleaf pine, pitch pine, or eastern white pine. The understory tree layer is dominated by blackgum, common serviceberry, and in the southern part of the range, sourwood. Other shrubs in the heath family occur along with black huckleberry. The field layer (low plants) is sparse. Overall, the species diversity is moderate to very low.

The Mixed Oak / Heath Forest grows in dry, nutrient-poor soils in uplands. For a more in-depth look at this community, click on a link under “Where to Explore It.”

Look for It in These National Parks

  • Appalachian Trail (Central Appalachians)
  • Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
  • Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
  • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  • Colonial National Historical Park
  • Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
  • George Washington Memorial Parkway
  • National Capital Parks – East
  • Obed Wild & Scenic River
  • Prince William Forest Park
  • Rock Creek Park
  • Shenandoah National Park
  • Thomas Stone National Historic Site
  • Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

Conservation Status

How vulnerable is a natural community? Is it at risk of elimination? Learn about conservation status.

Global Conservation Status: 
G5 – Secure

Classification

Official names reduce confusion by providing a common language for talking about natural communities. Why so many names?

Common Name: 
Mixed Oak / Heath Forest (Low Elevation)
Scientific Name Translated: 
White Oak – (Scarlet Oak, Black Oak, Chestnut Oak) / Black Huckleberry Forest
Classification Code: 
CEGL008521