Limestone Oak - Hickory Forest (Ridge and Valley)

Oaks and hickories grow in fertile soils on slopes underlain by limestone or dolomite bedrock. Look for chinquapin oak, white oak, northern red oak, bitternut hickory, pignut hickory, and red hickory. There is more than one type of oak-dominated forest on limestone; this one is found in the Ridge and Valley. 

This natural community is found on moderately steep slopes in or near the Ridge and Valley ecoregion. 

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

More About This Natural Community

In addition to the oaks and hickories mentioned above, other trees in the Limestone Oak - Hickory Forest  include white ash, eastern redbud, and common hackberry. The shrub layer may include fragrant sumac, eastern leatherwood, American bladdernut, and eastern poison-ivy. On the forest floor, look for nutrient-demanding plants such as eastern bottlebrush grass, white snakeroot, and clustered black-snakeroot. Because of the fertile soil, there may be many non-native invasive plants as well.

The soils in the Limestone Oak - Hickory Forest are enriched with minerals containing calcium and magnesium, which support plant growth. The minerals come from the underlying bedrock, which is limestone or dolomite—sedimentary rocks deposited on an ocean floor.

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

  • Antietam National Battlefield
  • Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area
  • Bluestone National Scenic River
  • Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
  • Cumberland Gap National Historical Park 
  • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
  • Manassas National Battlefield Park
  • Monocacy National Battlefield
  • New River Gorge National River 

Conservation Status

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

Global Conservation Status: 
G3G4 – Vulnerable to Apparently Secure

Classification

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

Common Name: 
Ridge and Valley Limestone Oak - Hickory Forest
Scientific Name Translated: 
Chinquapin Oak - (White Oak, Northern Red Oak) - Bitternut Hickory / Blackhaw Forest
Classification Code: 
CEGL004793