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Ouachita Novaculite Glade and Woodland Habitat
Habitat Description: This habitat represents a mosaic of glades and woodlands found on novaculite geology in the central Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas. Examples of this habitat generally occupy ridgetops at 450-640 m (1476-2100 feet) elevation. They form patterns of small woodlands scattered on rocky ridges and upper slopes. Wooded or forest patches may appear as almost linear strips and have a variable, often patchy, structure with some areas of dense canopy interspersed with more open canopies and open grassy sites. In general, the grassy openings occur on shallow soils with exposed bedrock, while the woodlands occur on somewhat deeper soils. In all cases, these are fairly extreme growing conditions due to droughty, rocky soils. Several distinct communities may be recognized at a local scale within this habitat. Open habitats may be characterized by sparse tree cover of dwarfed (1-3 m) Blackjack Oak var. ashei, which can sometimes occur in clumps. Herbaceous cover is 100% except where bare rock is exposed or on rocky slopes. Lichens cover 40-70% of the exposed rock surfaces. Open community components of this habitat grade into more densely wooded types, with a variable structure, dominated by Post Oak, Winged Elm, Blackjack Oak, Eastern Juniper var. virginiana, Shortleaf Pine, and Black Hickory. More submesic areas have Northern Red Oak-dominated woodlands with Black Hickory that may approach a forest structure. The habitat structure is thought to be controlled by a combination of periodic fire and drought. Many existing overstory trees have multiple stems indicating past die-back due to severe drought of decades-long intervals. Summer leaf loss is common and standing trees that are partly or completely dead are common. Minor droughts cause extensive die-backs in smaller stems and appear to maintain shrubby conditions in places. Historically, fire is thought to have played a more important role than today in maintaining the open canopy. The effects of fire suppression are unknown but have probably allowed these woodlands to increase in density. These habitats are usually small, isolated from one another, and are often embedded within a larger layout of habitats, causing them to rely heavily on surrounding habitats for landscape altering processes such as fire. (adapted from NatureServe 2005)
Species Potentially Found In This Habitat Birds
Insects
Mammals
Reptiles
Habitat Potentially Found In The Following Counties
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