Pines are often an important component and may occasionally even be dominant. Herbs are generally sparse. Areas that were cultivated are generally dominated by even-aged pine stands, which are replaced by the climax oaks and hickories only as the pines die. Heavily logged areas may have a mixture of hardwoods and pines. Under natural conditions these forests are uneven-aged, with old trees present.
Reproduction occurs primarily in the canopy gaps.
The dry to mesic nature of the Oak-Hickory Forests determines the types of animals found. Birds localize their activities in either the canopy or the subcanopy. Most bird abundance changes seasonally. All rights reserved. The Citizens' Environmental Advisory Council of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Commission.