A classification of the deciduous forest of eastern North America

Data from 300 forest stands, scattered over 29 states within the eastern North American deciduous forest, were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) in an effort to identify classifiable units. Most species are widespread which provide a great deal of continuity in the vegetation.The deciduous forest can be divided into three forest regions: (1) northern, (2) central and (3) southern. The northern region corresponds to the hemlock-white pine-northern hardwood forest of Braun (1950). The central region includes the beech-maple and oak-hickory forests. The beech-maple as identified here includes the mixed mesophytic, beech-maple, maple-basswood and about half of the western mesophytic forests of Braun (1950). The oak-hickory includes Braun's oak-hickory, oak-chestnut and about half of the western mesophytic forests. The southern region coincides with the southern mixed hardwood forests.