The Vegetation of the Kisatchie Sandstone Hills, Louisiana

ABSTRACT
The Kisatchie Sandstone Hills of Louisiana include the Kisatchie Ranger District of the Kisatchie National Forest, one of the few landscapes on the Western Gulf coastal plain where significant longleaf pine communities remain. Fifty-one mature stands were sampled. Occurrences of ground flora and overstory species were recorded. Soil and physiographic descriptions were recorded and a topsoil sample was collected. Data were subjected to Two Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) classification and hybrid Detrended Canonical Correspondence Analysis-Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCCA-DCA). Ordination scores corresponded to topographic position, soil texture, and soil nutrients. Ordination and classification results were used to describe ten community types ranging from moist-mesic floodplains to upland sandstone outcrops.