Southern
Research Station

RNA: Overcup Oak

State: MS

County: Sharkey Co.

Forest: Delta National Forest

District: Delta National Forest

Established: 1943; Acres: 40

To view Establishment records for Overcup Oak RNA in PDF format, Click Here

Click here, to view a searchable map for the Overcup Oak RNA

Ecological/Physical Description:

Physical and Climatic Conditions  

Nearest weather station, with distance and direction from RNA: Anguilla is 8 miles to the northeast and Holly Bluff is 5 miles to the southeast.

Annual precipitation (type, seasonal distribution): annual precipitation: 53”, fairly well distributed throughout the year, but highest from December to April (5–6” per month) and lowest from September to October (2–3 inches per month)

Maximum and minimum temperatures: mean annual temperature of 65°F, with July the hottest month (average 82°) and December and January the coolest (average 43°)

Elevation: Elevation is 90’, with a slope to the southwest.

Geology and Soils: relatively young Inceptisols of Sharkey-Dowling Association; soil is Sharkey clay, a waxey yellow-brown soil that occurs extensively throughout the bottomlands of the Mississipppi River in MS, AR Nd LA

Aquatic Features: A northwest–flowing slough runs through the southwest corner of the RNA

Biological Information 

Plant Communities: Overcup oak (Quercus lyrata), American elm (Ulmus americana), and Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii) are important canopy species in the RNA. Other species occurring on the site are red maple (Acer rubrum), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata). There are scattered individuals of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water hickory (Carya aquatica), possumhaw (Ilex decidua), persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), dogwood (Cornus spp.), hawthorn (Crataegus viridis), willow oak (Quercus phellos), winged elm (Ulmus crassifolia), swamp privet (Forestiera acuminata), and baldcypress (Taxodium distichum).

SAF Cover Types:
96 overcupoak – water hickory

At Risk Species: None are known

Common Shrub Species: Predominant species in the understory are greenbriars (Smilax spp.) and scattered palmetto (Sabal minor). Common lianas are poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), and trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans).

Common Herbaceous Species: The understory is sparse due to flooding.

Common Mammal Species:

Common Bird Species:  

Related Reports and Publications:

Additional reports and publications can also be found by clicking on the “RNA Publications and Products” link in the site menu or by clicking here.

Allen, Bruce P. 2007. Vegetation dynamics and response to disturbance, in floodplain forest ecosystems with a focus on lianas. Dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University. (studied Red Gum, Overcup Oak, Green Ash and other sites)

Devall, Margaret S. and Paul Ramp. 1992. The Forest Service Research Natural Area Program and old growth forests in the South. Natural Areas Journal 12(2): 75-85.

Johnson, R.L. and T.L. Price. 1959. Resume of 20 years of hardwood management on the Delta Purchase Unit. Unpublished, Stoneville Research Center, Stoneville, Mississippi. 74p

Ramp, P.F. 1990. Ecological Assessment of the Red Gum, Overcup Oak and Green Ash Research Natural Area in the Delta National Forest, Mississippi. Unpublished manuscript for the USDA Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station, New Orleans, LA. 22p.

Scott, F.T. and L.B. Walton. 1962. Soil survey of Sharkey County, Mississippi. United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service.

Smith, C. G.; Hamel, P. B.; Gullo, M. F. 2010. Evaluating small mammal response to natural disturbance and restoration in oak ecosystems in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Revista Colombia Forestal 13: 335-346. (in the Red Gum and Overcup Oak RNAs) http://ref.scielo.org/kwzw93

Last Modified: 1/11/2016 by Margaret Devall (mdevall@fs.fed.us)