Central New Jersey's Climax Community: Mature Deciduous Forest

Yes. Central New Jersey lies in the Temperate Deciduous Forest biome. Following ecological succession on abandoned farmland or cleared land:

1. Pioneers: Grasses, goldenrod, asters, ragweed (1–3 yrs).
2. Shrubs/Thicket: Blackberry, sumac, gray dogwood, eastern red cedar (5–20 yrs).
3. Early Successional Trees: Black cherry, sassafras, tulip poplar, red maple, sweetgum (20–60 yrs).
4. Mid-Successional: White oak, hickories, black oak, beech replace light-demanding species (60–150 yrs).
5. Climax: Mature Oak-Hickory Forest (with beech, tulip poplar, red maple on mesic sites). Self-perpetuating, shade-tolerant canopy, diverse understory, deep soils, complex structure.

Disturbance (fire, wind, logging) resets the clock. Pre-colonial fire regimes maintained oak dominance. Today, fragmentation, deer overbrowse, and invasives (stiltgrass, barberry) alter trajectories, but the theoretical climax remains the mixed mesophytic oak-hickory forest.