Name:
Juniperus horizontalis Dwarf-shrubland Alliance
Reference:
Midwestern Ecology Working Group...
Description:
This alliance is found in the northern Great Plains and in the Great Lakes region. The dominant vegetation is dwarf-shrubs and graminoids and these often provide 80-100% canopy. Few of the plants in communities of this alliance grow taller than 1 m; many are 0.5 m or less. In the northern Great Plains, the most abundant species is the creeping shrub Juniperus horizontalis. This species can cover 80% of the ground. Schizachyrium scoparium and Carex inops ssp. heliophila are typically the most abundant graminoids. In most stands these three species provide the great majority of the canopy. Other shrubs that may be present are Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Rosa arkansana, Rhus aromatica, and Artemisia frigida. Associated graminoids include Calamovilfa longifolia, Carex duriuscula (= Carex eleocharis), Carex filifolia, Elymus lanceolatus, Koeleria macrantha, Muhlenbergia cuspidata, and Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata). Forbs are present but do not usually contribute greatly to the canopy. Common forbs are Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida (= Anemone patens), Campanula rotundifolia, Dalea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Galium boreale, Linum perenne, Packera plattensis (= Senecio plattensis), and Thermopsis rhombifolia. This alliance is found on moderate to steep, rarely gentle, slopes. These are usually north-facing in the United States but south-facing in southern Canada. The soils are clay loams, silty loams, and sandy loams. Parent materials are siltstone, claystone, sandstone, and glacial till. In the Great Lakes region, on sand dunes the dwarf-shrubs form an open to closed mat layer. Dominant shrubs include Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis, and Juniperus horizontalis. Hudsonia tomentosa may also be present, along with a variety of other deciduous shrubs. On alvars the dominant shrubs are Juniperus horizontalis, and/or Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda). Other characteristic species include Schizachyrium scoparium, Carex richardsonii, Carex scirpoidea, Pinus banksiana, Thuja occidentalis, Danthonia spicata, Oligoneuron album (= Solidago ptarmicoides), Packera paupercula (= Senecio pauperculus), Clinopodium arkansanum (= Calamintha arkansana), and Tetraneuris herbacea (= Hymenoxys herbacea).
Accession Code:
VB.CC.19401.JUNIPERUSHORIZO
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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