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Spartina gracilis Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance | Western Ecology Working Group of...
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Name: Spartina gracilis Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance Reference: Western Ecology Working Group of... Description: This tall grassland alliance is found on scattered low-elevation sites of the northern and western Great Plains, and in northern portions of the Intermountain West. Locations supporting this alliance are moist, poorly drained, often alkaline areas along ephemeral, intermittent or perennial streams, as well as swales, meadows, the margins of marshes and ponds and on moist sandy overflow channels and backwater areas of large rivers. Water tables are typically high, within 1 m of the surface, but the sites are not permanently flooded. Soils are fine-textured, and range from clays to silt-loam, and are usually slightly to moderately alkaline, but non-saline. Vegetation included in this alliance is characterized by a tall perennial graminoid layer that is dominated by Spartina gracilis, sometimes forming pure stands. Other graminoids present, and occasionally codominant, include Schoenoplectus pungens (= Scirpus pungens), Juncus balticus, and Pascopyrum smithii. Forb species tend to be weedy, such as Grindelia squarrosa, Glycyrrhiza lepidota, and Xanthium strumarium. These forbs can be somewhat abundant in disturbed locations, but otherwise are found in small amounts. Diagnostic of this alliance is the Spartina gracilis-dominated tall graminoid layer in a grassland that has a relatively shallow water table and is flooded for an extended period during the growing season.  Accession Code: VB.CC.20757.SPARTINAGRACILI Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
	Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization) Perspective from: 26-Nov-1997 to: 01-May-2019
	status: accepted This Community's Level: Alliance This Community's Children: [none]		Names:   Scientific: Spartina gracilis Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance   Translated: Alkali Cordgrass Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Alliance   UID: HIGHER_CLASS_UNIT.2.124881 NatureServe Explorer   Code: A.1407