Name:
Schizachyrium scoparium - Panicum flexile - Carex microdonta Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This upland herbaceous community of west-central Louisiana is characterized by treeless openings dominated by perennial grasses, composites, and legumes, with scattered clumps of shrubby vegetation. These floristically diverse areas are typically less than 1-8 hectares in size and occur within a forest matrix. Grasses include Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon glomeratus, Andropogon gerardii, Sporobolus spp., Setaria parviflora, Panicum flexile, Aristida spp., Paspalum floridanum, and Sorghastrum nutans. This herb-dominated community develops on soils derived from marly clays and chalk of marine origin. These soils are typically silty clay loams, clays, and silt loams that are well-drained, slowly permeable, and alkaline (pH 7.5-8.0). Subsurface clay layers have calcareous concretions and shrink-swell properties. This community occurs in a nearly level to gently rolling landscape, on ridgetops and gentle slopes that often border small streams. Moisture regimes are typically dry to dry-mesic. The combination of frequent fire, high soil pH and extreme physical soil properties are thought to be important in maintaining this community. This community occurs in west-central Louisiana and is associated with outcrops of the Cook Mountain Formation. It is known from Winn, Sabine, and Natchitoches parishes. Other characteristic species include Carex cherokeensis, Hedyotis nigricans, Dalea candida, Dalea purpurea, Ruellia humilis, Desmanthus illinoensis, Salvia azurea, Sporobolus vaginiflorus var. ozarkanus (= Sporobolus ozarkanus), Sporobolus compositus var. compositus, Helenium autumnale, Koeleria macrantha, Silphium laciniatum, Echinacea pallida.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.22498.SCHIZACHYRIUMSC
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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