Name:
(Crataegus opaca) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Panicum virgatum - Croton capitatus Seasonally Flooded Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This seasonally flooded grassland occurs only in extreme southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana in the bottoms along the Ouachita River on the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain. Ecologically, the sand prairie community structure and composition are edaphically controlled, forming only on the Haggerty soil series. The prairie flora is maintained by xero-hydric conditions, droughty, low water-holding capacity soils combined with deep winter flooding, and a high level of exchangeable aluminum which can be toxic to many plants. The herbaceous vegetation is typically short (2-3 feet), sparse to dense, with bare soil present in some areas. This community can become shrubby, perhaps due to fire suppression, and woody species can encroach upon the prairie. Dominant herbaceous species include Schizachyrium scoparium, Diodia teres, Croton capitatus, and Panicum virgatum. Woody species are found around the edges of the prairie and sporadically distributed through the interior. They are seldom over 10 feet tall and are frequently multi-stemmed. Woody species may include Cephalanthus occidentalis, Cornus foemina (= ssp. foemina), Crataegus opaca, Crataegus viridis, Diospyros virginiana, Gleditsia triacanthos, Hibiscus moscheutos ssp. lasiocarpos (= Hibiscus lasiocarpos), Ilex decidua, Liquidambar styraciflua, Styrax americanus, Vaccinium arboreum, and Vaccinium fuscatum. The prairies are surrounded by mature bottomland hardwood forests dominated by Quercus phellos and Quercus nigra, as well as Quercus lyrata-dominated flatwoods and sloughs, with large Pinus taeda on slightly higher topographic positions. The prairie openings are situated in Quaternary Period, Pleistocene Epoch Lacustrine deposits (e.g., beaches and sand bars of relict lakes). The Haggerty soil series is a nearly level, frequently flooded, somewhat poorly drained, low fertility soil with high levels of exchangeable aluminum. These sandy loams are neutral at the surface and medium acidic at the subsurface. A seasonably high water table fluctuates between the surface and a depth of 1.5 feet. During inundation the prairies are used as spawning grounds by fish from the Ouachita River. The type location is in Ashley County, Arkansas. A high-quality example of this community type is known at Coffee Prairie Natural Area.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.23396.CRATAEGUSOPACAS
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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