Name:
(Salix caroliniana, Rhododendron arborescens) - Andropogon gerardii - Baptisia australis - (Solidago simplex ssp. randii) Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Bailey, C. J., Jr., and F. G. Co...
Description:
This riverside rock outcrop, gravel bar, or cobble bar community of the Cumberlands of Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia occurs on open, flood-scoured exposures of bedrock, as well as open substrates composed of siliceous cobbles and/or gravels on major rivers or high-order streams. Typically a gradient from dry acidic conditions higher on the bank to moist, fairly enriched conditions lower down may exist at any one site. This community is prone to flooding in the upper regions and deposition in the topographically lower areas. It is also prone to severe drought periods that may stress or kill some vegetation. Flood scouring may become a powerful and ecologically important abrasive force along the riverbanks. Soils are rapidly drained Psamments, and may be restricted to the narrow interstices of tightly packed boulders, or to small crevices in bedrock exposures. Within the community the species are distributed patchily due to microsite conditions. The amount of variability in species composition has not been measured, but the sites included show substantial variation. This community is characterized by a luxuriant growth of robust grasses, including <i>Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans</i>, and <i>Panicum virgatum</i>, which resemble prairie vegetation. <i>Tripsacum dactyloides</i> may also occur. Other characteristic species include <i>Schizachyrium scoparium, Baptisia australis, Solidago simplex var. randii, Toxicodendron radicans, Ionactis linariifolius, Liatris squarrulosa, Coreopsis tripteris, Cornus amomum,</i><i> Spiraea virginiana,</i><i> Itea virginica, Rhododendron arborescens</i>, and <i>Salix caroliniana</i>.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.31464.CEGL008471
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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