Name:
(Salix spp.) / Andropogon gerardii - Panicum virgatum - Salvia azurea Cahaba Riverwash Herbaceous Vegetation
Reference:
Southeastern Ecology Working Gro...
Description:
This riverwash association is restricted to central Alabama, where it occurs along the Cahaba River and is subsequently maintained by flood-scouring. Examples occupy high-gradient sections of the river, often in conjunction with exposed substrates comprised of sandstone, siltstone, and to a lesser extent, shale that are seasonally scoured by floodwaters. Cobbles are abundant, generally mixed with sandy silt that nurtures a luxuriant suite of plants. Grasses, primarily <i>Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium</i>, and <i>Panicum virgatum</i> serve as the principal vegetation component, constituting nearly 40% of the total cover. While represented by smaller numbers, many other herbs are as equally characteristic, including <i>Sorghastrum nutans, Andropogon virginicus, Tripsacum dactyloides, Melica mutica, Ipomoea pandurata, Clematis virginiana, Mecardonia acuminata, Sida elliottii, Salvia azurea, Asclepias tuberosa</i>, and <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i>. Although of lesser significance, woody species also serve to distinguish this community, most of which are twisted and contorted, bearing testimony to adverse abrasion properties associated with flooding. Typical small trees and shrubs include <i>Salix nigra, Salix caroliniana, Leptopus phyllanthoides, Betula nigra, Fraxinus pennsylvanica</i>, and <i>Cephalanthus occidentalis</i>. <i>Ampelopsis arborea</i> and <i>Bignonia capreolata</i> are common vines, often trailing along the ground surface.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.34867.CEGL004149
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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