Name:
Elymus caninus - Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri - (Koeleria macrantha) Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This is an upland prairie grassland that formerly dominated habitats in western Oregon and Washington. High-quality remnants are very rare, restricted to a few small reserves and remnants. Soils are well- to moderately well-drained silts or silty clays, usually deep and occasionally stony. Elevations are between 30 and 610 m (100-2000 feet); aspects and slopes are variable. <i>Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri</i> dominates most sites, with <i>Koeleria macrantha</i> as a constant associate at low cover. <i>Elymus caninus</i> is important at one site, and a minor associate at another, but is included as a codominant because it is has been reported to be dominant in presettlement accounts and by local experts. <i>Bromus carinatus, Elymus glaucus</i>, and <i>Poa secunda</i> are often present. <i>Danthonia californica</i> is important at some sites, although this is probably a result of grazing pressure. Most areas are forb-rich, with the most common forbs including <i>Sidalcea malviflora ssp. virgata, Balsamorhiza deltoidea, Delphinium menziesii</i> or <i>Delphinium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii</i> (on the eastern side of the Willamette Valley), <i>Delphinium menziesii</i> (on the west), <i>Symphyotrichum hallii, Fragaria vesca, Lupinus</i> sp., <i>Ranunculus occidentalis, Achillea millefolium, Eriophyllum lanatum</i>, and <i>Lomatium utriculatum</i>. Non-native species (<i>Arrhenatherum elatius, Poa pratensis, Schedonorus arundinaceus, Cynosurus echinatus, Dactylis glomerata</i>, and many others) often invade this association with grazing pressure. Remnant sites usually occur in a matrix with Oregon oak woodlands and agriculture. This plant community depends on fire for maintenance. In the absence of fire, <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii, Quercus garryana, Toxicodendron diversilobum, Symphoricarpos albus</i>, or non-native trees and shrubs invade and dominate these grasslands.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:30653-{1EA3DBFB-3EFA-4851-87BC-818A559C5FC3}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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