Name:
Schizachyrium scoparium - Panicum flexile - Carex microdonta Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
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. This community occurs in west-central Louisiana and is associated with outcrops of the Cook Mountain Formation (Eocene). It is known from Winn, Sabine, and Natchitoches parishes. 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. Grasses include <i>Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon glomeratus, Andropogon gerardii, Sporobolus</i> spp., <i>Setaria parviflora, Panicum flexile, Aristida</i> spp., <i>Paspalum floridanum</i>, and <i>Sorghastrum nutans</i>. Other characteristic species include <i>Carex cherokeensis, Stenaria nigricans, Dalea candida, Dalea purpurea, Ruellia humilis, Desmanthus illinoensis, Salvia azurea, Sporobolus vaginiflorus var. ozarkanus, Sporobolus compositus var. compositus, Helenium autumnale, Koeleria macrantha, Silphium laciniatum, Echinacea pallida</i>.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:32869-{A451EA48-9A64-4BE9-A968-FE022F8A2EC3}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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