Name:
Saxifraga michauxii - Carex misera - Calamagrostis cainii Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This community is known from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, where it occurs on high-elevation landslide scars, cliffs, rock outcrops, and summits. Slopes can be extremely steep (landslide scars and cliffs) or relatively flat (summits and ledges). This community occurs mostly above 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation but can occur as low as 1375 m (4500 feet). It is most often associated with exposed outcrops of Anakeesta slate and has very sparse to moderate vegetative cover, made up of grasses, forbs and shrubs rooted in rock fissures. These extreme habitats may have up to 80% exposed bedrock and talus, and often have seepage inclusions. Occurrences can range in size from 25 square meters to 2.5 ha (one acre). Composition and vegetative coverage vary from site to site, but common dominants include the herbs <i>Calamagrostis cainii, Carex debilis, Carex misera</i>, and <i>Saxifraga michauxii</i>, and the shrubs <i>Diervilla sessilifolia, Rhododendron carolinianum</i>, and <i>Rubus canadensis</i>. Other typical species include <i>Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Oclemena acuminata, Athyrium filix-femina, Danthonia compressa, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Gentiana linearis, Rugelia nudicaulis, Saxifraga michauxii</i>, and <i>Solidago glomerata</i>. Other woody species found in this community include <i>Abies fraseri, Betula alleghaniensis, Picea rubens, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Menziesia pilosa, Prunus pensylvanica, Rhododendron catawbiense, Sorbus americana</i>, and <i>Vaccinium erythrocarpum</i>. This community occurs in a matrix of <i>Picea rubens - Abies fraseri</i> forest.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:33111-{C6779497-C6A1-46C5-A476-DD7A0BB815AC}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
10
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