Name:
Schizachyrium scoparium - (Helianthus mollis, Helianthus occidentalis, Silphium trifoliatum) Grassland
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
This open, prairie-like community of the northern Highland Rim of Tennessee and adjacent Kentucky is dominated by grasses and forbs with scattered shrubby vegetation and, occasionally, trees. <i>Schizachyrium scoparium</i> is a strong dominant, with some <i>Sorghastrum nutans</i> present. Other more mesic grasses (<i>Andropogon gerardii, Tripsacum dactyloides</i>) are restricted to ditches. Other herbaceous components may include <i>Andropogon gyrans, Andropogon ternarius, Lespedeza capitata, Lespedeza virginica, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, Sericocarpus linifolius, Coreopsis major, Coreopsis tripteris, Helianthus angustifolius, Helianthus hirsutus, Solidago juncea, Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum</i>, and <i>Lobelia puberula</i>. <i>Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Prenanthes barbata</i>, and <i>Agalinis auriculata</i> are rare plants found in some examples. Typical woody species include <i>Quercus falcata, Quercus imbricaria, Cornus florida, Cercis canadensis, Prunus angustifolia, Ilex decidua, Rhus copallinum, Rosa carolina</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos orbiculatus</i>. This community occurs on the northwestern Highland Rim / Pennyroyal Karst Plain of Tennessee and Kentucky. The largest extant examples are presently found on Fort Campbell military base, where ecological burning and fires from live-fire munitions use result in open herbaceous-dominated landscapes. This vegetation was the predominant type here in the early 1800s, and probably originated from burning of forests by Native Americans. Smaller examples of related vegetation farther north in Kentucky (e.g. portions of Athey Barrens KSNPC Preserve) are included here as well.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:35992-{A217E2FC-3105-4142-9830-16D292061281}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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