Name:
Juniperus virginiana / Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Alkaline Bedrock Scrub Grassland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
These perennial grasslands (variously locally called barrens, glades, and/or prairies) are dominated by <i>Schizachyrium scoparium</i>, and sometimes also by <i>Bouteloua curtipendula</i>, with a scattered canopy of needle-leaved trees, or mixed needle-leaved evergreen and broad-leaved deciduous trees, particularly one or more of <i>Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Quercus muehlenbergii</i>, and/or <i>Quercus stellata</i>. These trees can be found scattered individually or in isolated clumps and patches. The subcanopy is absent or very sparse. Commonly encountered shrubs include <i>Cornus florida, Rhus copallinum, Symphoricarpos orbiculatus</i>, and <i>Ulmus alata</i>. <i>Toxicodendron radicans</i> also displays a shrubby growth form. Herbaceous cover is very uneven, ranging from very dense in some areas to absent in others. Characteristic species include <i>Andropogon gerardii, Bouteloua curtipendula, Helianthus divaricatus, Liatris</i> spp., <i>Manfreda virginica, Rudbeckia</i> spp., <i>Sabatia angularis, Schizachyrium scoparium, Silphium</i> spp., <i>Sorghastrum nutans</i>, and <i>Verbesina alternifolia</i>. This alliance is found in the southeastern and south-central United States, not including the Coastal Plain. Aspect is variable; stands occur primarily on south- and southwest-facing slopes. Soils which support stands of this alliance are stony. Parent material is limestone rock, cherty limestone, dolomite, or calcareous shale which is exposed at the surface, resulting in a very shallow, well-drained substrate. The soils may contain a homogenous mixture of rock fragments of various sizes.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:38288-{F0EA8D52-C267-4905-BE13-06A2EF69DC2C}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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