Name:
Festuca campestris - Festuca idahoensis Mesic Grassland Alliance
Reference:
NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description:
Vegetation of this mesic grassland alliance is characterized by herbaceous cover ranging from 60-100% dominated by diagnostic perennial bunchgrasses <i>Festuca campestris</i> with <i>Festuca idahoensis</i> often codominant. <i>Achnatherum richardsonii, Carex obtusata</i>, or <i>Geranium viscosissimum</i> may also codominate the herbaceous layer. Occasional shrubs can be present, are generally low in stature (<0.5 m) and cover (<10% total) and include <i>Artemisia frigida, Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Juniperus communis, Juniperus horizontalis, Rosa arkansana, Rosa woodsii</i>, and <i>Symphoricarpos albus</i>. <i>Arctostaphylos uva-ursi</i> or <i>Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda</i> are typically absent or have low cover (<5%). Other abundant graminoid species include <i>Carex filifolia, Danthonia intermedia</i>, and <i>Koeleria macrantha</i>, with <i>Bouteloua gracilis, Muhlenbergia cuspidata</i>, and <i>Hesperostipa comata</i> being more common on prairie sites. Forb species typically present include <i>Achillea millefolium, Agoseris glauca, Antennaria rosea, Eriogonum umbellatum, Galium boreale, Geum triflorum, Hedysarum sulphurescens, Heterotheca villosa, Liatris punctata, Lupinus sericeus, Oxytropis sericea, Packera cana, Penstemon confertus, Sedum lanceolatum</i>, and <i>Zigadenus elegans</i>. This alliance occurs in the northwestern Great Plains west into the central Rocky Mountains, including the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon and Washington. Stands occur in glaciated landscapes, on prairies, foothills and mountain slopes. Elevations range from 500-2100 m, but are found only below 1500 m in Canada. Some stands may extend up to montane and subalpine elevations. It occurs on mesic sites on any aspect, becoming restricted to west- and southwest-facing slopes farther north. Slopes vary from flat to gentle toeslopes and lowslopes, generally less than 30%. Soils are loamy and moderately deep on a variety of soil parent materials.
Accession Code:
urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:39196-{CE70F1CC-5C30-4528-B9EF-184CE7AA72AB}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
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