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Carex pensylvanica - Danthonia compressa - Sibbaldiopsis tridentata Southern Appalachian Grass Bald Group | NatureServe Biotics 2019
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Name: Carex pensylvanica - Danthonia compressa - Sibbaldiopsis tridentata Southern Appalachian Grass Bald Group
Reference: NatureServe Biotics 2019
Description: These densely vegetated herbaceous communities are found in the highest elevational zone of the Southern Appalachians, generally above 1524 m (5000 feet) but occasionally to 1220 m (4000 feet), and at slightly lower elevations at its northern limit in Virginia and West Virginia. The vegetation consists of dense herbaceous cover characteristically dominated by <i>Danthonia compressa</i> or <i>Carex</i> spp. Extensive areas have become dominated by <i>Rubus allegheniensis</i> and by mixtures of native grasses and exotic pasture grasses. Most examples of grassy balds have some invading shrubs and trees, often dense enough to threaten the herbaceous vegetation. The combination of high-elevation, non-wetland sites and dense herbaceous vegetation without appreciable rock outcrop conceptually distinguish this group from all others in the Southern Appalachians. However, the widespread areas of degraded spruce-fir with grass and/or shrub cover and the invasion of grassy balds by trees blur the distinction somewhat. 
Accession Code: urn:lsid:vegbank.org:commConcept:40304-{93B13C1D-8956-4C8F-BA42-EB76477BF64B}
Plot-observations of this Community Concept: 0
      Party Perspective according to: NatureServe (organization)
Perspective from: 04-May-2015 to: ongoing
      Names:   UID: ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.877347 NatureServe ExplorerNatureServe Explorer logo
  Code: G657
  Scientific: Carex pensylvanica - Danthonia compressa - Sibbaldiopsis tridentata Southern Appalachian Grass Bald Group