Name:
A.1080
Reference:
EcoArt 2002
Description:
This alliance is found in the northern Great Plains and in the Great Lakes region. The dominant vegetation is dwarf-shrubs and graminoids and these often provide 80-100% canopy. Few of the plants in communities of this alliance grow taller than 1 m; many are 0.5 m or less. In the northern Great Plains, the most abundant species is the creeping shrub ~Juniperus horizontalis$. This species can cover 80% of the ground. ~Schizachyrium scoparium$ and ~Carex inops ssp. heliophila$ are typically the most abundant graminoids. In most stands these three species provide the great majority of the canopy. Other shrubs that may be present are ~Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Rosa arkansana, Rhus aromatica$, and ~Artemisia frigida$. Associated graminoids include ~Calamovilfa longifolia, Carex duriuscula (= Carex eleocharis), Carex filifolia, Elymus lanceolatus, Koeleria macrantha, Muhlenbergia cuspidata$, and ~Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata)$. Forbs are present but do not usually contribute greatly to the canopy. Common forbs are ~Pulsatilla patens ssp. multifida (= Anemone patens), Campanula rotundifolia, Dalea purpurea, Echinacea angustifolia, Galium boreale, Linum perenne, Packera plattensis (= Senecio plattensis)$, and ~Thermopsis rhombifolia$. ^This alliance is found on moderate to steep, rarely gentle, slopes. These are usually north-facing in the United States but south-facing in southern Canada. The soils are clay loams, silty loams, and sandy loams. Parent materials are siltstone, claystone, sandstone, and glacial till. ^In the Great Lakes region, on sand dunes the dwarf-shrubs form an open to closed mat layer. Dominant shrubs include ~Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Juniperus communis$, and ~Juniperus horizontalis$. ~Hudsonia tomentosa$ may also be present, along with a variety of other deciduous shrubs. On alvars the dominant shrubs are ~Juniperus horizontalis$, and/or ~Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda)$. Other characteristic species include ~Schizachyrium scoparium, Carex richardsonii, Carex scirpoidea, Pinus banksiana, Thuja occidentalis, Danthonia spicata, Oligoneuron album (= Solidago ptarmicoides), Packera paupercula (= Senecio pauperculus), Clinopodium arkansanum (= Calamintha arkansana)$, and ~Tetraneuris herbacea (= Hymenoxys herbacea)$.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.850.A1080
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
0
|
