Print Report
A4395 Juniperus virginiana Woodland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This juniper woodland type occurs in the southcentral Great Plains. It occurs naturally in mixedgrass prairies, but is most common in sites that are heavily grazed or lack fire, or in some rocky glade like habitats.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Eastern Red-cedar Woodland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Red-Cedar Woodland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This juniper woodland type occurs in the southcentral Great Plains. It occurs naturally in mixedgrass prairies but is most common in sites that are heavily grazed or lack fire, or in some rocky glade like habitats. It is dominated by Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana in the canopy and Schizachyrium scoparium and other mixedgrass species in the herb layer. This type is increasing in the Great Plains, encroaching into prairies and altering wildlife habitat, forage, livestock production and water, carbon and nutrient cycles.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Juniper trees are typically 5 m tall and at least 10% canopy.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type was rare historically but is increasingly common because of lack of fire in the Great Plains region (Wang et al. 2018). Thus, there may be few diagnostic features apart from the dominance by Juniperus virginiana. Early seral stages of this type were once described separately as an association (e.g., CEGL004066. Juniperus virginiana / Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Great Plains Grassland) but are now simply recognized as variants of mixedgrass prairie types.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This type dominated by Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana in the canopy and Schizachyrium scoparium and other mixedgrass species in the herb layer.
Dynamics: This type occurs naturally in mixedgrass prairies, typically in areas that are heavily grazed or lack fire, or in some rocky glade like habitats. It is increasing in the Great Plains, encroaching into prairies and altering wildlife habitat, forage, livestock production and water, carbon and nutrient cycles (Wang et al. 2018). A detailed documentation of its expansion in Oklahoma is provided by Wang et al. (2018).
Environmental Description: These juniper forests tend to occur more frequently in habitats with the following characteristics (in Oklahoma): a) on soils of sand and loam than on clay soils, b) in regions with soil depths > 100 cm depth, and c) on soils characterized by lower available water source (Wang et al. 2018).
Geographic Range: This type occurs throughout the central mixedgrass region of the Great Plains, and into the tallgrass region.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA?, KS, MN?, MO?, NE, OK, SD, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.1132398
Confidence Level: Proposed (Submitted)
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 1 Forest & Woodland Class | C01 | 1 |
| Subclass | 1.B Temperate & Boreal Forest & Woodland Subclass | S15 | 1.B |
| Formation | 1.B.2 Cool Temperate Forest & Woodland Formation | F008 | 1.B.2 |
| Division | 1.B.2.Ne North American Great Plains Forest & Woodland Division | D326 | 1.B.2.Ne |
| Macrogroup | 1.B.2.Ne.1 Bur Oak - Quaking Aspen / Western Wheatgrass Forest Woodland Macrogroup | M151 | 1.B.2.Ne.1 |
| Group | 1.B.2.Ne.1.e Eastern Red-cedar - Wingleaf Soapberry Mixed Great Plains Woodland | G890 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.e |
| Alliance | A4395 Eastern Red-cedar Woodland Alliance | A4395 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.e |
| Association | CEGL004209 Eastern Red-cedar / Little Bluestem - Prairie Broomweed Woodland | CEGL004209 | 1.B.2.Ne.1.e |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Hoagland, B. and D. Faber-Langendoen. 2020. Revisions to Great Plains grassland, shrubland, and woodland vegetation types. Proceedings of the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. USNVC-Proc-XX. February 2020. Ecological Society of America, Washington, DC., USA. xx pp.
- Wang, J., X. Xiangming, Y. Qin, R.B. Doughty, J. Dong, and Z. Zou. 2018. Characterizing the encroachment of juniper forests into subhumid and semi-arid prairies from 1984 to 2010 using LALSAR and Landsat data. Remote Sensing of Environment 205:166-179.