Print Report
CEGL006084 (Quercus stellata) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Packera plattensis - Parthenium auriculatum - Phemeranthus piedmontanus Wooded Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: (Post Oak) / Little Bluestem - Prairie Groundsel - Glade Wild Quinine - Piedmont Fameflower Wooded Grassland
Colloquial Name: Ultramafic Outcrop Barrens
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is a natural grassland vegetation type reported from Virginia''s southwestern Piedmont (Franklin County). This community occurs on thin Alfisols or Mollisols developed over serpentinite, dunite, or a similar ultramafic rock. Soils at the Virginia site are described as extremely friable, reddish brown, drought-prone, with a pH of 7 and a calcium:magnesium ratio of 0.22, comparable to serpentine soils. The community occurs at moderate elevations on gentle to steep slopes with a western or southwestern aspect. It occurs as herbaceous grassland openings with scattered, stunted trees, most typically Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, Pinus virginiana, and Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana. Shrubs are very sparse to absent. The vegetation has a dense grassy layer dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Packera plattensis.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community occurs as herbaceous grassland openings with scattered, stunted trees, most typically Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, Pinus virginiana, and Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana. Shrubs are very sparse to absent. The vegetation has a dense grassy layer dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Packera plattensis. Also common are Parthenium auriculatum, Trifolium virginicum, Minuartia patula, Scleria pauciflora, and Phemeranthus piedmontanus. Characteristic herbs occurring at lower cover include Agalinis tenuifolia, Aristida dichotoma, Aristida purpurascens, Carex meadii, Dichanthelium depauperatum, Fimbristylis annua, Houstonia longifolia (= Houstonia tenuifolia), Juncus secundus, Lespedeza procumbens, Liatris spicata, Polygonum tenue, Silene caroliniana ssp. pensylvanica, Silphium compositum, Sisyrinchium mucronatum, Sorghastrum nutans, and Symphyotrichum dumosum var. dumosum.
Dynamics: The barren structure is probably determined by a combination of site conditions and periodic disturbances. The dry grassy vegetation is flammable, and the recovery of woody species following a fire may be slow. The natural fire frequency is not known. Some form of disturbance is necessary to prevent soil development.
Environmental Description: This community occurs on thin Alfisols or Mollisols developed over serpentinite, dunite or a similar ultramafic rock. Soils at the Virginia site (Franklin County) are described as extremely friable, reddish brown, drought-prone, with a pH of 7 and a calcium:magnesium ratio of 0.22, comparable to serpentine soils. The community occurs at moderate elevations on gentle to steep slopes with a western or southwestern aspect. Soil profile varies over the serpentine slope probably in relation to the presence of veins of accessory minerals which weather at different rates. Some form of disturbance is necessary to prevent extensive soil development. To some extent, natural grassland formation at this site is influenced by the ultramafic bedrock, which produces few clay minerals and weathers to highly erosive, rocky and gravelly soils.
Geographic Range: This community is reported from the southwestern Piedmont, Franklin County, Virginia. It is restricted to outcrops of serpentinite, dunite, or similar ultramafic bedrock.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: VA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683371
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
| Subclass | 2.B Temperate & Boreal Grassland & Shrubland Subclass | S18 | 2.B |
| Formation | 2.B.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nc Eastern North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D024 | 2.B.2.Nc |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nc.1 Catawba Rosebay / Michaux''s Saxifrage - Flattened Oatgrass Felsic & Mafic Scrub & Grassland Macrogroup | M506 | 2.B.2.Nc.1 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nc.1.c Little Bluestem - Balsam Groundsel - Prairie Groundsel Appalachian Mafic Glade Group | G180 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.c |
| Alliance | A2074 White Ash - Post Oak / Pennsylvania Sedge Appalachian Mafic-Circumneutral Scrub Alliance | A2074 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.c |
| Association | CEGL006084 (Post Oak) / Little Bluestem - Prairie Groundsel - Glade Wild Quinine - Piedmont Fameflower Wooded Grassland | CEGL006084 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Pinus (virginiana - rigida) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Senecio plattensis Sparse Woodland (Grossman et al. 1994)
< Ultramafic Woodland / Barren (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
< Ultramafic Woodland / Barren (Fleming and Coulling 2001)
- Fleming, G. P. 2002b. Preliminary classification of Piedmont & Inner Coastal Plain vegetation types in Virginia. Natural Heritage Technical Report 02-14. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond. 29 pp.
- Fleming, G. P., K. D. Patterson, and K. Taverna. 2017. The natural communities of Virginia: A classification of ecological community groups and community types. Third approximation. Version 3.0. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. [http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/]
- Fleming, G. P., and K. D. Patterson. 2003. Preliminary vegetation classification for the National Capitol Region parks. Regional (VA-WVA-MD-DC) analysis prepared for NatureServe and USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, March 2003. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond.
- Fleming, G. P., and P. P. Coulling. 2001. Ecological communities of the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, Virginia. Preliminary classification and description of vegetation types. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA. 317 pp.
- Fleming, Gary P. Personal communication. Ecologist, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage, Richmond, VA.
- Grossman, D. H., K. Lemon Goodin, and C. L. Reuss, editors. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States: An initial survey. The Nature Conservancy. Arlington, VA. 620 pp.
- Rawinski, T. J. 1992. A classification of Virginia''s indigenous biotic communities: Vegetated terrestrial, palustrine, and estuarine community classes. Unpublished document. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Natural Heritage. Natural Heritage Technical Report No. 92-21. Richmond, VA. 25 pp.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Weakley, A. S. 2010. Flora of the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, and surrounding areas. Unpublished working draft. University of North Carolina Herbarium (NCU), North Carolina Botanical Garden, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. [http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm]