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CEGL005223 Great Plains Riverine Gravel Flats Sparse Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Great Plains Riverine Gravel Flats Sparse Vegetation
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Riverine Gravel Flats
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This riverine gravel flats community is found in the central Great Plains of the United States. Stands occur along major rivers where gravel has been deposited on the first terraces of rivers. The substrate consists of a mixture of gravel and some sand, and soils are poorly developed or absent. Sites can occasionally be flooded in spring. Vegetation is sparse and often consists of nearly equal cover of annual grasses and annual or biennial forbs under 1 m tall. Sporobolus cryptandrus and Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata are conspicuous. In some sites, Populus deltoides may be scattered to woodland-like in structure. Shrubs are also scattered and uncommon, with Amorpha fruticosa the most frequent. Other herbaceous species that can occur include Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Chamaesyce glyptosperma, Chamaesyce serpyllifolia, Froelichia gracilis, Helianthus petiolaris, Opuntia macrorhiza, and Triplasis purpurea.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community is poorly studied and may not be separable in Nebraska from their sand/gravel prairie, ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Aristida basiramea - Sporobolus cryptandrus - Eragrostis trichodes Grassland (CEGL005221)$$. This type has more woody vegetation, such as scattered Populus deltoides. This community is also on higher terraces than sand flat/mud bar communities, e.g., ~Riverine Sand Flats - Bars Sparse Vegetation (CEGL002049)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Vegetation is sparse and often consists of nearly equal cover of annual grasses and annual or biennial forbs under 1 m tall. Sporobolus cryptandrus and Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata are conspicuous. In some sites, Populus deltoides may be scattered to woodland-like in structure. Shrubs are also scattered and uncommon, with Amorpha fruticosa the most frequent. Other herbaceous species that can occur include Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Chamaesyce glyptosperma, Chamaesyce serpyllifolia, Froelichia gracilis, Helianthus petiolaris, Opuntia macrorhiza, Pectis angustifolia, and Triplasis purpurea (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Dynamics: Reduced river flows and decreased frequency of flooding may cause many of these sites to succeed to woodland (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Environmental Description: This community is found along major rivers where gravel has been deposited on the first terraces of rivers. The substrate consists of a mixture of gravel and some sand, and soils are poorly developed or absent. Sites can occasionally be flooded in spring (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Geographic Range: This riverine gravel flats community is found in the central Great Plains of the United States.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: NE
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683712
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
---|---|---|---|
Class | 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class | C02 | 2 |
Subclass | 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass | S44 | 2.C |
Formation | 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F013 | 2.C.4 |
Division | 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D323 | 2.C.4.Nd |
Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Nd.5 Prairie Cordgrass - Cattail species - Bulrush species Great Plains Marsh, Wet Meadow, Shrubland & Playa Macrogroup | M071 | 2.C.4.Nd.5 |
Group | 2.C.4.Nd.5.d Sandbar Willow / Sand Dropseed - Field Sagewort Riverscour Group | G568 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.d |
Alliance | A3591 Sand Dropseed - Field Sagewort Wet Meadow Alliance | A3591 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.d |
Association | CEGL005223 Great Plains Riverine Gravel Flats Sparse Vegetation | CEGL005223 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Riverine Gravel Flats (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
= Riverine Gravel Flats Great Plains Sparse Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Riverine Gravel Flats Great Plains Sparse Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
- Faber-Langendoen, D., editor. 2001. Plant communities of the Midwest: Classification in an ecological context. Association for Biodiversity Information, Arlington, VA. 61 pp. plus appendix (705 pp.).
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Rolfsmeier, S. B., and G. Steinauer. 2010. Terrestrial ecological systems and natural communities of Nebraska (Version IV - March 9, 2010). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Lincoln, NE. 228 pp.
- Steinauer, G., and S. Rolfsmeier. 2003. Terrestrial natural communities of Nebraska. (Version III - June 30, 2003). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln. 163 pp.