Print Report
CEGL002428 Quercus marilandica - (Juniperus virginiana) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata Wooded Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Blackjack Oak - (Eastern Red-cedar) / Little Bluestem - Poverty Oatgrass Wooded Grassland
Colloquial Name: Central Shale Glade
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This graminoid shale glade community is found in the central United States, particularly in the Interior Low Plateau region, as well as scattered sites in central Missouri. Stands occur on moderate to steep, upper slopes of knobs and ridges. Aspect is typically southern or western. Parent material is shale, often interbedded in sandstone or limestone. Bedrock occurs on the surface as outcrops, level benches, and escarpments composed of brittle, finely laminated, compact shale. The substrate of Indiana occurrences is described as siltstone. Soil is moderately to strongly acidic, shallow, and very well-drained (dry to xeric). Trees can be found scattered or in isolated clumps and patches throughout the occurrence, along with a few saplings and shrubs. Quercus marilandica and Quercus stellata are the dominant trees (Quercus montana is dominant in Indiana examples), and Pinus virginiana or other Quercus spp. may also be found in some examples. Vaccinium arboreum, Rhus aromatica and Ulmus alata may be common on some sites. Vaccinium pallidum and Gaylussacia baccata are common in Indiana examples. Ohio stands also contain Cercis canadensis, Amelanchier arborea, Frangula caroliniana, Rosa carolina, and Vaccinium stamineum. Schizachyrium scoparium and Danthonia spicata dominate the herbaceous layer, along with a diverse assemblage of forbs. Missouri examples contain Astragalus distortus, Dalea purpurea, Gillenia stipulata, and Psoralidium tenuiflorum. The herbaceous flora of Indiana Interior Low Plateau examples (Siltstone Glades) includes Agalinis sp., Symphyotrichum patens, Symphyotrichum shortii, Brickellia eupatorioides, Cunila origanoides, Dichanthelium depauperatum, Euphorbia corollata, Helianthus sp., Hypericum crux-andreae, Hypericum hypericoides, Liatris squarrosa, Manfreda virginica, Gillenia stipulata, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Tephrosia virginiana. Some woody plants recorded at these sites include Pinus virginiana, Quercus montana, Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, and Juniperus virginiana. In Ohio, Carex hirsutella, Agrostis perennans, Allium cernuum, Sericocarpus asteroides, Agalinis tenuifolia, Houstonia canadensis, and Lithospermum canescens, among others, may occur. Lichens and mosses occur in profusion on exposed bedrock surfaces and on soils not covered with organic debris (leaf litter, wood).
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This community has a restricted distribution and occurrences are small. In Indiana, Quercus montana is the major dominant. Similar communities occur in West Virginia, and also with Quercus montana as the primary scattered tree. In the Knobs region of Kentucky this community is threatened by strip mining. Total vegetative cover may sometimes be less than 10%. Shale glades in Missouri are so lime-rich that they may be treated as a variant of limestone glade (M. Leahy pers. comm. 1999). In Ohio, areas of shale that have been plowed have come back as "cedar barrens" but are typically dominated by a variety of annuals (though most of these are present at some level in the natural shale glades as well), and these areas may resemble the more annual grassland type, ~Sporobolus (neglectus, vaginiflorus) - Aristida longespica - Panicum flexile - Panicum capillare Grassland (CEGL004340)$$ described for Tennessee glades. These shale glades may be so depauperate at this time that they could simply be combined with ~Quercus stellata - Quercus marilandica / Schizachyrium scoparium - Silphium terebinthinaceum Wooded Grassland (CEGL005134)$$ (D. Minney pers. comm. 2000).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Structural variation within this community is expressed as a mosaic of exposed bedrock, boulders, large/small rocks, gravel, or sand, interspersed and mixed with loess deposits. Soil depth and available water are limiting edaphic factors within this ecosystem. Tall-shrub layer is 0.5-5 m tall and vine/liana 0-2 m.
Floristics: Trees can be found scattered or in isolated clumps and patches throughout the occurrence, along with a few saplings and shrubs. Quercus marilandica and Quercus stellata are the dominant trees (Quercus montana (= Quercus prinus) is dominant in Indiana examples), and Pinus virginiana or other Quercus spp. may also be found in some examples. Vaccinium arboreum, Rhus aromatica and Ulmus alata are common shrubs. Vaccinium pallidum and Gaylussacia baccata are common in Indiana examples. Ohio stands also contain Cercis canadensis, Amelanchier arborea, Frangula caroliniana (= Rhamnus caroliniana), Rosa carolina, and Vaccinium stamineum. Schizachyrium scoparium and Danthonia spicata dominate the herbaceous layer, along with a diverse assemblage of forbs. Missouri examples, where the shales are fairly "limey," contain Astragalus distortus, Dalea purpurea, Gillenia stipulata (= Porteranthus stipulatus), and Psoralidium tenuiflorum. The herbaceous flora of Indiana Interior Low Plateau examples (Siltstone Glades) includes Agalinis sp., Symphyotrichum patens (= Aster patens), Symphyotrichum shortii (= Aster shortii), Brickellia eupatorioides (= Kuhnia eupatorioides), Cunila origanoides, Dichanthelium depauperatum, Euphorbia corollata, Helianthus sp., Hypericum crux-andreae, Hypericum hypericoides, Liatris squarrosa, Manfreda virginica, Gillenia stipulata, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Tephrosia virginiana. Some woody plants recorded at these sites include Pinus virginiana, Quercus montana, Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, and Juniperus virginiana. In Ohio, Carex hirsutella, Agrostis perennans, Allium cernuum, Sericocarpus asteroides (= Aster paternus), Agalinis tenuifolia (= Gerardia tenuifolia), Houstonia canadensis (= Hedyotis canadensis), and Lithospermum canescens, among others, may occur. Lichens and mosses occur in profusion on exposed bedrock surfaces and on soils not covered with organic debris (leaf litter, wood) (White and Madany 1978, Nelson 1985, Homoya 1994, TNC 1995a, D. Minney pers. comm. 2000). This community is an edaphic climax natural community. Physiognomic and floristic variability within and among occurrences of this type are a result of effective soil depth and available water. Drainage related to soil physical properties (stoniness, fragipan) greatly influences the floristic variability of this community.
Dynamics: Natural disturbances include periodic fire, wind, storm, and drought. Environmental extremes including rapidly drained, thin, stony soils, summer droughts lasting 3-5 weeks or more and limited water availability for most of the growing season favor the establishment of this association. Periodic fire may help to maintain this community, especially after disturbance from logging or grazing. Fire suppression encourages a transition from herbaceous-dominated to tree-dominated stands. Rapid weathering and erosion on steep slopes appear to be necessary for shale glades to persist. Fires may have been very occasional (Nelson 1985).
Environmental Description: In Missouri, this community occurs on moderate to steep slopes of dissected drainages along major streams and mounds, and shales have a strong limestone component, making them less acidic. In several square km of Illinois, a series of steep ridges occurs in thick shale outcrops. Shale glades occur there on exposed slopes. This community occurs primarily on south- and southwest-facing slopes. This aspect causes frequent periods of freeze and thaw resulting in erosion and mass-wasting. Aspect also contributes to summer temperatures well in excess of cooler and wetter north- and east-facing slopes. The soil of these communities is absent to thin (0-40 cm) and somewhat rapidly to very rapidly drained. The parent material is shale, with siltstone present in Indiana occurrences. Shale fragments and exposed bedrock are common on the surface. In Ohio, sites occur sparingly on estill shales with extreme southwestern exposures (White and Madany 1978, Nelson 1985, Homoya 1994, D. Minney pers. comm. 2000). Although predominantly droughty and excessively drained, these sites can be seasonally wet; water is occasionally ponded in shallow depressions. This community is usually wet in early spring and very dry during summer and fall.
Soils are stony, shallow, and acidic, primarily consisting of weathered mineral matter, loess, and organic debris which collects in cracks and crevices of the bedrock. Organic matter is low, and clay content can be quite high. These soils are extremely susceptible to erosion and downslope migration, especially on steeper slopes and during periods of freeze-thaw. All these factors contribute to poor productivity and provide only shallow root penetration for vegetation. Soil classification was derived from a general soils map of Illinois (Fehrenbacher et al. 1982). Soils are moderately acidic, shallow, and very well-drained (dry to xeric) and include Alford-Wellston, Hosmer-Zanesville-Berks, Grantsburg-Zanesville-Wellston fine-silty (rarely loamy skeletal), mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalfs, Ultic Hapludalfs, Typic Fragiudalfs, Typic Dystrochrepts, Alfisols, Inceptisols. Bedrock is primarily shale imbedded in Caseyville and Abbott sandstone formations (Merrowan and Atokan Series) of the Pennsylvanian System. Parent material is shale, often interbedded in sandstone or limestone. Bedrock occurs on the surface as outcrops, level benches, and escarpments composed of brittle, finely laminated, compact shale.
Soils are stony, shallow, and acidic, primarily consisting of weathered mineral matter, loess, and organic debris which collects in cracks and crevices of the bedrock. Organic matter is low, and clay content can be quite high. These soils are extremely susceptible to erosion and downslope migration, especially on steeper slopes and during periods of freeze-thaw. All these factors contribute to poor productivity and provide only shallow root penetration for vegetation. Soil classification was derived from a general soils map of Illinois (Fehrenbacher et al. 1982). Soils are moderately acidic, shallow, and very well-drained (dry to xeric) and include Alford-Wellston, Hosmer-Zanesville-Berks, Grantsburg-Zanesville-Wellston fine-silty (rarely loamy skeletal), mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalfs, Ultic Hapludalfs, Typic Fragiudalfs, Typic Dystrochrepts, Alfisols, Inceptisols. Bedrock is primarily shale imbedded in Caseyville and Abbott sandstone formations (Merrowan and Atokan Series) of the Pennsylvanian System. Parent material is shale, often interbedded in sandstone or limestone. Bedrock occurs on the surface as outcrops, level benches, and escarpments composed of brittle, finely laminated, compact shale.
Geographic Range: This graminoid shale glade community is found in the central United States, particularly in the Interior Low Plateau region. Stands range from the Shawnee Hills of southern Illinois and western Kentucky, the Western Knobs of Kentucky, the Edge of Appalachia area in southern Ohio, and the Knobstone Escarpment and Brown County Hills of Southern Indiana to scattered sites in central Missouri. This type also tentatively includes some areas in West Virginia.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IL, IN, KY, MO, OH
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683747
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2
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.2 Little Bluestem - Silky Oatgrass Acidic Scrub & Grassland Macrogroup | M509 | 2.B.2.Nc.2 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b Little Bluestem - Silky Oatgrass Acidic Glade & Barrens Group | G178 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Alliance | A1920 Post Oak - Blackjack Oak / Little Bluestem Interior Acidic Bedrock Scrub Alliance | A1920 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Association | CEGL002428 Blackjack Oak - (Eastern Red-cedar) / Little Bluestem - Poverty Oatgrass Wooded Grassland | CEGL002428 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
Concept Lineage: merged
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Quercus marilandica - (Juniperus virginiana) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation (TNC 1995a)
= Quercus marilandica - (Juniperus virginiana) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
< Central and Eastern Grassland and Forest Combinations: 83: Cedar Glades (Quercus-Juniperus-Sporobolus) (Küchler 1964)
< Eastern Redcedar: 46 (Eyre 1980)
< IE6b. Interior Upland Shale Barren (Allard 1990)
< Post Oak - Blackjack Oak: 40 (Eyre 1980)
= Shale Glade (Nelson 1985)
= Quercus marilandica - (Juniperus virginiana) / Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
< Central and Eastern Grassland and Forest Combinations: 83: Cedar Glades (Quercus-Juniperus-Sporobolus) (Küchler 1964)
< Eastern Redcedar: 46 (Eyre 1980)
< IE6b. Interior Upland Shale Barren (Allard 1990)
< Post Oak - Blackjack Oak: 40 (Eyre 1980)
= Shale Glade (Nelson 1985)
- Allard, D. J. 1990. Southeastern United States ecological community classification. Interim report, Version 1.2. The Nature Conservancy, Southeast Regional Office, Chapel Hill, NC. 96 pp.
- Baskin, J. M., and C. C. Baskin. 1982. Draft of chapter for Kentucky''s Natural Heritage Program. University of Kentucky, Lexington.
- Evans, M., B. Yahn, and M. Hines. 2009. Natural communities of Kentucky 2009. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Frankfort, KY. 22 pp.
- Eyre, F. H., editor. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Society of American Foresters, Washington, DC. 148 pp.
- 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.).
- Fralish, J. S. 1987. Forest stand basal area and its relationship to individual soil and topographic factors in the Shawnee Hills. Transactions of the Illinois Academy of Science 80(3 and 4):183-194.
- Fralish, J. S. 1988b. Predicting potential stand composition from site characteristics in the Shawnee Hills Forest of Illinois. The American Midland Naturalist 120(1):79-101.
- Fralish, J. S., F. B. Crooks, J. L. Chambers, and F. M. Harty. 1991. Comparison of presettlement, second-growth and old-growth forest on six site types in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The American Midland Naturalist 125:294-309.
- Heikens, A. L., K. A. West, and P. A. Robertson. 1994. Short-term response of chert and shale barrens vegetation to fire in southwestern Illinois. Castanea 59(3):274-285.
- Heikens, A. L., and P. A. Robertson. 1994. Barrens of the Midwest: A review of the literature. Castanea 59(3):184-194.
- Homoya, M. A. 1994. Indiana barrens: Classification and description. Castanea 59(3):204-213.
- Hutchison, M. D. 1994. The barrens of the Midwest: An historical perspective. Castanea 59(3):195-203.
- Hutchison, M. D., S. Olson, and T. Vogt. 1986. A survey of the barrens region in Massac and Pope counties, Illinois. Unpublished survey. 63 pp.
- Küchler, A. W. 1964. Potential natural vegetation of the conterminous United States. American Geographic Society Special Publication 36. New York, NY. 116 pp.
- Leahy, Mike. Personal communication. Missouri Natural Heritage Database, Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Minney, D. 2000. Edge of Appalachia Preserve: Plant community descriptions. Preliminary draft. An unpublished report for the Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
- Minney, D. Personal communication. The Nature Conservancy, Ohio Chapter, Dublin.
- Nelson, P. 2010. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.
- Nelson, P. W. 1985. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Jefferson City. 197 pp. Revised edition, 1987.
- ONHD [Ohio Natural Heritage Database]. No date. Vegetation classification of Ohio and unpublished data. Ohio Natural Heritage Database, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus.
- Robertson, P. A., and A. L. Heikens. 1994. Fire frequency in oak-hickory forests of southern Illinois. Castanea 59(3):286-291.
- TNC [The Nature Conservancy]. 1995a. A classification and description of plant communities in southern Illinois. Report by the Southern Illinois Field Office, Ullin, IL, and the Midwest Regional Office, Minneapolis, MN.
- Voigt, J. W., and R. H. Mohlenbrock. 1964. Plant communities of southern Illinois. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale. 202 pp.
- White, J., and M. Madany. 1978. Classification of natural communities in Illinois. Pages 311-405 in: Natural Areas Inventory technical report: Volume I, survey methods and results. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana, IL.