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CEGL003110 Nassella lepida Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Foothill Needlegrass Grassland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These grasslands are moderately widespread in California and occur across such a variety of environmental param that few generalities can be made. Sites range from sea level to 1700 m in elevation, and include all topographic locations. Climate is Mediterranean with mean annual precipitation ranging from about 12 cm in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley to 200 cm in the montane of northwestern California. Soils are often deep clays derived from sandstone or ultramafic substrates. They are moist to saturated in the winter, but are always dry during the summer. Stands have a medium-tall graminoid layer from 0.5-1 m in height that is dominated by the perennial, tussock-forming bunchgrass Nassella lepida. In some stands, this is the only perennial grass. Other perennial grasses that may be common include Festuca californica, Melica californica, Poa secunda, Nassella pulchra, Nassella cernua, and Calamagrostis koelerioides. Cover of the bunchgrasses is described as typically low, but quantitative information is not available. Emergent shrubs and trees may be present. Stands that occur on ultramafic parent materials will have additional, serpentine-adapted species.
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 is a medium-tall grassland from 0.5-1 m in height, dominated by the perennial, tussock-forming bunchgrass Nassella lepida. In some stands, this is the only perennial grass. Other perennial grasses that may be common include Festuca californica, Melica californica, Poa secunda, Nassella pulchra, and Calamagrostis koelerioides. Cover of the bunchgrasses is described as typically low, but quantitative information is not available. Stands that occur on ultramafic parent materials will have a floristic component of species adapted to serpentine. However, no information on species composition is available. Most, if not all, stands include non-native annual grass species mixed with the perennial natives. Bromus hordeaceus is one of the most common. The introduced species in this alliance are apparently not as important or dominant as in other needlegrass alliances (such as the Nassella pulchra or Nassella cernua alliances).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This vegetation type is moderately widespread in California, and occurs across such a variety of environmental parameters that few generalities can be made. Sites range from sea level to 1700 m in elevation and include all topographic locations. Average annual precipitation ranges from about 12 cm in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley to 200 cm in the montane of northwestern California. Much of this precipitation falls as rain in the fall and winter months. Winters are cool. However, summers are typically very dry and hot, and soil water deficits are prevalent for 4 to 8 months every year. Stands of this vegetation type occur on sandstone or ultramafic substrates; the latter develop into fine-textured, chemically imbalanced soils. They are unusual, having high concentrations of exchangeable magnesium, nickel and chromium, and low concentrations of calcium, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Water-holding capacity is probably low.
Geographic Range: This grassland association occurs in scattered localities through the northern and central Coast Ranges of California, in low elevations of the Klamath Ranges of northern California, and south into the montane of the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges of southwestern California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.683792
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.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation | F038 | 2.B.1 |
| Division | 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division | D327 | 2.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.1.Na.3 Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup | M045 | 2.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.3.b Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group | G496 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A1248 Foothill Needlegrass - Torrey''s Melicgrass Grassland Alliance | A1248 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL003110 Foothill Needlegrass Grassland | CEGL003110 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Nassella lepida Provisional Association (Sproul et al. 2011)
= Nassella lepida (Foothill needle grass grassland) Provisional Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.110.00]
= Nassella lepida Herbaceous Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Nassella lepida Herbaceous Vegetation (Keeler-Wolf 1990a)
= Nassella lepida (Foothill needle grass grassland) Provisional Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.110.00]
= Nassella lepida Herbaceous Alliance (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Nassella lepida Herbaceous Vegetation (Keeler-Wolf 1990a)
- Holland, R. F. 1986a. Notes on occurrences in California. Unpublished report on file at California Natural Diversity Database.
- Keeler-Wolf, T. 1990a. Ecological surveys of Forest Service Research Natural Areas in California. General Technical Report PSW-125. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Berkeley, CA. 165 pp.
- Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
- Reid, M. S., L. S. Engelking, and P. S. Bourgeron. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, Western Region. Pages 305-620 in: D. H. Grossman, K. L. Goodin, and C. L. Reuss, editors. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, an initial survey. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
- Sawyer, J. O., and T. Keeler-Wolf. 1995. A manual of California vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 471 pp.
- Sims, P. L. 1988. Grasslands. Pages 266-286 in: M. G. Barbour and W. D. Billings, editors. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York.
- Sproul, F., T. Keeler-Wolf, P. Gordon-Reedy, J. Dunn, A. Klein, and K. Harper. 2011. Vegetation classification manual for western San Diego County. AECOM, California Department of Fish and Game, San Diego Area Governments.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.