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CEGL004043 Ammophila breviligulata - Panicum amarum var. amarum Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: American Beachgrass - Bitter Panicgrass Grassland

Colloquial Name: Beachgrass - Panicgrass Dune Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This community is a maritime dune grassland dominated by Ammophila breviligulata or Panicum amarum var. amarum. This dune grassland occurs almost exclusively on sandy, unstable, droughty substrates with no soil profile development. Eolian processes cause active sand deposition and erosion. The sand substrate is usually visible, and litter accumulation from plant debris is nearly absent. This community generally occurs on foredunes that receive the force of wind and salt spray, but is beyond the influence of most storm tides. It is found on maritime dunes from southern New Jersey (Cape May) south to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, as well as on the northern North Carolina coast. Plant cover is variable, ranging from 10-75%, but is usually low. Other associated species include Solidago sempervirens, Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata, Strophostyles helvola, Triplasis purpurea, Cenchrus tribuloides, Chamaesyce polygonifolia, Oenothera humifusa, Schoenoplectus pungens (where overwashed by sand), Diodia teres, Cakile edentula ssp. edentula, Nuttallanthus canadensis, Salsola kali ssp. kali, Lechea maritima, Cyperus grayi, and Spartina patens. Sparse individuals of stunted Morella pensylvanica shrubs and seedlings occur but make up less than 2% of the total vegetation cover. Diagnostic species are Ammophila breviligulata, Solidago sempervirens, Panicum amarum var. amarum, and Oenothera humifusa.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This grassland often occurs in a complex with ~Morella pensylvanica / Diodia teres Shrubland (CEGL003881)$$. It contains several species characteristic to ~Cakile edentula ssp. edentula - Mertensia maritima Sparse Beach Vegetation (CEGL006106)$$, but this grassland is differentiated by (1) its location beyond storm tide influence, (2) dominance by perennial rather than annual species, (3) greater plant cover on average, and (4) greater prevalence of Solidago sempervirens. ~Ammophila breviligulata - Lathyrus japonicus Grassland (CEGL006274)$$ is the northern analog of this association; it is the beach grass-dominated primary dune association of the North Atlantic Coast. This association differs in being codominated by Panicum amarum, whereas CEGL006274 lacks Panicum amarum as a significant component and has or is codominated by Lathyrus japonicus. These two associations overlap geographically in southern New Jersey. On the southern part of Virginia''s Eastern Shore, and in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, there is a transition zone in which this community gives way to ~Uniola paniculata - Schizachyrium littorale - Panicum amarum Grassland (CEGL004039)$$, which is the analogous association of the southeastern coast. In this transition zone, some stands may be difficult to definitely place in one association or the other.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This maritime dune grassland is dominated by Ammophila breviligulata or Panicum amarum var. amarum. Plant cover is variable, ranging from 10-75%, but is usually low. Other associated species include Solidago sempervirens, Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata, Strophostyles helvola, Triplasis purpurea, Cenchrus tribuloides, Chamaesyce polygonifolia, Oenothera humifusa, Schoenoplectus pungens (= Scirpus pungens) (where overwashed by sand), Diodia teres, Cakile edentula ssp. edentula, Nuttallanthus canadensis, Salsola kali ssp. kali (= Salsola caroliniana), Lechea maritima, Cyperus grayi, and Spartina patens. Sparse individuals of stunted Morella pensylvanica (= Myrica pensylvanica) shrubs and seedlings occur but make up less than 2% of the total vegetation cover. Diagnostic species are Ammophila breviligulata, Solidago sempervirens, Panicum amarum var. amarum, and Oenothera humifusa. Oenothera humifusa and Spartina patens differentiate this community from its northern beachgrass counterpart. At the southern end of the range in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, Uniola paniculata may be a low-cover associate. This association (CEGL004043) contains several species characteristic to ~Cakile edentula ssp. edentula - Mertensia maritima Sparse Beach Vegetation (CEGL006106)$$, but it is differentiated by (1) its location beyond storm tide influence, (2) dominance by perennial rather than annual species, (3) greater plant cover on average, and (4) greater prevalence of Solidago sempervirens.

Dynamics:  This association occurs on the shifting sands of active dune systems. Sand is wind-deposited and tends to accumulate where vegetation slows the surface wind velocity (Martin 1959b). Rhizomes of Ammophila breviligulata stabilize the dunes, growing upward through layers of sand deposition. Ammophila breviligulata tends to grow best where there is relatively rapid sand deposition; it can grow through one meter of sand accumulation (Zaremba and Leatherman 1984). Species diversity of this association tends to increase landward in more protected areas where the substrate is more stable.
Environmental Description:  This dune grassland community occurs almost exclusively on sandy, unstable, droughty substrates with no soil profile development. Eolian processes cause active sand deposition and erosion. The sand substrate is usually visible, and litter accumulation from plant debris is nearly absent. This community generally occurs on foredunes that receive the force of wind and salt spray, but is beyond the influence of most storm tides.
Geographic Range: This community occurs on maritime dunes from Long Island, New York, south to North Carolina.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  DE, MD, NJ, NY, VA


Confidence Level: Moderate

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.4 Temperate to Polar Scrub & Herb Coastal Vegetation Formation F005 2.B.4
Division 2.B.4.Na Eastern North American Coastal Scrub & Herb Vegetation Division D026 2.B.4.Na
Macrogroup 2.B.4.Na.2 American Beachgrass - Sea-oats - Seaside Goldenrod Dune & Grassland Macrogroup M057 2.B.4.Na.2
Group 2.B.4.Na.2.c Northern Bayberry - American Beachgrass - Shore Little Bluestem Dune & Grassland Group G493 2.B.4.Na.2.c
Alliance A4470 <i>Ammophila breviligulata - Schizachyrium littorale - Spartina patens</i> Dune Grassland A4470 2.B.4.Na.2.c
Association CEGL004043 American Beachgrass - Bitter Panicgrass Grassland CEGL004043 2.B.4.Na.2.c
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Ammophila breviligulata - Panicum amarum Herbaceous Vegetation (Bartgis 1986)
= Ammophila breviligulata - Panicum amarum Herbaceous Vegetation (Clancy 1996)
= Ammophila, Panicum amarum dunes (Harvill 1965) [Virginia]
= Panicum, Ammophila community (Egler 1962) [Virginia]
= Dune community (Baumann 1978b) [Virginia]
< Dunegrass community (Clampitt 1991) [Virginia]
= Dunegrass community (Higgins et al. 1971) [Assateague Island]
= Dunegrass community (Hill 1986) [Assateague Island]
= Foredune (Boule 1979) [Virginia]
= Foredune (Klotz 1986) [Virginia]
= Mid-Atlantic Ammophila breviligulata, Panicum amarulum dune grassland variant (Clancy 1993a) [Delaware]
< Primary dune (Stalter and Lamont 1990) [Assateague Island, Virginia]
= Sand dune (Fender 1937) [southern New Jersey]
Concept Author(s): L.A. Sneddon and A. Berdine

Author of Description: L.A. Sneddon and E.F. Largay

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-26-07
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