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CEGL004278 Saxifraga michauxii - Carex misera - Calamagrostis cainii Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Michaux''s Saxifrage - Wretched Sedge - Cain''s Reedgrass Grassland
Colloquial Name: Southern Appalachian High-Elevation Rocky Summit (Anakeesta Type)
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community is known from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, where it occurs on high-elevation landslide scars, cliffs, rock outcrops, and summits. Slopes can be extremely steep (landslide scars and cliffs) or relatively flat (summits and ledges). This community occurs mostly above 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation but can occur as low as 1375 m (4500 feet). It is most often associated with exposed outcrops of Anakeesta slate and has very sparse to moderate vegetative cover, made up of grasses, forbs and shrubs rooted in rock fissures. These extreme habitats may have up to 80% exposed bedrock and talus, and often have seepage inclusions. Occurrences can range in size from 25 square meters to 2.5 ha (one acre). Composition and vegetative coverage vary from site to site, but common dominants include the herbs Calamagrostis cainii, Carex debilis, Carex misera, and Saxifraga michauxii, and the shrubs Diervilla sessilifolia, Rhododendron carolinianum, and Rubus canadensis. Other typical species include Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Oclemena acuminata, Athyrium filix-femina, Danthonia compressa, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Gentiana linearis, Rugelia nudicaulis, Saxifraga michauxii, and Solidago glomerata. Other woody species found in this community include Abies fraseri, Betula alleghaniensis, Picea rubens, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Menziesia pilosa, Prunus pensylvanica, Rhododendron catawbiense, Sorbus americana, and Vaccinium erythrocarpum. This community occurs in a matrix of Picea rubens - Abies fraseri forest.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: In some areas this community may occur as a mosaic with ~Rhododendron carolinianum - Rhododendron catawbiense - Leiophyllum buxifolium Shrubland (CEGL007876)$$. The vegetation of landslide scars on Mount LeConte is included in this association, along with vegetation of more stable cliffs, ledges and seeps. The vegetation on the stable rocky substrates serves as a source pool for the more ephemeral scars, which revegetate slowly in a rather chaotic, stepwise succession, thus the different habitats are not compositionally distinct (J. Boetsch pers. comm.).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The composition and vegetative coverage of stands varies from site to site, but common dominants include the herbs Calamagrostis cainii, Carex debilis, Carex misera, and Saxifraga michauxii, and the shrubs Diervilla sessilifolia, Rhododendron carolinianum, and Rubus canadensis. Other typical species include Ageratina altissima var. roanensis, Oclemena acuminata (= Aster acuminatus), Athyrium filix-femina, Danthonia compressa, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Gentiana linearis, Rugelia nudicaulis, Saxifraga michauxii, and Solidago glomerata. Other woody species found in this community include Abies fraseri, Betula alleghaniensis, Picea rubens, Leiophyllum buxifolium, Menziesia pilosa, Prunus pensylvanica, Rhododendron catawbiense, Sorbus americana, and Vaccinium erythrocarpum.
Dynamics: In some areas this community may occur as a mosaic with ~Rhododendron carolinianum - Rhododendron catawbiense - Leiophyllum buxifolium Shrubland (CEGL007876)$$. The vegetation of landslide scars on Mount LeConte is included in this association, along with vegetation of more stable cliffs, ledges and seeps. The vegetation on the stable rocky substrates serves as a source pool for the more ephemeral scars, which revegetate slowly in a rather chaotic, stepwise succession, thus the different habitats are not compositionally distinct (J. Boetsch pers. comm.).
Environmental Description: This community is known from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where it occurs on high-elevation landslide scars, cliffs, rock outcrops, and summits. Slopes can be extremely steep (landslide scars and cliffs) or relatively flat (summits and ledges). This community occurs mostly above 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation but can occur as low as 1375 m (4500 feet). It is most often associated with exposed outcrops of Anakeesta slate and has very sparse to moderate vegetative cover, made up of grasses, forbs and shrubs rooted in rock fissures. These extreme habitats may have up to 80% exposed bedrock and talus, and often have seepage inclusions.
Geographic Range: This community is known from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: NC, TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684517
Confidence Level: Moderate
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.d Wretched Sedge - Michaux''s Saxifrage - Highbush Blueberry Appalachian Rocky Outcrop Group | G670 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.d |
| Alliance | A1621 Michaux''s Saxifrage - Wretched Sedge - Little Bluestem Rocky Grassland Alliance | A1621 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.d |
| Association | CEGL004278 Michaux''s Saxifrage - Wretched Sedge - Cain''s Reedgrass Grassland | CEGL004278 | 2.B.2.Nc.1.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Calamagrostis cainii / Rhododendron carolinianum outcrop community (Wiser 1993)
? Calamagrostis cainii / Rhododendron carolinianum outcrop community (Wiser et al. 1996)
= Saxifraga michauxii Type (Feldcamp 1984)
< IE4a. Southern Appalachian High Elevation Acidic Rocky Summit (Allard 1990)
? Calamagrostis cainii / Rhododendron carolinianum outcrop community (Wiser et al. 1996)
= Saxifraga michauxii Type (Feldcamp 1984)
< IE4a. Southern Appalachian High Elevation Acidic Rocky Summit (Allard 1990)
- 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.
- Boetsch, J. R. Personal communication. Botanist. National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
- Feldcamp, S. M. 1984. Revegetation of upper elevation debris slide scars on Mt. LeConte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. M.S. thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. 106 pp.
- Peet, R. K., T. R. Wentworth, M. P. Schafale, and A.S. Weakley. No date. Unpublished data of the North Carolina Vegetation Survey. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- TDNH [Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage]. 2018. Unpublished data. Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage, Nashville, TN.
- Wiser, S. K. 1993. Vegetation of high-elevation rock outcrops of the Southern Appalachians: Composition, environmental relationships, and biogeography of communities and rare species. Ph.D. dissertation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 271 pp.
- Wiser, S. K., R. K. Peet, and P. S. White. 1996. High-elevation rock outcrop vegetation of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Journal of Vegetation Science 7:703-722.