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CEGL002003 Stuckenia pectinata - Myriophyllum (sibiricum, spicatum) Aquatic Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sago Pondweed - (Short-spike Water-milfoil, Eurasian Water-milfoil) Aquatic Vegetation
Colloquial Name: Sago Pondweed - Water-milfoil Submerged Wetland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This sago pondweed - water-milfoil pond community is found in glacial ponds in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. These ponds occur at elevations ranging from 1250 to 1525 m (4100-5000 feet). Stands occur in the permanently inundated, deep water zone of glacial ponds in gently rolling, glacial terrain. Water is usually 15-100 cm deep. The type can occur in fresh to brackish water, but is characteristic of mildly brackish water. Underlying parent material is mixed sedimentary (partly calcareous) glacial till or lacustrine deposits. Pond bottoms are composed of clayey mud or mud mixed with gravel and stones. The vegetation is characteristically poor in species, and canopy cover is low to moderate, being occasionally up to 70% . Submerged aquatic macrophytes dominate the vegetation. Stuckenia pectinata is present in all stands sampled; Myriophyllum spicatum or Myriophyllum sibiricum can be locally dominant and was present in most stands. Ranunculus aquatilis, Utricularia macrorhiza, Sagittaria cuneata, and Potamogeton richardsonii are occasionally present. Chara sp., a calciphile macroalga, is often present.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This type should be reviewed throughout the Great Plains prairie potholes region. There is disagreement over the taxonomy of Myriophyllum. Some authorities consider the native North American plants to be Myriophyllum spicatum var. exalbescens, while others consider them to be a distinct species, Myriophyllum exalbescens. Synonymous communities may have Myriophyllum exalbescens rather than Myriophyllum spicatum in the name. The taxonomic authority followed herein (Kartesz 1999) recognizes Myriophyllum exalbescens as Myriophyllum sibiricum, hence the inclusion of both Myriophyllum spicatum and Myriophyllum sibiricum as indicators for this association.
Stewart and Kantrud (1972) report that both Myriophyllum exalbescens and Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus) are common in slightly or moderately brackish water of potholes in North Dakota. They describe the open-water community of moderately brackish ponds as dominated by Zannichellia palustris and Stuckenia pectinata with Myriophyllum spicatum a secondary species (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Lesica (1989, 1992) considered communities dominated by Zannichellia palustris distinct from those dominated by Stuckenia pectinata. Walker and Coupland (1970) report that lightly saline aquatic communities of southern Saskatchewan are dominated by a number of species including Myriophyllum spicatum; Stuckenia pectinata is of secondary importance. In Saskatchewan as in North Dakota Myriophyllum spicatum is dominant while Stuckenia pectinata is less abundant, opposite to what was found in Montana. Myriophyllum spicatum and Stuckenia pectinata are among the characteristic plants of ponds in southern California (Ferren et al. 1996). This community as described in Montana has lower species richness compared to those from other, more humid areas. Montana communities may be depauperate representations of a more widespread aquatic association of slightly to moderately saline water.
Similar communities are associated with glacial ponds in western Montana but were called the Potamogeton pectinatus or the Myriophyllum spicatum community types (Lesica 1994).
Stewart and Kantrud (1972) report that both Myriophyllum exalbescens and Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus) are common in slightly or moderately brackish water of potholes in North Dakota. They describe the open-water community of moderately brackish ponds as dominated by Zannichellia palustris and Stuckenia pectinata with Myriophyllum spicatum a secondary species (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Lesica (1989, 1992) considered communities dominated by Zannichellia palustris distinct from those dominated by Stuckenia pectinata. Walker and Coupland (1970) report that lightly saline aquatic communities of southern Saskatchewan are dominated by a number of species including Myriophyllum spicatum; Stuckenia pectinata is of secondary importance. In Saskatchewan as in North Dakota Myriophyllum spicatum is dominant while Stuckenia pectinata is less abundant, opposite to what was found in Montana. Myriophyllum spicatum and Stuckenia pectinata are among the characteristic plants of ponds in southern California (Ferren et al. 1996). This community as described in Montana has lower species richness compared to those from other, more humid areas. Montana communities may be depauperate representations of a more widespread aquatic association of slightly to moderately saline water.
Similar communities are associated with glacial ponds in western Montana but were called the Potamogeton pectinatus or the Myriophyllum spicatum community types (Lesica 1994).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is characteristically poor in species. Canopy cover is low to moderate, generally <50%, but up to 70% in some stands. Submerged aquatic macrophytes dominate the vegetation. Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus) was present in all stands sampled and is typically the predominant vascular species; Myriophyllum spicatum or Myriophyllum sibiricum can be locally dominant and are present in most stands. Ranunculus aquatilis, Utricularia macrorhiza (= Utricularia vulgaris), Sagittaria cuneata, and Potamogeton richardsonii are occasionally present. Chara sp., a calciphile macroalga, is often present (Lesica 1989, 1994, P. Lesica pers. obs.), as well as species of Volvox, another macroalga.
Dynamics: These communities probably experience little natural disturbance except inter- and intra-annual water level fluctuations.
Environmental Description: This community occurs in the permanently inundated, "deep water" zone of glacial ponds or small lakes of the western Great Plains in gently rolling, glacial terrain. Water is usually 15-100 cm deep. The type can occur in fresh to brackish water (270-44,000 ohms/cm), but is characteristic of mildly brackish water (median of 2500 ohms/cm) (Lesica 1989). It is not known how closely these glacial ponds are controlled by regional groundwater. These ponds occur at elevations ranging from 1250 to 1500 m (4100-5000 feet). Underlying parent material is mixed sedimentary (partly calcareous) glacial till or lacustrine deposits. Pond bottoms are composed of clayey mud or mud mixed with gravel and stones.
Geographic Range: This sago pondweed - water-milfoil pond community is found in glacial ponds in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States and Canada, but may range more broadly.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: AB, CA?, MT, ND, ON?, SD, SK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684864
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 5 Aquatic Vegetation Class | C05 | 5 |
| Subclass | 5.B Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Subclass | S13 | 5.B |
| Formation | 5.B.2 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Formation | F057 | 5.B.2 |
| Division | 5.B.2.Na North American Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Division | D049 | 5.B.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 5.B.2.Na.1 Hornwort species - Pond-lily species - Pondweed species Eastern North American Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Macrogroup | M108 | 5.B.2.Na.1 |
| Group | 5.B.2.Na.1.a American White Water-lily - Sago Pondweed - Pondweed species Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Group | G114 | 5.B.2.Na.1.a |
| Alliance | A4067 Sago Pondweed - Pondweed species - Coon''s-tail Aquatic Vegetation Alliance | A4067 | 5.B.2.Na.1.a |
| Association | CEGL002003 Sago Pondweed - (Short-spike Water-milfoil, Eurasian Water-milfoil) Aquatic Vegetation | CEGL002003 | 5.B.2.Na.1.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Potamogeton pectinatus community type (Lesica 1994)
? Ruppia maritima - Potamogeton pectinatus (Lesica 1989) [is similar and occurs in the same area, but in more saline water. Ruppia maritima is codominant with Stuckenia pectinata.]
= Stuckenia pectinata - Myriophyllum (sibiricum, spicatum) Herbaceous Vegetation (Reid et al. 2004)
= Stuckenia pectinata - Myriophyllum spicatum Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
? Ruppia maritima - Potamogeton pectinatus (Lesica 1989) [is similar and occurs in the same area, but in more saline water. Ruppia maritima is codominant with Stuckenia pectinata.]
= Stuckenia pectinata - Myriophyllum (sibiricum, spicatum) Herbaceous Vegetation (Reid et al. 2004)
= Stuckenia pectinata - Myriophyllum spicatum Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
- ANHIC [Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre]. 2018. Community database files. Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre, Parks and Protected Areas Division, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton.
- Bourgeron, P. S., and L. D. Engelking, editors. 1994. A preliminary vegetation classification of the western United States. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. 175 pp. plus appendix.
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- Lesica, P. 1992. Autecology of the endangered plant Howellia aquatilis: Implications for management and reserve design. Ecological Applications 2(4):411-421.
- Lesica, P. 1993. Using plant community diversity in reserve design for pothole prairie on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana, USA. Biological Conservation 65:69-75.
- Lesica, P. 1994. The distribution of plant community diversity associated with glacial wetlands in the Ovando Valley, Montana. Final report to The Nature Conservancy Montana Field Office, Helena, MT. 24 pp.
- Lesica, Peter. Personal communication. Independent consulting botanist, Missoula, MT.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
- MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. No date. Unpublished data on file. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT.
- Reid, M. S., S. V. Cooper, and G. Kittel. 2004. Vegetation classification of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Final report for USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program, International Peace Park Mapping Project. NatureServe, Arlington VA.
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