Print Report
CEGL002245 Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Alkaline Bluff Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama Alkaline Bluff Grassland
Colloquial Name: Little Bluestem Bedrock Bluff Prairie
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This little bluestem bluff prairie community occurs primarily in the Driftless Area of the upper midwestern United States. Stands occur on very thin soils on limestone ridges and steep hillsides, usually with a southwestern aspect. These dry prairie soils occupy the highest position on the moisture catena and may be less than 10 cm deep over extensive areas. The vegetation is dominated by grasses or, locally, low shrubs. Grasses are less than 1 m tall. Schizachyrium scoparium, Bouteloua curtipendula, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Andropogon gerardii are abundant grasses across this community''s range. Forbs that are common include Amorpha canescens, Symphyotrichum sericeum, Dalea purpurea var. purpurea, Dichanthelium linearifolium, Euphorbia corollata, and Solidago nemoralis. Species that do best toward the east include Minuartia michauxii var. michauxii, Asclepias verticillata, and Geum triflorum, while those that do best along the Mississippi River include Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, Bouteloua hirsuta, and Scutellaria parvula var. missouriensis. In addition, Muhlenbergia cuspidata and Pediomelum esculentum are restricted to the Driftless Area. This community is structurally very stable and not very dependent on fire. Moisture conditions on these sites are so severe that trees and most woody species cannot grow.
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: The vegetation is dominated by grasses or, locally, low shrubs. Trees may be present, but tree canopy cover is less than 10%. Grasses are less than 1 m tall. Schizachyrium scoparium, Bouteloua curtipendula, Sporobolus heterolepis, and Andropogon gerardii are abundant grasses across this community''s range. Forbs that are common include Amorpha canescens, Symphyotrichum sericeum (= Aster sericeus), Dalea purpurea var. purpurea, Dichanthelium linearifolium, Euphorbia corollata, and Solidago nemoralis (Curtis 1959, MNNHP 1993). There is a high degree of uniformity among different stands of this community in Wisconsin. The greatest differences are between those prairies on the Mississippi River and those in Dane County and other more eastern locations (Umbanhowar 1992). Although noticeable, these differences are minor and reflect slight changes in importance along an east-west gradient. Species that do best toward the east include Minuartia michauxii var. michauxii, Asclepias verticillata, and Geum triflorum, while those that do best along the Mississippi River include Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (= Aster oblongifolius), Bouteloua hirsuta, and Scutellaria parvula var. missouriensis (= Scutellaria parvula var. leonardii). In addition, Muhlenbergia cuspidata and Pediomelum esculentum are restricted to the Driftless Area.
Dynamics: This community is structurally very stable and not very dependent on fire. Moisture conditions on these sites are so severe that trees and most woody species cannot grow. However, long-term absence of fire may lead to woody encroachment (MNNHP 1993).
Environmental Description: This community occurs on very thin soils on limestone ridges and steep hillsides, usually with a southwest aspect. The low water storage capacity of the soil, the strong insolation of southwest slopes, and exposure to high winds make these sites prone to high desiccation. It is likely that these prairies receive significant quantities of water from condensation rather than precipitation. The organic content of the soil acts as a sponge to hold the condensate.
These dry prairie soils occupy the highest position on the moisture catena. The runoff of rainwater is very rapid on the slopes. There is continual movement of soil particles so the soil remains very thin except where dissolution pockets occur in the underlying limestone. The soil may be less than 10 cm deep over extensive areas. Both water retention and nutrient content in the actual soils are very good, but the thinness of the layers means that the total available quantity of either is quite limited. There is great uniformity from prairie to prairie in many of the soil chemical properties. The average pH is 7.8. The soil groups are Brunizem and Melanized Rendzina (Curtis 1959, MNNHP 1993).
These dry prairie soils occupy the highest position on the moisture catena. The runoff of rainwater is very rapid on the slopes. There is continual movement of soil particles so the soil remains very thin except where dissolution pockets occur in the underlying limestone. The soil may be less than 10 cm deep over extensive areas. Both water retention and nutrient content in the actual soils are very good, but the thinness of the layers means that the total available quantity of either is quite limited. There is great uniformity from prairie to prairie in many of the soil chemical properties. The average pH is 7.8. The soil groups are Brunizem and Melanized Rendzina (Curtis 1959, MNNHP 1993).
Geographic Range: This little bluestem bluff prairie community occurs primarily in the Driftless Area of the upper midwestern United States, particularly in southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northeastern Iowa, and southeastern Minnesota. Range extent probably approaches 150,000 square km.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, IL, MN, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.684874
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3G4
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.Nb Central North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D023 | 2.B.2.Nb |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nb.1 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Dense Blazingstar Tallgrass Prairie Macrogroup | M054 | 2.B.2.Nb.1 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Porcupine Grass Tallgrass Prairie Group | G333 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
| Alliance | A4058 Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama Central Loamy Grassland Alliance | A4058 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
| Association | CEGL002245 Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama Alkaline Bluff Grassland | CEGL002245 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Bedrock Bluff Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Dry Prairie Bedrock Bluff Subtype]
= Dry Prairie (Southeast Section) Bedrock Bluff Subtype (MNNHP 1993)
= Dry Prairie (Southeast Section) Bedrock Bluff Subtype (MNNHP 1993)
- Curtis, J. T. 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin: An ordination of plant communities. Reprinted in 1987. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 657 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.).
- INAI [Iowa Natural Areas Inventory]. 2017. Vegetation classification of Iowa. Iowa Natural Areas Inventory, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines.
- MNNHP [Minnesota Natural Heritage Program]. 1993. Minnesota''s native vegetation: A key to natural communities. Version 1.5. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, St. Paul, MN. 110 pp.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2003-2005a. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota. Three volumes: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province (2003), The Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province (2005c), The Prairie Parkland and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces (2005b). Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2005b. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota: The Prairie Parkland and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces. Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Umbanhowar, C. E., Jr. 1992. Reanalysis of the Wisconsin prairie continuum. The American Midland Naturalist 127(2):268-275.
- WDNR [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]. 2015. The ecological landscapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management. PUB-SS-1131 2015. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. [http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/Book.html]
- 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.