Print Report
CEGL002004 Stuckenia pectinata - Ruppia maritima Aquatic Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sago Pondweed - Widgeongrass Aquatic Vegetation
Colloquial Name: Sago Pondweed Submerged Wetland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community is found in the northern Great Plains and tallgrass prairie regions in brackish to saline shallow water wetlands or exposed alkali salt flats. These wetlands maintain surface water for a period of a few weeks or more during the growing season. A high evaporation-precipitation ratio contributes to the concentration of dissolved salts in these wetlands. The high salinity of these wetlands excludes many plant species. Stuckenia pectinata and Ruppia maritima frequently form dense beds of floating and submerged vegetation. Other species may include Zannichellia palustris, Stuckenia vaginata, and Chara spp. Within some wetlands with extremely high salinity, Ruppia maritima may be the only species found.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Pools of Ruppia maritima and Stuckenia pectinata have been reported in ~Distichlis spicata - Bolboschoenus maritimus - Salicornia rubra Wet Meadow (CEGL002043)$$, by Steinauer and Rolfsmeier (2003). These associations may occur in very similar habitats. Stands dominated solely by Ruppia maritima have been treated as a separate type, but are now considered part of this type.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus) and Ruppia maritima frequently form dense beds of floating and submerged vegetation. Other species may include Zannichellia palustris, Stuckenia vaginata (= Potamogeton vaginatus), and Chara spp. (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Within wetlands with extremely high salinity, Ruppia maritima may be the only species found.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This community includes brackish, subsaline, or saline shallow water wetlands that may alternate with exposed alkali salt flats. These wetlands maintain surface water for a period of a few weeks or more during the growing season (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). These wetlands are commonly found in glacial outwash sediments in low elevations on the landscape, and serve as discharge wetlands, with no effective means for removal of accumulated salts (Dodd and Coupland 1966). Salts are principally sulfates and chlorides of sodium and magnesium (Stewart and Kantrud 1972). The high salinity of these wetlands excludes most aquatic and emergent plant species (Swanson and Springer 1972).
Geographic Range: This community is found in the northern Great Plains and northern tallgrass prairie regions in brackish to saline shallow water wetlands or exposed alkali salt flats, extending from Iowa west to the Dakotas and Montana.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, MT, ND, NE, SD
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685070
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2?
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 | CEGL002004 Sago Pondweed - Widgeongrass Aquatic Vegetation | CEGL002004 | 5.B.2.Na.1.a |
Concept Lineage: This is treated now as a dominance variant of the combined type.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Ruppia - Potamogeton community (Ungar et al. 1969)
= Stuckenia pectinata - Ruppia maritima Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Class VI-alkali ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
= Stuckenia pectinata - Ruppia maritima Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Class VI-alkali ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
- 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.
- Dodd, J. D., and R. T. Coupland. 1966. Vegetation of saline areas in Saskatchewan. Ecology 47(6):958-968.
- 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.
- 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.
- NDNHI [North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory]. 2018. Unpublished data. Vegetation classification of North Dakota. North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory, North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department, Bismarck.
- Rolfsmeier, S. B., and G. Steinauer. 2010. Terrestrial ecological systems and natural communities of Nebraska (Version IV - March 9, 2010). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Lincoln, NE. 228 pp.
- SDNHP [South Dakota Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. South Dakota Natural Heritage Program, Pierre, SD.
- Steinauer, G., and S. Rolfsmeier. 2003. Terrestrial natural communities of Nebraska. (Version III - June 30, 2003). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln. 163 pp.
- Stewart, R. E., and H. A. Kantrud. 1971. Classification of natural ponds and lakes in the glaciated prairie region. USDI Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife Resources, Publication 92. Washington, DC. 77 pp.
- Stewart, R. E., and H. A. Kantrud. 1972. Vegetation of prairie potholes, North Dakota, in relation to quality of water and other environmental factors. USDI Geologic Survey Professional Paper 585-d. 36 pp.
- Swanson, G. A., and P. F. Springer. 1972. Widgeongrass balls on alkali lakes. Prairie Naturalist 4(2):52-54.
- Ungar, I. A., W. Hogan, and M. McClennand. 1969. Plant communities of saline soils at Lincoln, Nebraska. The American Midland Naturalist 82(2):564-577.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.