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CEGL002028 Calamagrostis canadensis - Juncus spp. - Carex spp. Sandhills Wet Meadow
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Bluejoint - Rush species - Sedge species Sandhills Wet Meadow
Colloquial Name: Sandhills Wet Prairie
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This community is found in sand-dominated regions of the central and northern Great Plains, possibly extending into the eastern Dakotas. Stands occur on nearly level ground along streams and rivers and in wet interdunal valleys, and often form a zone bordering lakes, marshes, and fens. Soils are poorly drained sandy loams and sands with high organic content (muck or peat) and are formed in eolian sand or alluvium. These sites are often saturated or temporarily flooded early in the season, and the water table is usually within 1 m of the surface throughout the growing season. This community is densely vegetated, predominately by hydrophytic graminoids about 0.5-1.5 m tall. Calamagrostis canadensis and Spartina pectinata are the most common native grasses, though frequently Agrostis stolonifera, Phalaris arundinacea, Phleum pratense, and Poa pratensis are introduced and abundant. Other graminoids are also plentiful; the most abundant are Carex atherodes, Carex crawei, Carex pellita, Carex nebrascensis, Carex sartwellii, Carex scoparia, Carex tetanica, Eleocharis atropurpurea, Eleocharis elliptica, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Juncus nodosus, Juncus torreyi, and Panicum virgatum. Scattered patches of shrubs, including Amorpha fruticosa, Cornus sericea, Salix exigua and Salix lutea, are often found in slightly wetter areas, such as near streams. Forbs are scattered to locally common. Among the more prominent species are Asclepias incarnata, Cicuta maculata, Hypoxis hirsuta, Mentha arvensis, Lycopus uniflorus, and Scutellaria galericulata. Trifolium spp. has been seeded in many sites. Species diversity is moderate to relatively high.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Concept of this type is taken from Kansas state type Sandhills Wet Prairie (Lauver et al. 1999) and Nebraska state type Northern Sedge Wet Meadow (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003). The alliance placement for this type needs review. The distribution of this type in North Dakota (Sheyenne National Grasslands) and South Dakota needs review.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is densely vegetated, predominately by hydrophytic graminoids about 0.5-1.5 m tall with roots constantly in contact with the water table. Calamagrostis canadensis and Spartina pectinata are the most common native grasses, though frequently Agrostis stolonifera, Phalaris arundinacea, Phleum pratense, and Poa pratensis are introduced and abundant. Other graminoids are also plentiful; the most abundant are Carex atherodes, Carex crawei, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa), Carex nebrascensis, Carex sartwellii, Carex scoparia, Carex tetanica, Eleocharis atropurpurea, Eleocharis elliptica, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Juncus nodosus, Juncus torreyi, and Panicum virgatum. Scattered patches of shrubs, including Amorpha fruticosa, Cornus sericea, Salix exigua, and Salix lutea, are often found in slightly wetter areas, such as near streams. Forbs are scattered to locally common. Among the more prominent species are Asclepias incarnata, Cicuta maculata, Hypoxis hirsuta, Mentha arvensis, Lycopus uniflorus, and Scutellaria galericulata. Trifolium spp. has been seeded in many sites. Species diversity is moderate to relatively high.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This community occurs on nearly level ground along streams and rivers and in wet interdunal valleys, and often forms a zone bordering lakes, marshes, and fens. Soils are poorly drained sandy loams and sands with high organic content (muck or peat) and are formed in eolian sand or alluvium (Steinauer 1989). These sites are often saturated or temporarily flooded early in the season, and the water table is usually within one meter of the surface throughout the growing season.
Geographic Range: This community is found in sand-dominated regions of the central and northern Great Plains, possibly extending into the eastern Dakotas.
Nations: CA?,US
States/Provinces: KS, ND, NE, SD, SK?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685521
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
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.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass | S44 | 2.C |
| Formation | 2.C.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F013 | 2.C.4 |
| Division | 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D323 | 2.C.4.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Nd.5 Prairie Cordgrass - Cattail species - Bulrush species Great Plains Marsh, Wet Meadow, Shrubland & Playa Macrogroup | M071 | 2.C.4.Nd.5 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.5.b Prairie Cordgrass - Slimstem Reedgrass - Sedge species Great Plains Wet Prairie, Wet Meadow & Seepage Fen Group | G336 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.b |
| Alliance | A3493 Prairie Cordgrass Great Plains Wet Meadow Alliance | A3493 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.b |
| Association | CEGL002028 Bluejoint - Rush species - Sedge species Sandhills Wet Meadow | CEGL002028 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Calamagrostis canadensis - Juncus spp. - Carex spp. Sandhills Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Hydrophytic grass and sedge zone (Tolstead 1942)
< Hydrophytic tall-grass area (Frolik and Keim 1933)
= Northern Sedge Wet Meadow (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
> Rush - Sedge Wet Meadow (Pool 1914)
= Sandhills Wet Prairie (Lauver et al. 1999)
> Water Hemlock Association (Pool 1914)
= Hydrophytic grass and sedge zone (Tolstead 1942)
< Hydrophytic tall-grass area (Frolik and Keim 1933)
= Northern Sedge Wet Meadow (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
> Rush - Sedge Wet Meadow (Pool 1914)
= Sandhills Wet Prairie (Lauver et al. 1999)
> Water Hemlock Association (Pool 1914)
- 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.).
- Frolik, A. L., and F. D. Keim. 1933. Native vegetation in the prairie hay district of north central Nebraska. Ecology 14:298-305.
- Johnston, B. C. 1987. Plant associations of Region Two: Potential plant communities of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas. R2-ECOL-87-2. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region. Lakewood, CO. 429 pp.
- Kaul, R. 1990. Plants and communities. In: A. Bleed and C. Flowerday, editors. An atlas of the Sand Hills, Resource Atlas No. 5a. Conservation and Survey Division, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
- Lauver, C. L., K. Kindscher, D. Faber-Langendoen, and R. Schneider. 1999. A classification of the natural vegetation of Kansas. The Southwestern Naturalist 44:421-443.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- 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.
- Pool, R. J. 1914. A study of the vegetation of the sandhills of Nebraska. Minnesota Botanical Studies 4:189-312.
- 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.
- Steinauer, G. 1989. Characterization of the natural communities of Nebraska. Appendix D, pages 103-114 in: M. Clausen, M. Fritz, and G. Steinauer. The Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, two year progress report. Unpublished document. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Natural Heritage Program, Lincoln, NE.
- 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.
- Tolstead, W. L. 1942. Vegetation of the northern part of Cherry County, Nebraska. Ecological Monographs 12(3):257-292.