Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Cain''s Reedgrass - Ruth''s Sedge - Kidneyleaf Grass-of-Parnassus / Peatmoss species Herbaceous Seep

Colloquial Name: Blue Ridge High-Elevation Seep (Mt. Le Conte Type)

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This is a herbaceous-dominated seepage slope community, 1-2 acres in size. It is known from a single location on Mount Le Conte in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. This community occurs on a steep, south-facing, exposed slope, at 1830 m (6000 feet) elevation. The site is thought to be a former landslide scar. It is a perennial seep, with small rock outcroppings. This community occurs in the spruce-fir zone and is adjacent to forests affected by balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae). The vegetation is open with little or no shading by the surrounding forest. Graminoid species have almost continuous coverage, growing within large mats of Sphagnum. It is strongly dominated by Calamagrostis cainii. Other species with moderate coverage include Carex ruthii, Carex misera, Gentiana linearis, and Dennstaedtia punctilobula. Additional herbaceous species include Carex debilis, Glyceria nubigena, Hypericum graveolens, Krigia montana, Parnassia asarifolia, and Solidago glomerata. Shrubs and small trees may be scattered within the seep but are more prominent around the perimeter. Woody species include Abies fraseri, Picea rubens, Prunus pensylvanica, Rhododendron catawbiense, Rubus canadensis, and Vaccinium erythrocarpum.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Calamagrostis cainii may be locally dominant in seepage inclusions of other communities on Mount Le Conte, such as cliffs, heath shrublands, and steep landslide scars. The site which supports this community is a former landslide scar directly downslope from Cliff Tops, where there is a large concentration of Calamagrostis cainii, growing in stable ledge and seeps. These stable substrates provide propagule sources for revegetating landslide scars, thus there is a tight spatial autocorrelation for species composition between scars and nearby ledges and cliffs (J. Boetsch pers. comm.). This community may be better classified as a very local expression of Blue Ridge High Elevation Seep (Sedge Type), ~Carex gynandra - Platanthera clavellata - Drosera rotundifolia - Carex ruthii / Sphagnum spp. Herbaceous Seep (CEGL007697)$$.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available