Print Report
CEGL002005 Stuckenia pectinata - Zannichellia palustris Aquatic Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sago Pondweed - Horned Pondweed Aquatic Vegetation
Colloquial Name: Sago Pondweed - Horned Pondweed Submerged Wetland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This pondweed wetland community is found in the glacial ponds of the Northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Stands occur in permanently flooded basins that are 15-100 cm deep, and moderately brackish to brackish. Vegetation is dominated by aquatic macrophytes. In Montana, Zannichellia palustris is dominant in all stands; Stuckenia pectinata is present in some stands. The macroalgae Chara sp. may also be present. In North Dakota, Zannichellia palustris, Stuckenia pectinata and Chara share dominance; Ranunculus aquatilis and Myriophyllum sibiricum are secondary species.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Stewart and Kantrud (1972) report that both Stuckenia pectinata and Zannichellia palustris are characteristic of glacial potholes with moderately brackish to brackish water in North Dakota. Their open water communities of moderately brackish and brackish ponds are dominated by Stuckenia pectinata and Zannichellia palustris. Ranunculus aquatilis and Myriophyllum spicatum are of secondary importance in moderately brackish waters (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Communities dominated by Stuckenia pectinata and Zannichellia palustris are common in sloughs (ponds) with moderately saline water in the Canadian Prairie Provinces (Looman 1986).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is characteristically poor in species. Stands are dominated by aquatic macrophytes. In Montana, Zannichellia palustris is dominant in all stands; Stuckenia pectinata (= Potamogeton pectinatus) is present in some stands. The macroalgae Chara sp. may also be present (Lesica 1989). In North Dakota, Zannichellia palustris, Stuckenia pectinata and Chara share dominance; Ranunculus aquatilis and Myriophyllum sibiricum (= Myriophyllum exalbescens) are secondary species.
Dynamics: These communities probably experience little natural disturbance except inter- and, in less saline waters, intra-annual water level fluctuations (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). The degree that hydrology of glacial ponds is controlled by regional groundwater levels probably varies and will determine how community composition will change through time and with disturbances.
Environmental Description: This community occurs in the permanently inundated, "deep water" zone of glacial ponds of the Great Plains in gentle, rolling, glacial terrain. Described Montana occurrences are at an elevation of 1200-1300 m (4000-4300 feet) (Lesica 1989); North Dakota occurrences are lower, probably 200-600 m (500-2000 feet). In the Montana occurrences, water is usually 15-100 cm deep. In Montana, the type is found in mildly brackish to brackish water (945-15,710 ohms/cm), but is characteristic of brackish water (median of 3745 ohms/cm) (Lesica 1989). In North Dakota, the type is characteristic of waters with a conductivity of 2000-15,000 ohms/cm (Stewart and Kantrud 1971). Ionic concentrations are probably determined by a complex interaction of groundwater hydrology and underlying parent materials. Parent material is mixed sedimentary (including calcareous) glacial till for documented Montana occurrences (Lesica 1989). North Dakota occurrences are underlain by till derived from sediments and metasediments. Pond bottoms are composed of mud or organic mud in Montana stands (Lesica 1989).
Geographic Range: This pondweed wetland community is found in the glacial ponds of the Northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada, including the Dakotas, Montana, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: MT, ND, SD, SK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.685919
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 | CEGL002005 Sago Pondweed - Horned Pondweed Aquatic Vegetation | CEGL002005 | 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: = Stuckenia pectinata - Zannichellia palustris Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Zannichellia palustris community type (Lesica 1989)
= Association Potamo-Zannichellietum (Looman 1986)
>< Open water phase of brackish ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
>< Open water phase of moderately brackish ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
? Ponds with open water communities dominated by P. pectinatus and Z. palustris (Ferren et al. 1996a) [reported for southern California; similar, but Ruppia cirrhosa is also present in the California communities.]
= Zannichellia palustris community type (Lesica 1989)
= Association Potamo-Zannichellietum (Looman 1986)
>< Open water phase of brackish ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
>< Open water phase of moderately brackish ponds and lakes (Stewart and Kantrud 1971)
? Ponds with open water communities dominated by P. pectinatus and Z. palustris (Ferren et al. 1996a) [reported for southern California; similar, but Ruppia cirrhosa is also present in the California communities.]
- 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.
- 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.).
- Ferren, W. R., P. L. Fiedler, R. A. Leidy, K. D. Lafferty, and L. A. K. Mertes. 1996a. Key to and catalogue of wetlands of central and southern California coast and coastal watersheds. Madrono 43:183-233.
- Lesica, P. 1989. The vegetation and flora of glaciated prairie potholes of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana. Final report to The Nature Conservancy, Montana Field Office, Helena, MT. 26 pp.
- 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.
- Looman, J. 1986. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. III. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation, Part 3. Aquatic plant communities. Phytocoenologia 14(1):19-54.
- 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.
- 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.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.