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CEGL003121 Nassella cernua Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Nodding Needlegrass Grassland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: These grasslands are moderately widespread in California and occur across such a variety of environmental parameters that few generalities can be made. Sites range from sea level to 1400 m in elevation, and include all topographic locations. Climate is Mediterranean. Soils are usually fine-textured (clay is common), moist to saturated in winter, but very dry in the summer. Stands have a medium-tall graminoid layer from 0.5-1 m in height, dominated by the perennial, tussock-forming bunchgrass Nassella cernua. In some stands, this is the only perennial grass. Other perennial grasses that may be common include Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Koeleria macrantha, Melica californica, Leymus triticoides, Poa secunda, and Aristida ternipes. Cover of the bunchgrasses is described as open, but may be high in some stands. Perennial and annual forbs form a matrix between the bunchgrass tussocks; information on forb species composition is not available. Occasionally, emergent shrubs or other trees may be present.
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: This is a medium-tall grassland from 0.5-1 m in height, dominated by the perennial, tussock-forming bunchgrass Nassella cernua. In some stands, this is the only perennial grass. Other perennial grasses that may be common include Elymus glaucus, Festuca californica, Koeleria macrantha, Melica californica, Leymus triticoides, Poa secunda, and Aristida ternipes. Cover of the bunchgrasses is described as open, but may in some stands be high. Perennial and annual forbs form a matrix between the bunchgrass tussocks; information on species composition is not available. Heady (1988) states that forbs predominantly include plants with bulbs, and annuals in the Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae plant families. Occasionally, emergent shrubs or trees may be present, but no information is available on species. Most, if not all, stands include non-native annual grass species mixed with the perennial natives. Non-natives commonly present include Avena barbata, Avena fatua, Bromus diandrus, Bromus hordeaceus, Bromus madritensis, and Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum (= Lolium multiflorum).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This vegetation type is moderately widespread in California, and occurs across such a variety of environmental parameters that few generalities can be made. Sites range from sea level to 1400 m in elevation, and include all topographic locations. Average annual precipitation ranges from about 12 cm in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley to 200 cm in the montane of northwestern California. Much of this precipitation falls as rain in the fall and winter months. Winters are cool. However, summers are typically very dry and hot, and soil water deficits are prevalent for 4 to 8 months every year. Soils are usually fine-textured (clay is common), moist to saturated in winter, but very dry in the summer.
Geographic Range: This association occurs in scattered localities in the lower montane zone of the Peninsular and Transverse ranges of southwestern California, in the interior of the northern coastal region, and in the central Coast Ranges of California. It also probably occurs in the northern ranges of Baja California, Mexico.
Nations: MX?,US
States/Provinces: CA, MXBCN?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686108
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3?
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.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation | F038 | 2.B.1 |
| Division | 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division | D327 | 2.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.1.Na.3 Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup | M045 | 2.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.3.b Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group | G496 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A1247 Nodding Needlegrass Grassland Alliance | A1247 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL003121 Nodding Needlegrass Grassland | CEGL003121 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Nassella cernua (Sims 1988)
= Nassella cernua (Heady 1988)
= Nassella cernua Provisional Association (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
= Nassella cernua (Heady 1988)
= Nassella cernua Provisional Association (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
- 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.
- Buck-Diaz, J., S. Batiuk, and J. M. Evens. 2012. Vegetation alliances and associations of the Great Valley ecoregion, California. California Native Society, Sacramento, CA. [http://cnps.org/cnps/vegetation/pdf/great_valley_eco-vegclass2012.pdf]
- Cheatham, N. H., and J. R. Haller. 1975. An annotated list of California habitat types. Unpublished report. University of California, Natural Land and Water Reserves System.
- Heady, H. F. 1988. Valley grassland. Pages 491-514 in: M. G. Barbour and J. Major, editors. Terrestrial vegetation of California. John Wiley and Sons, New York. 1002 pp.
- Holland, R. F. 1986b. Preliminary descriptions of the terrestrial natural communities of California. Unpublished report prepared for the California Department of Fish and Game, Nongame-Heritage Program and Natural Diversity Database, Sacramento. 156 pp.
- Reid, M. S., L. S. Engelking, and P. S. Bourgeron. 1994. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, Western Region. Pages 305-620 in: D. H. Grossman, K. L. Goodin, and C. L. Reuss, editors. Rare plant communities of the conterminous United States, an initial survey. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- Sawyer, J. O., and T. Keeler-Wolf. 1995. A manual of California vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 471 pp.
- Sims, P. L. 1988. Grasslands. Pages 266-286 in: M. G. Barbour and W. D. Billings, editors. North American terrestrial vegetation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.