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CEGL002318 Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata - Carex pensylvanica - (Viola pedata) Sand Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Poverty Oatgrass - Pennsylvania Sedge - (Bird''s-foot Violet) Sand Grassland

Colloquial Name: Midwest Dry Sand Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This dry sand prairie community is widespread throughout the midwestern region of the United States and adjacent Canada. Stands occur on steep slopes, sandy outwash, sandy lake plains, and alluvial deposits. They may occur on sand ridges (including inland dunes and sandy areas of coarse-textured end moraines), where, particularly if blowouts have occurred, they may resemble sand barrens. Soils are well-drained to excessively drained, coarse-textured sands, loamy sands, and sandy loams. Gravels are very minor. Graminoids dominate the herbaceous layer, which can be open to closed. Dominant species include Carex pensylvanica, Danthonia spicata, Koeleria macrantha, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Hesperostipa spartea. Other graminoids include Bouteloua hirsuta, Digitaria cognata and Dichanthelium acuminatum var. fasciculatum. In more open dune-like habitats Calamovilfa longifolia may be present. A wide variety of forbs are present including Asclepias verticillata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Artemisia frigida, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium, Euphorbia corollata, Hieracium longipilum, Lechea tenuifolia, Liatris aspera, Liatris cylindracea, Nuttallanthus canadensis, Lithospermum canescens, Lupinus perennis, Oenothera rhombipetala, Polygala polygama, Packera plattensis, Solidago nemoralis, Tephrosia virginiana and Viola pedata. Hudsonia tomentosa, and other sand barrens species, are more often restricted to local disturbances such as blowouts or slipfaces.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Separation of this type from sand barrens, ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Carex muehlenbergii - Lithospermum caroliniense - Opuntia humifusa Sand Grassland (CEGL005099)$$, may be difficult, and they may represent a temporal sequence after exposure of sandy substrates, either by wind or human clearing. In general sand barrens occur on more dune-like habitats or on formerly plowed sand prairies, and sands may still move. Sand prairies occur on more stable sandy soils. A proposed descriptive revision to the name of this type, presuming it is combined with CEGL005099, is Schizachyrium scoparium - Koeleria macrantha - (Aristida spp.) - Carex (umbellata, muehlenbergii) - Viola pedata Herbaceous Vegetation (Prairie-Forest Border Ecoregional Planning Team pers. comm. 1999). Potential diagnostic species for sand prairies may be Lithospermum canescens and Viola pedata. Potential diagnostic species for sand barrens are Cyperus lupulinus ssp. lupulinus (= Cyperus filiculmis), Cyperus schweinitzii, Carex muehlenbergii, Lithospermum caroliniense, Opuntia humifusa, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. In Minnesota, the dry-mesic stands of this type may better fit with ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans - Andropogon gerardii - Lespedeza capitata Sand Grassland (CEGL002210)$$. In Illinois distinction of sand prairie and sand hill prairie needs review, but for now they are combined into this type [see also CEGL005099]. In Indiana Koeleria macrantha and Hesperostipa spartea may be common (Jackson 1979).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Graminoids dominate the herbaceous layer, which can be open to closed. Dominant species include Carex pensylvanica, Danthonia spicata, Koeleria macrantha, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Hesperostipa spartea (= Stipa spartea). Other graminoids include Bouteloua hirsuta, Digitaria cognata (= Leptoloma cognatum) and Dichanthelium acuminatum var. fasciculatum (= Dichanthelium lanuginosum). In more open dune-like habitats Calamovilfa longifolia may be present. A wide variety of forbs are present, including Asclepias verticillata, Ambrosia psilostachya, Artemisia frigida, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (= Gnaphalium obtusifolium), Euphorbia corollata, Hieracium longipilum, Lechea tenuifolia, Liatris aspera, Liatris cylindracea, Nuttallanthus canadensis (= Linaria canadensis), Lithospermum canescens, Lupinus perennis, Oenothera rhombipetala, Polygala polygama, Packera plattensis (= Senecio plattensis), Solidago nemoralis, Tephrosia virginiana, and Viola pedata. Hudsonia tomentosa, and other sand barrens species, are more often restricted to local disturbances such as blowouts or slipfaces (Curtis 1959, White and Madany 1978, Homoya et al. 1985, Chapman et al. 1989, MNNHP 1993).

Dynamics:  Sand blowouts may occur during wind storms, exposing the subsoil layers and converting the type to a sand barrens.
Environmental Description:  Stands can occur on steep slopes, sandy outwash, sandy lakeplains, and alluvial deposits. They may occur on sand ridges (including inland dunes and sandy areas of coarse-textured end moraines), where, particularly if blowouts have occurred, they may resemble sand barrens. Soils are well-drained to excessively drained, coarse-textured sands, loamy sands, and sandy loams. Gravels are very minor. They generally lack a dark A horizon, have brownish, yellowish, grayish, or reddish thin B horizons, and no mottling (Curtis 1959, White and Madany 1978, Homoya et al. 1985, Chapman et al. 1989, MNNHP 1993).
Geographic Range: This dry sand prairie community is widespread throughout the midwestern region of the United States and adjacent Canada, extending from Indiana, Michigan and southern Ontario, west to Iowa and east-central Minnesota.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, ON, WI


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2G3

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.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation F012 2.B.2
Division 2.B.2.Nb Central North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D023 2.B.2.Nb
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nb.1 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Dense Blazingstar Tallgrass Prairie Macrogroup M054 2.B.2.Nb.1
Group 2.B.2.Nb.1.c Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Porcupine Grass Tallgrass Prairie Group G333 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Alliance A4047 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass Central Sand & Gravel Grassland Alliance A4047 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002318 Little Bluestem - Poverty Oatgrass - Pennsylvania Sedge - (Bird''s-foot Violet) Sand Grassland CEGL002318 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Concept Lineage: After range-wide review, this type is now seen to be a variant of a broader dry sand prairie type.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Schizachyrium scoparium - Danthonia spicata - Carex pensylvanica - (Viola pedata) Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Dry Sand Prairie]
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 11-18-98
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