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CEGL004664 Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans - Dalea candida - Liatris squarrosa - (Silphium terebinthinaceum) Black Belt Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - White Prairie-clover - Scaly Blazingstar - (Prairie Rosinweed) Black Belt Grassland

Colloquial Name: Black Belt Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This herbaceous association includes tallgrass prairies of the Black Belt of Alabama, Mississippi, and southern Tennessee (McNairy County), with outlying occurrences southwards in the Chunnenuggee Hills, Red Hills, and Lime Hills of southern Alabama (in Washington, Wilcox, Monroe, and Clark counties). This community occurs on calcareous soils of the Sumter and Binnsville series, described as beds of marly clay over Selma Chalk. In Alabama, the formations on which this system primarily occurs are the Demopolis Chalk and the Mooreville Chalk. In Tennessee, only the Demopolis is mapped. The area has an average annual precipitation of 130-140 cm and a frost-free period of 200-250 days. This prairie is dominated by Andropogon glomeratus, Andropogon virginicus, Bouteloua curtipendula, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans, with lesser amounts of Paspalum floridanum, Setaria parviflora, and Sporobolus indicus (exotic). Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana may invade examples. Moist, seepy inclusions within this herbaceous matrix are often dominated by Rhynchospora colorata and Scleria verticillata; Rhynchospora divergens, Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum, Mitreola petiolata, and Gratiola floridana also occur but much less frequently.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Occurrences south of the Black Belt in Alabama are sometimes referred to as "Jackson Prairies." These occurrences appear to have greater affinities to the Black Belt prairies (this association) than to the Jackson prairies of Mississippi, ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans - Dalea purpurea - Silphium integrifolium Jackson Prairie Grassland (CEGL004020)$$, and Louisiana, ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans Jackson Prairie Grassland (CEGL004721)$$.

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

Floristics: This prairie association is dominated by Andropogon glomeratus, Andropogon virginicus, Bouteloua curtipendula, Panicum virgatum, and Schizachyrium scoparium, with lesser amounts of Paspalum floridanum, Setaria parviflora, and Sporobolus indicus (invasive). Other common species include Aristida purpurascens var. virgata, Arnoglossum plantagineum, Blephilia ciliata, Buchnera americana, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Crotalaria sagittalis, Dalea candida, Dalea purpurea, Desmanthus illinoensis, Desmodium ciliare, Dracopis amplexicaulis, Lespedeza virginica, Liatris aspera, Liatris squarrosa, Liatris squarrulosa, Linum sulcatum var. sulcatum, Neptunia lutea, Nothoscordum bivalve (= Allium bivalve), Ratibida pinnata, Ruellia humilis, Sabatia angularis, Silphium terebinthinaceum, Silphium trifoliatum var. latifolium, Sisyrinchium albidum, Solidago nemoralis, Symphyotrichum dumosum (= Aster dumosus), and Symphyotrichum patens (= Aster patens). Additional characteristic but less common species include Asclepias verticillata, Asclepias viridiflora, Agalinis auriculata, Agalinis gattingeri, Agalinis oligophylla, Agalinis purpurea, Anemone berlandieri, Anemone caroliniana, Aristida longespica, Asclepias viridiflora, Asclepias viridis, Berchemia scandens, Carex cherokeensis, Fimbristylis puberula, Stenaria nigricans (= Hedyotis nigricans), Houstonia purpurea var. calycosa, Ranunculus fascicularis, Scutellaria parvula, Oligoneuron rigidum var. glabratum (= Solidago rigida ssp. glabrata), Spiranthes magnicamporum, Symphyotrichum ericoides (= Aster ericoides), and Verbena simplex. Remnants of this vegetation may occur on hillsides. Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana may invade examples. Moist, seepy inclusions within this herbaceous matrix are often dominated by Rhynchospora colorata and Scleria verticillata; Rhynchospora divergens, Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum, Mitreola petiolata, and Mecardonia acuminata also occur but much less frequently (A. Schotz pers. comm.). Woody plants in adjacent areas or small-patch inclusions include Quercus muehlenbergii, Fraxinus americana, Cercis canadensis, Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana, Frangula caroliniana (= Rhamnus caroliniana), Sideroxylon lanuginosum (= Bumelia lanuginosa), Crataegus spp., and Cornus drummondii.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This tallgrass prairie community occurs on calcareous soils of the Sumter and Binnsville series, described as beds of marly clay over Selma Chalk, in Alabama and Mississippi. In Alabama, the formations on which this system primarily occurs are the Demopolis Chalk and the Mooreville Chalk. In Tennessee, only the Demopolis is mapped (Hardeman 1966). The area has an average annual precipitation of 130-140 cm and a frost-free period of 200-250 days.
Geographic Range: This vegetation type is primarily distributed in Alabama and Mississippi. There are also some remnants in southern Tennessee (McNairy County).

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  AL, MS, TN


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G1

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.Nh Southeastern North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D102 2.B.2.Nh
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nh.2 Southeastern Coastal Plain Patch Prairie Macrogroup M309 2.B.2.Nh.2
Group 2.B.2.Nh.2.a Little Bluestem - Switchgrass - Bushy Bluestem Patch Prairie Group G175 2.B.2.Nh.2.a
Alliance A3318 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass Coastal Plain Prairie Alliance A3318 2.B.2.Nh.2.a
Association CEGL004664 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - White Prairie-clover - Scaly Blazingstar - (Prairie Rosinweed) Black Belt Grassland CEGL004664 2.B.2.Nh.2.a
Concept Lineage: Includes the former Schizachyrium scoparium - Andropogon glomeratus - Bouteloua curtipendula - Paspalum floridanum Black Belt Herbaceous Vegetation

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Black Belt Prairie (Schotz and Barbour 2009)
= Black Belt Prairie (DeSelm and Murdock 1993)
? Open Prairie (Leidolf and McDaniel 1998)
= Prairies (Leidolf et al. 2002)
Concept Author(s): R. Wieland and A. Schotz

Author of Description: R. Wieland and A. Schotz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-28-03
  • ALNHP [Alabama Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data on file. Alabama Natural Heritage Program, Auburn University.
  • Ambrose, Jon. Personal communication. Georgia Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Social Circle.
  • DeSelm, H. R., and N. Murdock. 1993. Grass-dominated communities. Pages 87-141 in: W. H. Martin, S. G. Boyce, and A. C. Echternacht, editors. Biodiversity of the southeastern United States: Upland terrestrial communities. John Wiley and Sons, New York.
  • Gunn, S. C. 1985. Flora of Alabama River bluffs in the Black Belt. M.S. thesis, Auburn University, Auburn, AL.
  • Hardeman, W. D. 1966. Geologic map of Tennessee. West sheet.
  • Leidolf, A., S. McDaniel, and T. Nuttle. 2002. The flora of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Sida 20(2):691-765.
  • Leidolf, A., and S. McDaniel. 1998. A floristic study of black prairie plant communities at Sixteen Section Prairie, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi. Castanea 63:51-62.
  • MSNHP [Mississippi Natural Heritage Program]. 2006. Ecological communities of Mississippi. Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Jackson, MS. 9 pp.
  • Nordman, C., M. Russo, and L. Smart. 2011. Vegetation types of the Natchez Trace Parkway, based on the U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe Central Databases (International Ecological Classification Standard: Terrestrial Ecological Classifications). Arlington, VA. Data current as of 11 April 2011. 548 pp.
  • Rostlund, E. 1957. The myth of a natural prairie belt in Alabama: An interpretation of historical records. Annals of the Association of American Geographers 47:392-411.
  • Schotz, A., and M. Barbour. 2009. Ecological assessment and terrestrial vertebrate surveys for Black Belt Prairies in Alabama. Submitted to Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries, State Wildlife Grants Program, Montgomery, AL. Alabama Natural Heritage Program, Environmental Institute, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. [http://www.alnhp.org/reports/Prairie_SWG_Final_Report.PDF]
  • Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.