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CEGL002242 Schizachyrium scoparium - Aristida dichotoma - Croton michauxii var. ellipticus / Lichens Wooded Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Churchmouse Three-awn - Willdenow''s Croton / Lichens Wooded Grassland
Colloquial Name: Ozark Sandstone Glade
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This sandstone glade community is found in the Ozark region of the south-central United States. Stands occur as outcrops along narrow ridges, on bluff escarpments, on rolling upland exposures, or on broad conical knobs. Parent material is sandstone, and aspect is somewhat neutral, with best development of the type occurring on south- and west-facing slopes. Soils are very shallow (0-40 cm), with occasional vernal pools. The vegetation is dominated by midgrasses and forbs; mosses and lichens are very abundant on areas of exposed rock. Scattered stunted xerophytic trees and shrubs are also present, in particular Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, Pinus echinata, Juniperus virginiana, and Vaccinium arboreum. Common herbaceous plants include Aristida dichotoma, Coreopsis grandiflora (in Arkansas), Croton michauxii var. ellipticus, and Schizachyrium scoparium. Other characteristic herbs include Asclepias hirtella, Chaetopappa asteroides, Croton capitatus, Diodia teres, Eragrostis spectabilis, Isoetes butleri, Lechea mucronata, Plantago pusilla, Hypericum gentianoides, Hypericum drummondii, Saxifraga texana, Sedum pulchellum, Sedum nuttallianum, Phemeranthus calycinus, and Phemeranthus parviflorus.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Concept of the type is taken from Missouri state type Sandstone Glade (Nelson 1985) and Kansas state type Ozark Sandstone Glade / Prairie (Old-Sandstone Glade) (Lauver et al. 1999). Type may be in Oklahoma, but needs further review. This sandstone glade community is uncommon, but several high-quality sites remain. The estimated extent in Missouri (Nelson and Ladd 1983) was 810 hectares. This community is affected by extreme drought and infrequent fires. This association is related to, but distinct from, southeastern sandstone glade or outcrop communities east of the Mississippi River. There may be an Ozark Channel Sands subtype characterized by Schizachyrium scoparium, Selenia aurea, and Geocarpon minimum. Croton michauxii var. ellipticus has also been known as Croton willdenowii and Crotonopsis elliptica.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation is dominated by midgrasses and forbs; mosses and lichens are very abundant on areas of exposed rock. Scattered stunted xerophytic trees and shrubs are also present, in particular Quercus stellata, Quercus marilandica, Pinus echinata, Juniperus virginiana, and Vaccinium arboreum. Common herbaceous plants include Aristida dichotoma, Coreopsis grandiflora (in Arkansas), Croton michauxii var. ellipticus (= Croton willdenowii), and Schizachyrium scoparium. Other characteristic herbs include Asclepias hirtella, Chaetopappa asteroides, Croton capitatus, Diodia teres, Eragrostis spectabilis, Isoetes butleri, Lechea mucronata (= Lechea villosa), Plantago pusilla, Hypericum gentianoides, Hypericum drummondii, Saxifraga texana, Sedum pulchellum, Sedum nuttallianum, Phemeranthus calycinus (= Talinum calycinum), and Phemeranthus parviflorus (= Talinum parviflorum) (Nelson and Ladd 1983, Jeffries 1985, Nelson 1985).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands occur as outcrops along narrow ridges, on bluff escarpments, on rolling upland exposures, or on broad conical knobs. The aspect is somewhat neutral, with best development of the type occurring on south- and west-facing slopes. Soils are very shallow (0-40 cm), with occasional vernal pools. Stands occur on a variety of Pennsylvanian sandstone formations, including the St. Peter, Lamotte, Gasconade, Channel Sands, Roubidoux, and Gunter (Nelson and Ladd 1983, Jeffries 1985, Nelson 1985). Even though these sites are generally thought of as acidic, at one Arkansas example cited by Jeffries (1985) soil pH varied from 4.7 to 8.8, perhaps due to influences from adjoining forests.
Geographic Range: This sandstone glade community is found in the Ozark region of the south-central United States, particularly Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and possibly Oklahoma.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: AR, KS, MO, OK?
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.686965
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.2 Temperate Grassland & Shrubland Formation | F012 | 2.B.2 |
| Division | 2.B.2.Nc Eastern North American Grassland & Shrubland Division | D024 | 2.B.2.Nc |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.2.Nc.2 Little Bluestem - Silky Oatgrass Acidic Scrub & Grassland Macrogroup | M509 | 2.B.2.Nc.2 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b Little Bluestem - Silky Oatgrass Acidic Glade & Barrens Group | G178 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Alliance | A1920 Post Oak - Blackjack Oak / Little Bluestem Interior Acidic Bedrock Scrub Alliance | A1920 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
| Association | CEGL002242 Little Bluestem - Churchmouse Three-awn - Willdenow''s Croton / Lichens Wooded Grassland | CEGL002242 | 2.B.2.Nc.2.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Schizachyrium scoparium - Aristida dichotoma - Croton willdenowii / Lichens Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Ozark Sandstone Glade / Prairie (Old-Sandstone Glade) (Lauver et al. 1999)
? Sandstone Glade (Nelson and Ladd 1983)
= Sandstone Glade (Nelson 1985)
= Ozark Sandstone Glade / Prairie (Old-Sandstone Glade) (Lauver et al. 1999)
? Sandstone Glade (Nelson and Ladd 1983)
= Sandstone Glade (Nelson 1985)
- 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.).
- Hop, K., M. Pyne, T. Foti, S. Lubinski, R. White, and J. Dieck. 2012a. National Park Service vegetation inventory program: Buffalo National River, Arkansas. Natural Resource Report NPS/HTLN/NRR--2012/526. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 340 pp.
- Jeffries, D. L. 1985. Analysis of the vegetation and soils of glades on Calico Rock sandstone in northern Arkansas. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 112:70-73.
- Jeffries, D. L. 1987. Vegetation analysis of sandstone glades in Devil''s Den State Park, Arkansas. Castanea 52:9-15.
- Lauver, C. L., K. Kindscher, D. Faber-Langendoen, and R. Schneider. 1999. A classification of the natural vegetation of Kansas. The Southwestern Naturalist 44:421-443.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Nelson, P. 2010. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Revised edition. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Conservation, Jefferson City.
- Nelson, P. W. 1985. The terrestrial natural communities of Missouri. Missouri Natural Areas Committee, Jefferson City. 197 pp. Revised edition, 1987.
- Nelson, P., and D. Ladd. 1983. Preliminary report on the identification, distribution and classification of Missouri glades. Pages 59-76 in: C. L. Kucera, editor. Proceedings of the Seventh North American Prairie Conference. Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield.