Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Roemer''s Fescue - Field Chickweed - Prairie Junegrass Grassland

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This grassland association occurs only in the Puget Lowland of western Washington and the Georgia Basin of southwestern British Columbia, primarily in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and Vancouver Island mountains from sea level to 625 m elevation. Stands are confined to very dry sites that are typically very shallow to bedrock, and on southern to western aspect slopes. It probably burned relatively frequently in pre-European settlement times, and its continued survival on at least some sites is dependent on disturbance to remove trees. This medium-tall bunch grassland has variable cover of forbs, mosses and lichens. Scattered trees are sometimes present, especially Pseudotsuga menziesii, and scattered dwarf-shrubs sometimes occur, especially Mahonia aquifolium. Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri is always present and usually dominant, though Danthonia californica or Festuca rubra (native varieties) are sometimes codominant and occasionally dominant, especially on sites moderately impacted by past grazing. The moss Racomitrium canescens and the clubmoss Selaginella wallacei are usually present and often have high percent cover. Of the many herbaceous species that occur, the following have high constancy: Koeleria macrantha, Elymus glaucus, Cerastium arvense, Achillea millefolium, Allium acuminatum, Eriophyllum lanatum, and Zigadenus venenosus. This association is distinguished from similar associations by >10% combined cover of Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri, native Festuca rubra, and Danthonia californica, along with the presence of Cerastium arvense, Selaginella wallacei, or Elymus glaucus, in combination with the presence of at least one of the following: Camassia quamash, Aspidotis densa, Koeleria macrantha.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Three variants of the type exist, associated with serpentine and non-serpentine soils, and sites moderately impacted by past grazing. The serpentine variant has Aspidotis densa and high constancy of Bromus carinatus and Juniperus scopulorum. The non-serpentine variant typically has high constancy of Camassia quamash and Mahonia aquifolium. An apparently moderately degraded variant typically has high cover of Danthonia californica and/or Carex inops, little Festuca idahoensis ssp. roemeri, less cryptogam cover, and greater abundance of exotic species. In British Columbia, this association is known as Festuca idahoensis var. roemeri - Koeleria macrantha.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available

note: No Data Available