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CEGL002260 Scolochloa festucacea Marsh

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available


Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Common Rivergrass Marsh

Colloquial Name: Common Rivergrass Marsh

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This marsh type is found in the northern Great Plains region of the United States and Canada. Stands occur on sites with standing water for part of the growing season. The water table may be above the surface for only a few weeks in spring after heavy rains or constantly until mid-summer. Stands dominated by Scolochloa festucacea can be found on marginally fresh to moderately saline stands. The soils are typically medium to fine-textured and often have an accumulation of organic matter. Graminoids 0.5-1.0 m tall dominate the moderately dense to dense vegetation cover. Forbs are not common and shrubs are very rare. Scolochloa festucacea is the single most abundant species and may occur in almost monotypic stands. Other abundant species include Carex atherodes, Carex laeviconica, Eleocharis palustris, Glyceria grandis, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Sium suave, and Typha latifolia.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type (CEGL002260) is currently restricted to west of the tallgrass prairie province. It may occur to a limited degree within that province, in Minnesota (e.g., see MRp83a Cattail - Sedge Marsh (Prairie) (Minnesota DNR 2005b)). This community is similar to ~Carex atherodes Wet Meadow (CEGL002220)$$. Both communities often contain Carex atherodes and Scolochloa festucacea. The relationship between these two community types needs to be better defined. Carex atherodes tends to be on non-saline sites while Scolochloa festucacea tends to do better on mildly to moderately saline sites (Walker and Coupland 1970). However, the two can co-occur or codominate on mildly saline sites. Carex atherodes may also be found on drier ground (Smith 1973).

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available

Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: This community is dominated by graminoids 0.5-1.0 m tall. Forbs are not common and shrubs are very rare. Total vegetation cover is typically moderately dense to dense. Scolochloa festucacea is the single most abundant species and may occur in almost monotypic stands (Dix and Smeins 1967, Walker and Coupland 1970). Other abundant species include Carex atherodes (especially on less saline sites), Carex laeviconica, Eleocharis palustris, Glyceria grandis, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis (= Juncus balticus), Sium suave, and Typha latifolia (in wetter stands).

Dynamics:  No Data Available

Environmental Description:  This community is found on sites with standing water for part of the growing season. The water table may be above the surface for only a few weeks in spring after heavy rains or constantly until mid-summer (Walker and Coupland 1970, Looman 1982). Stands dominated by Scolochloa festucacea can be found on marginally fresh to moderately saline stands (Looman 1981a, 1982). The soils are typically medium- to fine-textured and have an accumulation of organic matter (Smith 1973).

Geographic Range: This marsh type is found in the north Great Plains region of the United States and Canada.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  MB, MT, ND




Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available

Grank: G4G5

Greasons: No Data Available


Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available

Synonomy: = Scolochloa festucacea Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Scolochloion festucea association (Looman 1982)
= Scolochloion festucea association (Looman 1981a)
= Groups 6 and 15 (Walker and Coupland 1970) [uncertain if equivalent]
< Meadows (Dix and Smeins 1967)

Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: J. Drake

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 07-03-13

  • Dix, R. L., and F. E. Smeins. 1967. The prairies, meadows, and marsh vegetation of Nelson County, North Dakota. Canadian Journal of Botany 45:21-58.
  • 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.).
  • Greenall, J. A. 1996. Manitoba''s terrestrial plant communities. MS Report 96-02. Manitoba Conservation Data Centre, Winnipeg.
  • Looman, J. 1981a. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. III. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. Phytocoenologia 9(4):473-497.
  • Looman, J. 1982. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. III. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation, Part 2. Freshwater marshes and bogs. Phytocoenologia 10(4):401-423.
  • MTNHP [Montana Natural Heritage Program]. 2002b. List of ecological communities for Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Montana State Library, Helena, MT.
  • Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
  • NDNHI [North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory]. 2018. Unpublished data. Vegetation classification of North Dakota. North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory, North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department, Bismarck.
  • Smith, A. L. 1973. Life cycle of the marsh grass Scolochloa festucacea. Canadian Journal of Botany 51:1661-1668.
  • Walker, B. H., and R. T. Coupland. 1970. Herbaceous wetland vegetation in the aspen grove and grassland region of Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Botany 48:1861-1878.