Print Report

CEGL001508 Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pascopyrum smithii - (Elymus lanceolatus) Shrub Wet Meadow

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Greasewood / Western Wheatgrass - (Thick-spike Wheatgrass) Shrub Wet Meadow

Colloquial Name: Greasewood / Western Wheatgrass Shrub Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This greasewood shrub prairie is found in saline habitats in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States and Canada. Stands occur on flat to gently sloping alluvial fans, terraces, lakebeds, and floodplains. The soil is usually deep clay, silty clay, sandy clay, or loam, although coarse soils are possible. They are saline or alkaline, but salt crusts on the surface are typically absent. Parent material is usually alluvium. This community has moderate to dense vegetation cover. Medium-tall (0.5-1.5 m) shrubs are scattered throughout with a total shrub canopy of 10-25%. The shrub layer is dominated by Sarcobatus vermiculatus, with Artemisia tridentata, Atriplex confertifolia, and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus in smaller amounts. Symphoricarpos occidentalis and Rhus aromatica are sometimes found in more mesic microhabitats within this community. Herbaceous cover is sparse beneath the shrubs and otherwise moderate to dense. The dominant species are typically 0.5-1 m tall. The most abundant species is Pascopyrum smithii, usually accompanied by Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus arvensis, Bromus tectorum, and Hesperostipa comata. Few forbs are found in this community. Achillea millefolium and Opuntia polyacantha are the only species with high constancy. Overall species diversity in this community is low.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Compare this association with ~Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Elymus elymoides - Pascopyrum smithii Wet Shrubland (CEGL001365)$$ from New Mexico. See Steinauer and Rolfsmeier (2003) for a description of the stands in Nebraska. ~Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Distichlis spicata - (Puccinellia nuttalliana) Shrub Wet Meadow (CEGL002146)$$ may be a more saline version of this type. Some authors recognize a Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pseudoroegneria spicata type (Hansen and Hoffman 1988, MTNHP 1988, USFS 1992) in addition to or combined with Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pascopyrum smithii (Brown 1971).

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

Floristics: This community has moderate to dense vegetation cover (Jones and Walford 1995, Thilenius et al. 1995). Medium-tall (0.5-1.5 m) shrubs are scattered throughout, with a total shrub canopy of 10-25% (Hansen and Hoffman 1988, USFS 1992). The shrub layer is dominated by Sarcobatus vermiculatus, with Atriplex confertifolia, Atriplex canescens, Atriplex argentea, Artemisia tridentata, and Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus in smaller amounts. Symphoricarpos occidentalis and Rhus aromatica are sometimes found in more mesic microhabitats within this community (Hirsch 1985). Herbaceous cover is sparse beneath the shrubs and moderate to dense in between. The dominant species are typically 0.5-1 m tall. The most abundant species is Pascopyrum smithii, usually accompanied by Bouteloua gracilis, Bromus arvensis (= Bromus japonicus), Bromus tectorum, and Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata). Few forbs are found in this community. Achillea millefolium and Opuntia polyacantha are the only species with high constancy. Other species present may include Grindelia squarrosa. Overall species diversity in this community is low (Hansen and Hoffman 1988, Von Loh et al. 1999). In Nebraska, shrub species cover may be very low, and saline pockets may contain Distichlis spicata and Sporobolus airoides. Astragalus bisulcatus may be prominent (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This community is found on flat to gently sloping alluvial fans, terraces, lakebeds, and floodplains (Mueggler and Stewart 1980, Hansen and Hoffman 1988). Dodd and Coupland (1966) found Sarcobatus vermiculatus in association with Pascopyrum smithii only on the most arid parts of southwestern Saskatchewan. The soil is usually deep clay, silty clay, sandy clay, or loam (Hirsch 1985, Jones and Walford 1995), although coarse soils are possible (USFS 1992, Thilenius et al. 1995). They are saline or alkaline, but salt crusts on the surface are absent (Thilenius et al. 1995, but see Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003). Parent material is usually alluvium. Flooding during the spring is possible.
Geographic Range: This greasewood shrub prairie is found in saline habitats in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States and Canada, ranging from northwestern Nebraska north to the Dakotas and Saskatchewan.

Nations: CA?,US

States/Provinces:  MT, ND, NE, SD, SK?, WY


Confidence Level: Low

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 2 Shrub & Herb Vegetation Class C02 2
Subclass 2.C Shrub & Herb Wetland Subclass S44 2.C
Formation 2.C.5 Salt Marsh Formation F035 2.C.5
Division 2.C.5.Na North American Great Plains Saline Marsh Division D033 2.C.5.Na
Macrogroup 2.C.5.Na.1 Great Plains Saline Wet Meadow & Marsh Macrogroup M077 2.C.5.Na.1
Group 2.C.5.Na.1.b Western Great Plains Saline Wet Meadow Group G534 2.C.5.Na.1.b
Alliance A3905 Greasewood Great Plains Wet Shrubland Alliance A3905 2.C.5.Na.1.b
Association CEGL001508 Greasewood / Western Wheatgrass - (Thick-spike Wheatgrass) Shrub Wet Meadow CEGL001508 2.C.5.Na.1.b
Concept Lineage: Merged into existing 1508 because the types were synonymous.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: < Agropyron - Sarcobatus Community (Dodd and Coupland 1966)
= Sarcobatus vermiculatus - Artemisia tridentata / Elytrigia smithii Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
< Sarcobatus vermiculatus - Artemisia tridentata Habitat Type (Hirsch 1985)
? Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Agropyron smithii - Bouteloua gracilis Shrub Steppe (Thilenius et al. 1995)
= Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Agropyron smithii Habitat Type (Mueggler and Stewart 1980)
= Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Agropyron smithii Habitat Type (USFS 1992)
= Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Agropyron smithii Habitat Type (Hansen et al. 1984)
= Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pascopyrum smithii - (Elymus lanceolatus) Shrub Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Sarcobatus Community (Brown 1971) [Brown (1971) appears to have grouped the Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pascopyrum smithii Sparse Shrubland and a Sarcobatus vermiculatus / Pseudoroegneria spicata Sparse Shrubland into one Sarcobatus community. The relationship of the former two communities in the ICEC is unclear.]
= Arvada Shrub Prairie (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003)
= Black Greasewood/Western Wheatgrass Community (Jones and Walford 1995)
Concept Author(s): J. Drake

Author of Description: J. Drake

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-12-96
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