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CEGL008455 Schizachyrium scoparium - Andropogon ternarius - Liatris microcephala - (Pityopsis ruthii) Riverscour Wet Meadow
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Splitbeard Bluestem - Small-head Blazingstar - (Ruth''s Silk-grass) Riverscour Wet Meadow
Colloquial Name: Hiwassee / Ocoee River Boulder Riverscour Wet Meadow
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This is a riverscour community of the Hiwassee and Ocoee rivers of southeastern Tennessee. In this temporarily flooded river scour community, the herbaceous species are limited to the cracks and crevices of the boulders, with Pityopsis ruthii dominating in many places. In its more open phase, it is dominated by perennial grasses and forbs. The principal grasses here are Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon ternarius (both becoming abundant in areas with increased soils), and Panicum sp. Other abundant herbaceous species include Liatris microcephala, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, Solidago sp., Coreopsis tripteris, and Agalinis sp. The shrub stratum is also clumpy in distribution with Cornus amomum, Hypericum prolificum, and Eubotrys racemosa also present. Several liana species are present, most notably Bignonia capreolata and Toxicodendron radicans, along with the non-native Lonicera japonica. The adjacent blufftop is dominated by Pityopsis ruthii and lichens, with small clusters of Pinus virginiana and Juniperus virginiana scattered throughout, where soils have accumulated, covering between 25 and 40% of the more open areas. The woody plants become thicker about 25 m from the edge, with coverage approaching 75-90% where lack of scour has allowed woody species to invade. Other canopy species noted include Pinus strobus, Platanus occidentalis, and Acer rubrum. In the more open areas, these species are small and stunted.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: No Data Available
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: In this temporarily flooded riverscour community, the herbaceous species are limited to the cracks and crevices of the boulders, with Pityopsis ruthii dominating in many places. In its more open phase, it is dominated by perennial grasses and forbs. The principal grasses here are Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon ternarius (both becoming abundant in areas with increased soils), and Panicum sp. Other abundant herbaceous species include Liatris microcephala, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (= Aster novae-angliae), Solidago sp., Coreopsis tripteris, and Agalinis sp. The shrub stratum is also clumpy in distribution with Cornus amomum, Hypericum prolificum, and Eubotrys racemosa (= Leucothoe racemosa) also present. Several liana species are present, most notably Bignonia capreolata and Toxicodendron radicans, along with the non-native Lonicera japonica. The adjacent blufftop is dominated by Pityopsis ruthii and lichens, with small clusters of Pinus virginiana and Juniperus virginiana scattered throughout, where soils have accumulated, covering between 25 and 40% of the more open areas.
Dynamics: The habitat of this association has been affected and limited by the effects of impoundments and resulting changes in flooding regimes.
Environmental Description: This association occurs on the immediate edges of the Hiwassee River growing on phyllite or graywacke boulders. Under a natural flooding regime, these communities may have been more extensive, but lack of scour has resulted in limited habitat for them. An adjacent "blufftop" area (the "Bluffs of Hiwassee Glades") is dominated by Pityopsis ruthii and lichens, with small clusters of Pinus virginiana and Juniperus virginiana scattered throughout, where soils have accumulated covering between 25% and 40% of the more open areas. The woody plants become thicker about 25 m from the edge, with coverage approaching 75-90% where lack of scour has allowed woody species to invade. These "blufftop" areas receive some scouring from a smaller drain which is a tributary of the River. This area is anomalous in that Pityopsis ruthii is growing in a somewhat different habitat from the actual boulders in the river which receive (or did receive) the scouring action of the river.
Geographic Range: This association is restricted in distribution to the Hiwassee and the Ocoee rivers in southeastern Tennessee. It is restricted to about 3.5 miles on the Hiwassee River in Polk County, Tennessee.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: TN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.687730
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G2
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.4 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Formation | F013 | 2.C.4 |
| Division | 2.C.4.Nd Eastern North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division | D323 | 2.C.4.Nd |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.4.Nd.4 Eastern North American Riverscour Vegetation Macrogroup | M881 | 2.C.4.Nd.4 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.4.a Central Interior-Appalachian Riverscour Barrens & Prairie Group | G753 | 2.C.4.Nd.4.a |
| Alliance | A3795 Little Bluestem Riverscour Prairie Alliance | A3795 | 2.C.4.Nd.4.a |
| Association | CEGL008455 Little Bluestem - Splitbeard Bluestem - Small-head Blazingstar - (Ruth''s Silk-grass) Riverscour Wet Meadow | CEGL008455 | 2.C.4.Nd.4.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Schizachyrium scoparium - Andropogon ternarius - Liatris microcephala - (Pityopsis ruthii) Herbaceous Vegetation (Major et al. 1999)
? The Bluffs of Hiwassee Glades (Major pers. comm.)
? The Bluffs of Hiwassee Glades (Major pers. comm.)
- Major, C. S., C. Bailey, J. Donaldson, R. McCoy, C. Nordman, M. Williams, and D. Withers. 1999. An ecological inventory of selected sites in the Cherokee National Forest. Cost Share Agreement #99-CCS-0804-001. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Tennessee Division of Natural Heritage, Nashville, TN.
- Major, C. Smoot. Personal communication. Ecologist. Tennessee Natural Heritage Division, Nashville.
- NatureServe Ecology - Southeastern United States. No date. Unpublished data. NatureServe, Durham, NC.
- Southeastern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Durham, NC.