Print Report

CEGL005096 Andropogon gerardii - Sorghastrum nutans - Schizachyrium scoparium - Aletris farinosa Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Little Bluestem - White Colicroot Grassland

Colloquial Name: Midwest Mesic Sand Tallgrass Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This community occurs in the southern Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Stands occur on level sandy glacial outwash, sandy glacial lake plains, valley trains, and in dune areas. Soils are sandy loams, loamy sands, and sands. They are moderately well-drained to imperfectly or somewhat poorly drained. Stands of this community may be dominated by grasses, mixtures of grasses and forbs, forbs, or short shrubs and grasses. Abundant and diagnostic species include Andropogon gerardii, Calamagrostis canadensis, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans. Aletris farinosa and Coreopsis tripteris are typical in this community and can be locally abundant. Other characteristic species include Carex pensylvanica, Desmodium canadense, Panicum virgatum, Solidago canadensis, and Solidago juncea. Species composition varies with soil moisture and pH. On drier sites, common plants include Asclepias tuberosa, Baptisia tinctoria, Carex muehlenbergii, Carex swanii, Hieracium longipilum, Liatris scariosa, Lupinus perennis, Rudbeckia hirta, and Viola sagittata.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type represents the mesic sand prairies in the Upper Midwest that are both off and on the lakeplain area of the Great Lakes. Lakeplain stands may be very similar to wet-mesic lakeplain prairies (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1987). In Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario, no distinction is made between mesic sand prairies on the lakeplain or off the lakeplain, as was done for wet-mesic sand prairies, ~Andropogon gerardii - Calamagrostis canadensis - Pycnanthemum virginianum - Oligoneuron ohioense Wet Meadow (CEGL005095)$$, since the mesic condition is much less connected to lakeplain hydrology (P. Comer pers. comm. 1997). Type needs further review in Wisconsin, where it may occur at Chiwaukee Prairie and Avoca Prairie (E. Epstein pers. comm. 1999).

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

Floristics: Stands of this community may be dominated by grasses, mixtures of grasses and forbs, forbs, or short shrubs and grasses. Abundant and diagnostic species include Andropogon gerardii, Calamagrostis canadensis, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans. Aletris farinosa and Coreopsis tripteris are typical in this community and can be locally abundant. Other characteristic species include Carex pensylvanica, Desmodium canadense, Panicum virgatum, Solidago canadensis, and Solidago juncea (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994, Comer et al. 1995b). Species composition varies with soil moisture and pH. Comer et al. (1995b) found five examples of this community in their survey of Michigan lakeplain prairies. The dominant species on the best of these sites were Schizachyrium scoparium and Andropogon gerardii. Common plants included Asclepias tuberosa, Baptisia tinctoria, Carex muehlenbergii, Carex swanii, Hieracium longipilum, Liatris scariosa, Lupinus perennis, Rudbeckia hirta, and Viola sagittata. Poa compressa is a common invasive exotic in disturbed sites.

Dynamics:  Fire is important in maintaining this community. In the absence of fire, mesic sand prairies succeed to woodland or forest. Poa compressa is a common exotic in disturbed sites.
Environmental Description:  This community occurs on level sandy glacial outwash, sandy glacial lakeplains, valley trains, and in dune areas. Soils are sandy loams, loamy sands, and sands. They are moderately well-drained to imperfectly or somewhat poorly drained. The soils often have thick, dark surface horizons, a slowly permeable layer within the profile, a high water table, and additions of water through seepage. The water table is highest in the spring and falls through the summer with drought conditions often occurring in the autumn. There is quite a bit of variation in soil moisture from site to site. There is sometimes brief ponding after heavy rains or in the spring. Soil pH ranges from 4.0-8.2 (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994, Comer et al. 1995b).
Geographic Range: This community occurs in the southern Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, ranging from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois to Ohio and Ontario.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  IL, IN, MI, OH, ON, WI


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.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.Nb Central North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D023 2.B.2.Nb
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nb.1 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Dense Blazingstar Tallgrass Prairie Macrogroup M054 2.B.2.Nb.1
Group 2.B.2.Nb.1.c Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Porcupine Grass Tallgrass Prairie Group G333 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Alliance A4057 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Stiff Tickseed Central Grassland Alliance A4057 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL005096 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Little Bluestem - White Colicroot Grassland CEGL005096 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Andropogon gerardii - Sorghastrum nutans - Schizachyrium scoparium - Aletris farinosa Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Mesic Sand Prairie]
= Mesic sandy loam prairie (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994)
= Mesic sandy loam prairie (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1987)
Concept Author(s): D. Faber-Langendoen (2001)

Author of Description: J. Drake, D. Faber-Langendoen, and D. Ambrose

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 03-03-94
  • Chapman, K. A. 1984. An ecological investigation of native grassland in southern Lower Michigan. Unpublished Master''s thesis, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. 235 pp.
  • Comer, P. J., W. A. MacKinnon, M. L. Rabe, D. L. Cuthrell, M. R. Penskar, and D. A. Albert. 1995b. A survey of Lakeplain Prairie in Michigan. CZM Project 94D-0.04. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing, MI.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., and P. F. Maycock. 1987. Composition and soil-environment analysis of prairies on Walpole Island, southwestern Ontario. Canadian Journal of Botany 65:2410-2419.
  • Faber-Langendoen, D., and P. F. Maycock. 1994. A vegetation analysis of tallgrass prairie in southern Ontario. Pages 17-32 in: R. G. Wickett, P. D. Lewis, A. Woodliffe, and P. Pratt, editors. Proceedings of the Thirteenth North American Prairie Conference, Windsor, Ontario.
  • 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.).
  • Homoya, M. A., J. Aldrich, J. Bacone, L. Casebere, and T. Post. 1988. Indiana natural community classification. Indiana Natural Heritage Program, Indianapolis, IN. Unpublished manuscript.
  • Kost, M. A., D. A. Albert, J. G. Cohen, B. S. Slaughter, R. K. Schillo, C. R. Weber, and K. A. Chapman. 2007. Natural communities of Michigan: Classification and description. Report No. 2007-21, Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Lansing. 314 pp. [http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/reports/2007-21_Natural_Communites_of_Michigan_Classification_and_Description.pdf]
  • Lee, H., W. Bakowsky, J. Riley, J. Bowles, M. Puddister, P. Uhlig, and S. McMurray. 1998. Ecological land classification for southern Ontario: First approximation and its application. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southcentral Science Section, Science Development and Transfer Branch. SCSS Field Guide FG-02.
  • Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
  • ONHD [Ohio Natural Heritage Database]. No date. Vegetation classification of Ohio and unpublished data. Ohio Natural Heritage Database, Division of Natural Areas and Preserves, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Columbus.
  • ONHIC [Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre]. 2018. Unpublished data. Ontario Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, Canada.
  • WDNR [Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources]. 2015. The ecological landscapes of Wisconsin: An assessment of ecological resources and a guide to planning sustainable management. PUB-SS-1131 2015. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison. [http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/landscapes/Book.html]
  • White, J., and M. Madany. 1978. Classification of natural communities in Illinois. Pages 311-405 in: Natural Areas Inventory technical report: Volume I, survey methods and results. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana, IL.