Print Report

CEGL001990 Sparganium angustifolium Aquatic Vegetation

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Narrowleaf Bur-reed Aquatic Vegetation

Colloquial Name: No Data Available

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This aquatic association has been found in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, but likely occurs in many parts of montane, subalpine, alpine and boreal North America as this circumboreal species is reported from the western and northeastern U.S., Great Lakes region, across Canada and Alaska and likely is has a much wider distribution. This hydromorphic-rooted vegetation occurs in shallow water to 1 m deep. Stands occur in saturated or inundated sites such as swales and wet meadows and marshes, shallow ponds and near the shoreline of deeper ponds and lakes. Sites are generally permanently flooded but can be semipermanently flooded areas that lack standing water towards the end of the growing season. If the stand has dried, then bare soil and small rocks are exposed. The ponds are often located in mountain parks or meadows and are the result of stream oxbows or glacial basins in broad valleys. Soils are typically very poorly drained muck or peat and can contain embedded cobbles or rocks. Stands grow equally well on either gravelly or muddy bottoms. Salinity of water varies with the different parent materials. Diagnostic of this aquatic community is the strong dominance of Sparganium angustifolium. Vegetation consists of moderately dense mats of the hydromorphic-rooted plant Sparganium angustifolium. These vegetation mats are rarely over 0.6 m thick and may be much less depending on the depth of the pond. Stunted individuals may be less than 10 cm tall. Associated species with low cover include Alisma triviale, Beckmannia syzigachne, Carex utriculata, Cicuta douglasii, Eleocharis palustris, Equisetum fluviatile, Galium trifidum, Glyceria borealis, Hippuris vulgaris, Lemna minor, Sium suave, or Typha spp. Diagnostic of this aquatic association is the dominance of Sparganium angustifolium.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This association is defined as a PNV vegetation type. If it were renamed as a dominance type, the species would include Sparganium americanum and Sparganium natans.

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

Floristics: This aquatic association is characterized by moderately dense to dense mats of the hydromorphic-rooted plant Sparganium angustifolium. These vegetation mats are rarely over 0.6 m thick and may be much less depending on the depth of the pond. Stunted individuals may be less than 10 cm tall. Associated species with low cover include Alisma triviale, Beckmannia syzigachne, Carex utriculata, Cicuta douglasii, Eleocharis palustris, Equisetum fluviatile, Galium trifidum, Glyceria borealis, Hippuris vulgaris, Lemna minor, Sium suave, or Typha spp. (Kovalchik 1993, Hall and Hansen 1997). Vegetation on adjacent mudflats and shorelines is dominated by shrub or herbaceous wetland plants such as Eleocharis acicularis, Ranunculus trichophyllus var. trichophyllus, Callitriche palustris, Schoenoplectus acutus (= Scirpus acutus), Typha latifolia, or species of Carex, Juncus or Salix.

Dynamics:  No Data Available
Environmental Description:  This aquatic association has been found in California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado, but likely occurs in many parts of montane, subalpine, alpine and boreal North America as this circumboreal species is reported from the western and northeastern U.S., Great Lakes region, across Canada and Alaska and likely is has a much wider distribution. Elevations range from 760 to 3700 m (2500-12,130 feet). This hydromorphic-rooted vegetation occurs in shallow water to 1 m deep. Stands occur in saturated or inundated sites such as swales and wet meadows and marshes, shallow ponds and near the shoreline of deeper ponds and lakes. Sites are generally permanently flooded but can be semipermanently flooded areas that lack standing water towards the end of the growing season. If the stand has dried, then bare soil and small rocks are exposed. The ponds are often located in mountain parks or meadows and are the result of stream oxbows or glacial basins in broad valleys. Soils are typically very poorly drained muck or peat and can contain embedded cobbles or rocks. Stands grow equally well on either gravelly or muddy bottoms. One soil in Colorado was classified as a Cryosaprist (Komarkova 1986). In Oregon, soils are Limnic, Hemic, Sapric, or Fibric Histisols with organic layer 35 cm or more deep (Kovalchik 1993). In Idaho, soils classify to Mollisols, Histosols or Entisols (Hall and Hansen 1997). Salinity of water varies with the different parent materials.
Geographic Range: It is likely that this nearly monospecific association occurs in many parts of montane, subalpine and boreal North America; presently it has been identified from California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Colorado.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, CO, ID, OR, WA


Confidence Level: High

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

Greasons: No Data Available
Type Name Database Code Classification Code
Class 5 Aquatic Vegetation Class C05 5
Subclass 5.B Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Subclass S13 5.B
Formation 5.B.2 Temperate to Polar Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Formation F057 5.B.2
Division 5.B.2.Na North American Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Division D049 5.B.2.Na
Macrogroup 5.B.2.Na.2 Rocky Mountain Pond-lily - Pacific Mosquito Fern - Western Waterweed Western North American Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Macrogroup M109 5.B.2.Na.2
Group 5.B.2.Na.2.a Pond-lily species - Pondweed species - Duckweed species Freshwater Aquatic Vegetation Group G544 5.B.2.Na.2.a
Alliance A3893 Common Mare''s-tail - Widgeonweed species - Bur-reed species Aquatic Vegetation Alliance A3893 5.B.2.Na.2.a
Association CEGL001990 Narrowleaf Bur-reed Aquatic Vegetation CEGL001990 5.B.2.Na.2.a
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Sparganium angustifolium - Ranunculus trichophyllus Community (Cooper 1986a)
= Sparganium angustifolium (McCain and Christy 2005) [11 plots]
= Sparganium angustifolium (Sawyer et al. 2009) [52.010.01]
= Sparganium angustifolium (S. emersum) Association (Crowe et al. 2004)
= Sparganium angustifolium Aquatic Community (Robbins 1918) [Sparganium angustifolium dominates second seral stage of glacial lake succession.]
= Sparganium angustifolium Association (Fuller 1930)
= Sparganium angustifolium Association (Christy 2004)
= Sparganium angustifolium Habitat Type/Association (Komarkova 1986)
= Sparganium angustifolium Herbaceous Vegetation [Provisional] (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2012)
= Sparganium emersum Community Type (Hall and Hansen 1997)
= Sparganium emersum association (Stumpf et al. 2017)
= Sparganium emersum community type (Kunze 1994) [(pp.50, 59)]
< Sparganium spp. Association (Kovalchik 1993) [(p.185) either Sparganium emersum and/or Sparganium minium dominated the vegetation layer.]
< Bur-reed Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995) [from sea level to 3700 m elevation; includes several species of Sparganium.]
>< Montane and Subalpine Lakes (Ramaley 1919a) [Sparganium angustifolium replaces Eleocharis lacustris.]
= Simplestem Bur-reed Herbaceous Vegetation (Sparganium angustifolium) (Christy et al. 1998) [(p.138)]
Concept Author(s): Western Ecology Group

Author of Description: K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 01-18-05
  • Boggs, K. 2000. Classification of community types, successional sequences and landscapes of the Copper River Delta, Alaska. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-469. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR. March 2000. 244 pp.
  • Bourgeron, P. S., and L. D. Engelking, editors. 1994. A preliminary vegetation classification of the western United States. Unpublished report. The Nature Conservancy, Western Heritage Task Force, Boulder, CO. 175 pp. plus appendix.
  • CNHP [Colorado Natural Heritage Program]. 2006-2017. Tracked natural plant communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. [https://cnhp.colostate.edu/ourdata/trackinglist/plant_communities/]
  • Christy, J. A. 1993. Classification and catalog of native wetland plant communities in Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland. 63 pp.
  • Christy, J. A. 2004. Native freshwater wetland plant associations of northwestern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Oregon State University, Portland, OR.
  • Christy, J. A., J. S. Kagan, and A. M. Wiedemann. 1998. Plant associations of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area - Siuslaw National Forest, Oregon. Technical Paper R6-NR-ECOL-TP-09-98. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR. 196 pp.
  • Christy, J. A., and J. A. Putera. 1993. Lower Columbia River Natural Area Inventory, 1992. Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland. 75 pp.
  • Clements, F. E. 1904. Formation and succession herbaria. University of Nebraska, University Studies IV(4):329-355.
  • Cooper, D. J. 1986a. Ecological studies of wetland vegetation, Cross Creek Valley, Holy Cross Wilderness Area, Sawatch Range, Colorado. Holy Cross Wilderness Defense Fund, Technical Report No. 2. 24 pp.
  • Crowe, E. A., B. L. Kovalchik, and M. J. Kerr. 2004. Riparian and wetland vegetation of central and eastern Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Oregon State University, Portland. 473 pp. [http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/ publications.html]
  • Fuller, G. D. 1930. A comparison of certain Rocky Mountain grasslands with the prairie of Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois Academy of Science 8:121-130.
  • Hall, J. B., and P. L. Hansen. 1997. A preliminary riparian habitat type classification system for the Bureau of Land Management districts in southern and eastern Idaho. Riparian and Wetland Research Program, School of Forestry, University of Montana. Idaho Bureau of Land Management, Technical Bulletin No. 97-11. 381 pp.
  • Kagan, J. S., E. M. Nielsen, M. D. Noone, J. C. van Warmerdam, L. K. Wise, G. Kittel, and C. Copass. 2012. Lewis and Clark National Historic Park vegetation classification and mapping project report. Natural Resource Report NPS/NCCN/NRR--2012/597. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Kagan, J. S., J. A. Christy, M. P. Murray, and J. A. Titus. 2004. Classification of native vegetation of Oregon. January 2004. Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center, Portland. 52 pp.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., M. Schindel, S. San, P. Moore, and D. Hickson. 2003a. Classification of the vegetation of Yosemite National Park and surrounding environs in Tuolumne, Mariposa, Madera and Mono counties, California. Unpublished report by NatureServe in cooperation with the California Native Plant Society and California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch, Sacramento, CA.
  • Keeler-Wolf, T., P. E. Moore, E. T. Reyes, J. M. Menke, D. N. Johnson, and D. L. Karavidas. 2012. Yosemite National Park vegetation classification and mapping project report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/YOSE/NRTR--2012/598. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
  • Komarkova, V. 1986. Habitat types on selected parts of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre national forests. Unpublished final report prepared for USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. Fort Collins, CO. 270 pp. plus appendices.
  • Kovalchik, B. L. 1993. Riparian plant associations on the national forests of eastern Washington - Draft version 1. USDA Forest Service, Colville National Forest, Colville, WA. 203 pp.
  • Kunze, L. M. 1994. Preliminary classification of native, low elevation, freshwater wetland vegetation in western Washington. Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program. 120 pp.
  • McCain, C., and J. A. Christy. 2005. Field guide to riparian plant communities in northwestern Oregon. Technical Paper R6-NR-ECOL-TP-01-05. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland. 357 pp.
  • Murray, M. P. 2000. Wetland plant associations of the western hemlock zone in the central coastal and westslope Cascade Mountains. Unpublished report, Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland, OR. 82 pp. [http://www.natureserve.org/nhp/us/or/nw_or_wetlands.pdf]
  • Ramaley, F. 1919a. The role of sedges in some Colorado plant communities. American Journal of Botany 6:120-130.
  • Ramaley, F., and W. W. Robbins. 1909. Studies in lake and streamside vegetation. I. Redrock Lake near Ward, Colorado. University of Colorado Studies 6:133-168.
  • Robbins, W. W. 1918. Successions of vegetation in Boulder Park, Colorado. Botanical Gazette 65(6):493-525.
  • Salas, D., J. Stevens, and K. Schulz. 2005. USGS-NPS Vegetation Mapping Program: Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Technical Memorandum No. 8260-05-02. USDI Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO. 161 pp. plus Appendices A-L (733 pp.).
  • Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
  • Sawyer, J. O., and T. Keeler-Wolf. 1995. A manual of California vegetation. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento. 471 pp.
  • Stumpf, K. A., Cogan Technology, and Kier Associates. 2017. Vegetation mapping and classification project: Redwood National and State Parks, California. Natural Resource Report NPS/REDW/NRR--2017/1431. National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO. 270 pp.
  • Titus, J. H., and J. A. Christy. 1996a. Vegetation of Big Marsh, Deschutes National Forest, Oregon. Report to Deschutes National Forest. Oregon Natural Heritage Program, The Nature Conservancy, Portland.
  • WNHP [Washington Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data files. Washington Natural Heritage Program, Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA.
  • Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.