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CEGL002293 Driftless Area Maderate Cliff Vegetation
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Driftless Area Maderate Cliff Vegetation
Colloquial Name: Driftless Area Maderate Cliff
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This moist maderate cliff community type is found in the Driftless Area of the central midwestern United States. Stands occur on vertical or near-vertical dolomite bedrock exposures, with a northern to northeastern aspect. Maderate cliffs can be up to 60 m in height and may extend up to 0.6 km in length. Generally, the dissected (eroded) fissure and sink system essential in maintaining cold-air flow is small; fissures extend only 0.06 km or so into the rock, and the surface feeder sinks are usually cryptic. The yearly temperatures range only between about -10°C and +10°C. Humidity is fairly high, generally 80% at ground surface. The overall effect is to make the sites cooler than normal in summer and warmer than normal in winter. The vegetation on the cliffs is sparse, but typically herbaceous and shrub species include Cystopteris bulbifera, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda, Zigadenus elegans, Cornus canadensis, Galium triflorum, Campanula rotundifolia, Aquilegia canadensis, Solidago sciaphila, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Arabis lyrata. Tree and shrub species in close proximity to maderate cliffs (at the base or overhanging the top) characteristically include Pinus strobus, Abies balsamea, Betula alleghaniensis, Betula papyrifera, Taxus canadensis, Acer saccharum and Tilia americana. Ferns, mosses and liverworts have been poorly characterized. Both maderate cliffs and the closely related algific talus slopes share some relict species that arrived shortly after the glaciers moved further north and the climate gradually ameliorated; both, however, contain their own unique suite of relict species. Among the relict and disjunct plants, Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi and Draba arabisans occur in the Paleozoic Plateau region only on the maderate cliffs. Several relict land snails are restricted to or occur on maderate cliffs, including two species within the proposed genera Novisuccinea, Catinella gelida and several Vertigo spp.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: The vascular and nonvascular vegetation of this type needs to be better characterized, and this type may not technically fit the definition of sparse vegetation. This type shares a similar composition, climate, geographic distribution and geologic history with that of Algific Talus Slopes, ~Impatiens pallida - Cystopteris bulbifera - Adoxa moschatellina Algific Talus Rock Vegetation (CEGL002387)$$. Type can be associated with ~Pinus strobus - Abies balsamea - Betula alleghaniensis Driftless Forest (CEGL002111)$$.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Both algific talus and maderate cliffs share some relict species that arrived shortly after the glaciers moved farther north and the climate ameliorated somewhat, but the cliffs lack some of the species from the talus, and contain their own unique species. The vegetation on the cliffs is sparse, but typical herbaceous and shrub species include Cystopteris bulbifera, Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), Zigadenus elegans, Cornus canadensis, Galium triflorum, Campanula rotundifolia, Aquilegia canadensis, Solidago sciaphila, Physocarpus opulifolius, and Arabis lyrata. Tree and shrub species in close proximity to maderate cliffs (at the base or overhanging the top) characteristically include Pinus strobus, Abies balsamea, Betula alleghaniensis (= Betula lutea), Betula papyrifera, Taxus canadensis, Acer saccharum, and Tilia americana. Ferns, mosses and liverworts have been poorly characterized. Both maderate cliffs and the closely related algific talus slopes share some relict species that arrived shortly after the glaciers moved farther north and the climate gradually ameliorated; both, however, contain their own unique suite of relict species. Among the relict and disjunct plants, Rhodiola integrifolia ssp. leedyi (= Sedum integrifolium ssp. leedyi) and Draba arabisans occur in the Paleozoic Plateau region only on the maderate cliffs. (Frest 1991, MNNHP 1993, USFWS 1998a, W. Ostlie pers. comm. 1999).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: Stands occur on vertical or near-vertical bedrock exposures, with a northern to northeastern aspect. Maderate Cliffs can be up to 60 m in height, and may extend up to 0.6 km in length These cliffs can form through stream undercutting. Stream erosion caused massive blocks of dolostone to shift forward along horizontal planes, which created upland sinkholes and resulted in a miniature cave system with internal airflow feeding cool subsurface air to the cliff face. Under the present climate, the fissures retain ice and cold air well into summer, creating a cool cliff face. The yearly temperatures range only between about -10° and +10°C. Humidity is fairly high, generally 80% at ground surface. Generally, the dissected (eroded) fissure and sink system is small; fissures extend only 0.06 km or so into the rock, and the surface feeder sinks are usually cryptic. The habitat patches on the cliff face are very strongly developed along certain bedding planes, formed by bands of bentonite and limestone. Bentonite, a clay impervious to water, causes consistent groundwater discharge at the contact point, which creates horizontal bands on the cliff face. The bands are generally quite narrow, and they may form a loosely anastomosing system. Individual patches may be as large as 25 m2 or more. Where river erosion is less pronounced, the cool air can flow over talus (unlike true algific talus, where the cool air emerges through the talus) (Frest 1991, USFWS 1998a).
Geographic Range: This moist maderate cliff community type is found in the Driftless Area of the central midwestern United States, particularly in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, MN
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.689758
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3?
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 6 Open Rock Vegetation Class | C06 | 6 |
| Subclass | 6.B Temperate & Boreal Open Rock Vegetation Subclass | S04 | 6.B |
| Formation | 6.B.1 Temperate & Boreal Cliff, Scree & Other Rock Vegetation Formation | F034 | 6.B.1 |
| Division | 6.B.1.Na Eastern North American Temperate Cliff, Scree & Rock Vegetation Division | D051 | 6.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 6.B.1.Na.1 Shrubby Fivefingers - Rock Polypody / Cup Lichen species Eastern North American Cliff & Rock Vegetation Macrogroup | M111 | 6.B.1.Na.1 |
| Group | 6.B.1.Na.1.d Central Midwest-Interior Cliff & Rock Vegetation Group | G841 | 6.B.1.Na.1.d |
| Alliance | A3998 Central Midwest-Interior Alkaline Cliff Alliance | A3998 | 6.B.1.Na.1.d |
| Association | CEGL002293 Driftless Area Maderate Cliff Vegetation | CEGL002293 | 6.B.1.Na.1.d |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Maderate Cliff Sparse Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Moist Cliff (Southeast Section) Maderate Subtype (MNNHP 1993)
= Moist Cliff (Southeast Section) Maderate Subtype (MNNHP 1993)
- 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.).
- Frest, T. 1991. Summary status reports on eight species of candidate land snails from the Driftless Area (paleozoic plateau), upper Midwest. Contract No. 30181-01366, USFWS Region 3.
- INAI [Iowa Natural Areas Inventory]. 2017. Vegetation classification of Iowa. Iowa Natural Areas Inventory, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines.
- MNNHP [Minnesota Natural Heritage Program]. 1993. Minnesota''s native vegetation: A key to natural communities. Version 1.5. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, St. Paul, MN. 110 pp.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2003-2005a. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota. Three volumes: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province (2003), The Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province (2005c), The Prairie Parkland and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces (2005b). Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Minnesota DNR [Minnesota Department of Natural Resources]. 2005c. Field guide to the native plant communities of Minnesota: The Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province. Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul.
- Ostlie, W. R. Personal communication. Midwest Regional Office, The Nature Conservancy, Minneapolis, MN.
- USFWS [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]. 1998a. Sedum integrifolium ssp. leedyi (Leedy''s roseroot) recovery plan. Fort Snelling, MN. vi plus 31 pp.