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CEGL005095 Andropogon gerardii - Calamagrostis canadensis - Pycnanthemum virginianum - Oligoneuron ohioense Wet Meadow
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Big Bluestem - Bluejoint - Virginia Mountainmint - Ohio Goldenrod Wet Meadow
Colloquial Name: Lakeplain Wet-Mesic Prairie
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This lakeplain wet-mesic prairie grassland community is found on the lakeplain near the southern central Great Lakes of the United States and Canada. Stands occur on level, sandy glacial outwash, sandy glacial lakeplains, and deposits of dune sand in silty/clayey glacial lakeplains. The soils are sands, sandy loams, loams, or silty clays with poor to moderate water-retaining capacity. There may be temporary inundations after heavy rains or in the spring. The vegetation of this community is dominated by tallgrass species typically 1-2 m high. Trees and shrubs are very rare. There is very little bare ground. Andropogon gerardii, Carex spp. (Carex bicknellii, Carex buxbaumii, Carex pellita), Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans are the most abundant species. Diagnostic species include Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Pedicularis lanceolata, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, and Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea. Coreopsis tripteris and Aletris farinosa are also good mesic to wet-mesic indicators. Oligoneuron ohioense is common in this community but also occurs in fens and Great Lakes interdunal wetlands. Pycnanthemum virginianum is common in this community but may also occur in woodlands.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Concept of the type is derived in part from the Michigan state classification type Lakeplain Wet-mesic Prairie (Chapman et al. 1989).
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The vegetation of this community is dominated by tallgrass species typically 1-2 m high. Trees and shrubs are very rare. There is very little bare ground. Andropogon gerardii, Carex spp. (Carex bicknellii, Carex buxbaumii, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa)), Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans are the most abundant species. Diagnostic species include Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Pedicularis lanceolata, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Oligoneuron ohioense (= Solidago ohioensis), and Vernonia gigantea ssp. gigantea (= Vernonia altissima). Coreopsis tripteris and Aletris farinosa are also good mesic to wet-mesic indicators (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994, Comer et al. 1995b). Disturbed sites may contain considerable amounts of the invasive exotic Poa compressa.
In many cases a lakeplain wet-mesic tallgrass prairie that is even wetter (dominated by Spartina pectinata, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Carex spp.) forms a relatively narrow zone between wet-mesic tallgrass prairie and marsh. Occasionally this variant can cover 0.5 ha or more. This community is similar to other wet and wet-mesic grassland types in its range. One feature of this community that serves to set it apart from other wet grassland types is the presence of species typical of fens and interdunal wetlands. Oligoneuron ohioense is one such species (Pringle 1982).
In many cases a lakeplain wet-mesic tallgrass prairie that is even wetter (dominated by Spartina pectinata, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Carex spp.) forms a relatively narrow zone between wet-mesic tallgrass prairie and marsh. Occasionally this variant can cover 0.5 ha or more. This community is similar to other wet and wet-mesic grassland types in its range. One feature of this community that serves to set it apart from other wet grassland types is the presence of species typical of fens and interdunal wetlands. Oligoneuron ohioense is one such species (Pringle 1982).
Dynamics: Wildfires may have played a role in maintaining these systems in the past (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1987, 1994, Comer et al. 1995b).
Environmental Description: This community occurs on level, sandy glacial outwash, sandy glacial lakeplains, and deposits of dune sand in silty/clayey glacial lakeplains. The soils are sands, sandy loams, loams, or silty clays with poor to moderate water-retaining capacity. In extreme southern Ontario the A horizon of the soils averaged 33 cm deep and 10% organic matter (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994). There may be temporary inundations after heavy rains or in the spring, but due to the rapid drainage, moderate drought conditions are common in the summer.
Geographic Range: This grassland community is found near the southern central Great Lakes of the United States and Canada, from southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois to southern Michigan and southwestern Ontario.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: IL, IN, MI, OH, ON, WI
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.690038
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.2 Broadleaf Cattail - White Snakeroot - Rush species Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup | M069 | 2.C.4.Nd.2 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.2.e Prairie Cordgrass - Bluejoint - Sedge species Midwest Wet Prairie, Wet Meadow & Shrub Swamp Group | G770 | 2.C.4.Nd.2.e |
| Alliance | A4433 Big Bluestem - Bluejoint - Ohio Goldenrod Grassland Alliance | A4433 | 2.C.4.Nd.2.e |
| Association | CEGL005095 Big Bluestem - Bluejoint - Virginia Mountainmint - Ohio Goldenrod Wet Meadow | CEGL005095 | 2.C.4.Nd.2.e |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Andropogon gerardii - Calamagrostis canadensis - Pycnanthemum virginianum - Oligoneuron ohioense Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001) [Wet-Mesic Prairie Lakeplain Subtype]
= Lakeplain Wet-mesic Prairie (Chapman et al. 1989)
= Lakeplain wet-mesic prairie (Comer et al. 1995b)
> Wet-mesic sandy loam prairie (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994)
> Wet-mesic sandy prairies (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994)
= Lakeplain Wet-mesic Prairie (Chapman et al. 1989)
= Lakeplain wet-mesic prairie (Comer et al. 1995b)
> Wet-mesic sandy loam prairie (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994)
> Wet-mesic sandy prairies (Faber-Langendoen and Maycock 1994)
- Chapman, K. A. 1984. An ecological investigation of native grassland in southern Lower Michigan. Unpublished Master''s thesis, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo. 235 pp.
- Chapman, K. A., D. A. Albert, and G. A. Reese. 1989. Draft descriptions of Michigan''s natural community types. Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, MI. 35 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.).
- Hanley, T. A., and J. L. Page. [1981]. Differential effects of livestock use on habitat structure and rodent populations in Great Basin communities. California Fish and Game 68(3):160-174.
- 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]
- 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.
- Pringle, J. S. 1982. The distribution of Solidago ohioensis. The Michigan Botanist 21(2):51-57.
- 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.