Print Report

CEGL001473 Calamovilfa longifolia - Hesperostipa comata Grassland

Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Prairie Sandreed - Needle-and-Thread Grassland

Colloquial Name: Prairie Sandreed - Needle-and-Thread Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Association

Type Concept: This prairie sandreed grassland community type occurs in the central and northern Great Plains region of the United States and southwestern Canada. Stands occur on stabilized sand dunes, as well as in interdunal valleys, colluvial sands, and, less commonly, silty terraces of intermittent streams. Soils are medium to fine sands formed either from eolian or colluvial processes. The vegetation has an open canopy, dominated by mid to tall grasses. Calamovilfa longifolia and Hesperostipa comata are the most conspicuous and dominant grasses. Other common grasses include Bouteloua gracilis, Koeleria macrantha, Achnatherum hymenoides, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. The type may grade into stands dominated by Pascopyrum smithii and Nassella viridula at the base of slopes. Andropogon hallii or Hesperostipa spartea may also be present. Sedges are rare but could include Carex inops ssp. heliophila or Carex filifolia. Forb diversity ranges from low to moderate, depending on the site. Dry valley sand prairies may be particularly forb-rich. Silty terraces of intermittent streams may contain Artemisia frigida, Artemisia ludoviciana, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Psoralidium tenuiflorum, and Yucca glauca. Shrubs are scattered and infrequent to absent, with Rhus trilobata the most common species. Rosa woodsii, Elaeagnus commutata, and Artemisia cana become more common in northern occurrences. These areas are highly susceptible to invasion by exotic brome grasses (Bromus arvensis, Bromus squarrosus, and Bromus tectorum) and may be quite weedy.

Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This type may perhaps be differentiated from other types, such as ~Calamovilfa longifolia - Carex inops ssp. heliophila Grassland (CEGL001471)$$, by the absence or low abundance of Carex filifolia and Carex inops ssp. heliophila, though why those species are not abundant in this type is not clear. Further floristic comparisons need to be made to help make the distinction clear between that type and this. Some floristic variability is to be expected in this type, based on successional patterns following dune blowouts. Steve Kettler (pers. comm. 1998) says they do not have this type in Colorado. It sounds like a version of a locally described Andropogon hallii - Stipa comata type, of which Colorado is also not very confident. Kettler suspects that a lot of the variation in grass dominance is from different management (grazing) over the years. The silty terrace stands are reported from the White River drainage in northwestern Nebraska and Badlands National Park, South Dakota (Von Loh et al. 1999, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003). In Nebraska, this is the common sand prairie type west of the sandhills. This community type is a prominent component of the Suffield National Wildlife Area in Alberta, Canada, where it occurs primarily on various eolian landforms but is also found on the slopes of ravine valleys and some riparian flats. It is separated from other Calamovilfa-dominated types by the presence of Hesperostipa comata, with over 10% cover, as the second most abundant species in the stand (after Calamovilfa).

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

Floristics: The vegetation has an open canopy, dominated by mid to tall grasses. Calamovilfa longifolia is the most conspicuous grass, and Hesperostipa comata (= Stipa comata) also has significant cover (over 10% cover in Alberta stands). Other common grasses include Bouteloua gracilis, Koeleria macrantha, Achnatherum hymenoides (= Oryzopsis hymenoides), and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Pascopyrum smithii (= Agropyron smithii) and Nassella viridula (= Stipa viridula) may occur on more level sites at the base of slopes (Barnes et al. 1984, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003). Andropogon hallii may also be present. Sedges are rare but could include Carex inops ssp. heliophila. Forb diversity ranges from low to moderate, depending on the site. Dry valley sand prairies may be particularly forb-rich. Silty terraces of intermittent streams may contain Artemisia frigida, Artemisia ludoviciana, Gutierrezia sarothrae, Psoralidium tenuiflorum, and Yucca glauca (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003). Shrubs are scattered and infrequent to absent, with Rhus trilobata the most common species. Rosa woodsii, Elaeagnus commutata, and Artemisia cana become more common in northern occurrences. These areas are highly susceptible to invasion by exotic brome grasses (Bromus arvensis (= Bromus japonicus), Bromus squarrosus, Bromus tectorum) and may be quite weedy (Heerwagen 1958, BLM 1979b, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).

Dynamics:  Blowouts caused by drought and wind may occur in this type. The type probably represents a later successional stage. Earlier stages in the southern part of the association''s range may be dominated by Andropogon hallii (e.g., ~Andropogon hallii - Calamovilfa longifolia Grassland (CEGL001467)$$). Heavy grazing may increase the likelihood of blowouts and may also eliminate or greatly reduce the dominance of the taller grasses (Heerwagen 1958). These areas are highly susceptible to invasion by exotic brome grasses (Bromus arvensis, Bromus squarrosus, Bromus tectorum) and may be quite weedy (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 1997).
Environmental Description:  Stands occur on stabilized sand dunes, as well as in interdunal valleys or draws, colluvial sands, and, less commonly, silty terraces of intermittent streams. Soils are medium to fine sands formed either from eolian or colluvial processes. For example, in Nebraska stands occur below sandstone outcrops and escarpments. More rarely, stands occur on floodplain terraces of intermittent streams, where soils are moderately deep, poorly drained, silty loams and loams (Heerwagen 1958, BLM 1979b, Barnes et al. 1984, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Geographic Range: This prairie sandreed grassland community type occurs in the central and northern Great Plains region of the United States and southwestern Canada, ranging from Colorado and Nebraska, north to Wyoming and South Dakota and into Alberta, Canada.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AB, CO, MT, NE, SD, WY


Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G3

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.4 Sand Bluestem - Prairie Sandreed - Sand Sagebrush Great Plains Sand Grassland & Shrubland Macrogroup M052 2.B.2.Nb.4
Group 2.B.2.Nb.4.b Northern Great Plains Sand Grassland & Shrubland Group G889 2.B.2.Nb.4.b
Alliance A1201 Prairie Sandreed - Sand Bluestem Sand Prairie Alliance A1201 2.B.2.Nb.4.b
Association CEGL001473 Prairie Sandreed - Needle-and-Thread Grassland CEGL001473 2.B.2.Nb.4.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Calamovilfa longifolia - Hesperostipa comata Herbaceous Vegetation (Faber-Langendoen 2001)
= Calamovilfa longifolia - Hesperostipa comata Herbaceous Vegetation (Cooper et al. 2001)
= Calamovilfa longifolia - Stipa comata (Allen 2005)
= Calamovilfa longifolia - Stipa comata (Adams et al. 1997)
= Calamovilfa longifolia - Stipa comata Plant Association (Johnston 1987)
= Sandhills Needlegrass Prairie (Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 1997)
Concept Author(s): G. Steinauer and S. Rolfsmeier (1997)

Author of Description: G. Steinauer, S. Rolfsmeier, D. Faber-Langendoen and L. Allen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-26-06
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