Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: The dominant species in this community are Sorghastrum nutans and Schizachyrium scoparium. Other characteristic herbaceous species may include Symphyotrichum depauperatum (= Aster depauperatus), Vernonia noveboracensis, Achillea millefolium, Deschampsia cespitosa, Packera anonyma (= Senecio anonymus), Oenothera fruticosa ssp. tetragona (= Oenothera tetragona), Setaria parviflora (= Setaria geniculata), Panicum virgatum, Danthonia spicata, Symphyotrichum ericoides (= Aster ericoides), Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (= Aster lateriflorus), Ageratina aromatica (= Eupatorium aromaticum), Potentilla simplex, and Asclepias viridiflora. In Pennsylvania, the only important woody species is Juniperus virginiana which may have up to 40% cover in some grasslands. In New York, trees may cover 20-40% and typically include Betula populifolia, Quercus velutina, Sassafras albidum, and Populus tremuloides.

Dynamics:  This grassland community is adapted to the weathering of serpentine bedrock. It was once thought that the lack of canopy cover was maintained by the unique edaphic features of the chrome series soils, but in the last 20 years many sites have been invaded by dense Pinus virginiana (Tyndall 1992a). In this community, eastern red-cedar can reach up to 40% in canopy cover. Further establishment and expansion of eastern red-cedar in this grassland community type may alter the light regime and promote substantial soil development (up to 10 cm in 20 years). Under these conditions, an entirely different community develops as the influence of the bedrock is buffered by the soil/litter accumulation. As the canopy closes, the grassland community can succeed into a serpentine woodland or forest, and a dense understory of Smilax rotundifolia may become established. Some of the characteristic herbaceous serpentine species apparently may persist in the ground layer as scattered non-flowering individuals; other populations appear to die out but may persist in the seed bank. Selective cutting has been effective in restoring degraded sites to their previous composition and structure, but most researchers believe that without regular burning to prevent soil development the herbaceous serpentine plant communities may not persist. There is substantial evidence that most of the existing areas were regularly burned by Native Americans (Marye 1920, 1955a, 1955b, 1955c) and perhaps maintained by grazing after European settlement.