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CEGL005019 Panicum virgatum - Pascopyrum smithii Southern Wet Meadow
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Switchgrass - Western Wheatgrass Southern Wet Meadow
Colloquial Name: Southern Switchgrass - Western Wheatgrass Wet Meadow
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association has been identified in the northern panhandle of Texas but likely occurs elsewhere in the southwestern Great Plains. It is found on level to nearly level sites along floodplains of rivers and major streams, often interspersed with floodplain woodlands. Soils are sandy alluvium, and the water table is usually shallow. The association has a moderate to dense herbaceous stratum. Shrubs and trees are often present but only as scattered individuals. Panicum virgatum is the dominant grass with lesser amounts of Pascopyrum smithii. Distichlis spicata, Sporobolus airoides, and Sporobolus compositus can be abundant in some stands but are not always present.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association is very similar to ~Panicum virgatum - (Pascopyrum smithii) Wet Meadow (CEGL001484)$$ from the northern Great Plains. It was separated because of geographic distance and because this association occurs on river floodplains while CEGL001484 is found in depressional wetlands; however, the degree of difference between these two associations should be further investigated.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: This community is dominated by grasses, with Panicum virgatum being the most prevalent along with somewhat lesser amounts of Pascopyrum smithii. Other grasses that may occur in lesser quantities are Sporobolus airoides, Sporobolus compositus var. compositus (= Sporobolus asper var. hookeri), Elymus canadensis, and Distichlis spicata. The productive capacity of the community is high with good grass cover. Forbs are generally infrequent, with Glycyrrhiza lepidota, Symphyotrichum ericoides (= Aster ericoides), and Ambrosia psilostachya being the most common. Shrubs can be widely scattered to as much as a 10% canopy cover and consist of Baccharis salicina and Tamarix ramosissima.
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: This community occurs on floodplains of major streams and along the Canadian River. The water table is generally within 1 m of the surface. The slopes are nearly level and the soils range from loamy to sandy. Flooding occurs occasionally to a depth not more than 0.3 to 0.6 m for brief periods. Soils consist of alluvium and are relatively young in age. Natural fires occurred approximately every 8 to 10 years on the average in presettlement times. This community is attractive to domestic grazing animals and may have been subjected to periodic heavy grazing in past decades.
Geographic Range: No Data Available
Nations: US
States/Provinces: TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.788023
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
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.5 Prairie Cordgrass - Cattail species - Bulrush species Great Plains Marsh, Wet Meadow, Shrubland & Playa Macrogroup | M071 | 2.C.4.Nd.5 |
| Group | 2.C.4.Nd.5.e Western Wheatgrass - Vine-mesquite - Buffalograss Playa & Rainwater Basin Wetland Group | G136 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.e |
| Alliance | A3597 Western Wheatgrass Wet Meadow Alliance | A3597 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.e |
| Association | CEGL005019 Switchgrass - Western Wheatgrass Southern Wet Meadow | CEGL005019 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.e |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Fenton, K., J. R. Bell, and D. Wegner. 2007. Lake Meredith National Recreation Area, Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, Texas. Technical Memorandum No. 86-68260-07-01. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.