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CEGL002883 Leymus condensatus Grassland
Type Concept Sentence: This association is dominated by Leymus condensatus in the herbaceous layer, though sometimes non-native species can codominate with this native grass. It is only known from the Santa Monica Mountains region but likely occurs sporadically throughout central and southern coastal California.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Giant Wildrye Grassland
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is only known from the Santa Monica Mountains region. However, it is likely to occur sporadically throughout central and southern coastal California. This herbaceous association occurs on somewhat steep to steep, often northerly slopes at low elevations between 25 and 503 m. It is dominated by Leymus condensatus in the herbaceous layer, though sometimes non-native species can codominate with this native grass. Salvia leucophylla is usually found in the shrub layer at low cover, and Juglans californica, Quercus agrifolia, and Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea infrequently occur in the tree or tall-shrub layer at low cover.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association is the first to be defined from this alliance. The alliance and this association tend to be short-lived because they are stimulated by fire and are fairly quickly taken over by native shrubs of the coastal sage scrub zone following fire. Keeley (2002) has suggested that Leymus condensatus was one of the species whose abundance was maintained by Native American burning. In the Santa Monica Mountains mapping area, Leymus does occur after fires; however, it may persist independently of fire in areas of human disturbance and urban runoff, or in areas of coastal sage scrub where natural slumping and seepage occur.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: Stands of this association at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area form an open to intermittent herbaceous layer (20-62%, mean 39.7%) at 0.01-2 m tall. The shrub layer is sparse to open, though sometimes intermittent, (0-35%, mean 8.6%) at 0-5 m tall. Trees are infrequently emergent (0-7% cover, mean 0.9%) with hardwoods at 0-10 m tall. Total vegetation cover is 30-65%; mean cover is 48.8%. In this association, the herbaceous layer is open to intermittent and is dominated by Leymus condensatus. However, non-native grasses and forbs may be present and subdominant to codominant. For example, non-native Brassica nigra is often included in this layer. Non-natives Bromus diandrus and Avena fatua occasionally occur, as does the native forb Malacothrix saxatilis. The shrub layer usually includes Salvia leucophylla, and Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea (= Sambucus mexicana), Artemisia californica, Malacothamnus fasciculatus, Hazardia squarrosa, and Eriogonum cinereum are occurring occasionally. The tree layer infrequently includes Juglans californica, Quercus agrifolia, and Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea as sparse emergents.
Dynamics: Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.
Environmental Description: Until further inventory is completed, there is no global information.
Geographic Range: This association is only known from the Santa Monica Mountains region. Information about its global distribution is not available without additional inventory. However, it is likely to occur sporadically throughout central and southern coastal California.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CA
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.788783
Confidence Level: Low
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.1 Mediterranean Scrub & Grassland Formation | F038 | 2.B.1 |
| Division | 2.B.1.Na Californian Scrub & Grassland Division | D327 | 2.B.1.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.B.1.Na.3 Purple Needlegrass - Harvest Brodiaea - Rusty Popcorn-flower Native Grassland Macrogroup | M045 | 2.B.1.Na.3 |
| Group | 2.B.1.Na.3.b Purple Needlegrass - California Melicgrass - Giant Wildrye Grassland Group | G496 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Alliance | A2663 Giant Wildrye Coastal Grassland Alliance | A2663 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
| Association | CEGL002883 Giant Wildrye Grassland | CEGL002883 | 2.B.1.Na.3.b |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Elymus condensatus Association (Rodriguez et al. 2017)
= Leymus condensatus Association (Sproul et al. 2011)
= Leymus condensatus (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.265.01]
= Leymus condensatus Herbaceous Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Leymus condensatus Herbaceous Vegetation (Keeley 2002)
= Leymus condensatus Association (Sproul et al. 2011)
= Leymus condensatus (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.265.01]
= Leymus condensatus Herbaceous Association (Keeler-Wolf and Evens 2006)
= Leymus condensatus Herbaceous Vegetation (Keeley 2002)
- Keeler-Wolf, T., and J. Evens. 2006. Vegetation classification of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and environs in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California. A report submitted to National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area by California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch and The California Native Plant Society, Vegetation Program, Sacramento, CA.
- Keeley, J. E. 2002. Native American impacts on fire regimes of the California coastal ranges. Journal of Biogeography 29:303-320.
- Rodriguez, D., K. G. Sikes, T. Keeler-Wolf, G. Kittel, J. Curtis, C. Curley, and J. Evens. 2017. Vegetation classification of Channel Islands National Park. Report to the National Park Service, Fort Collins, CO.
- Sawyer, J. O., T. Keeler-Wolf, and J. Evens. 2009. A manual of California vegetation. Second edition. California Native Plant Society, Sacramento CA. 1300 pp.
- Sproul, F., T. Keeler-Wolf, P. Gordon-Reedy, J. Dunn, A. Klein, and K. Harper. 2011. Vegetation classification manual for western San Diego County. AECOM, California Department of Fish and Game, San Diego Area Governments.
- Western Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Boulder, CO.