Print Report
CEGL005286 Hordeum jubatum Great Plains Wet Meadow
Type Concept Sentence: No Data Available
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Foxtail Barley Great Plains Wet Meadow
Colloquial Name: No Data Available
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This foxtail barley community type is found in the northern and central Great Plains of the United States and Canada, ranging from South Dakota to Saskatchewan. Stands are found in lowlands with moderately to strongly saline or alkaline soils. The topography is flat, and the soils are often flooded or saturated in the spring. The vegetation is dominated by short and medium tall graminoids with a total vegetation cover of nearly 100%. Shrubs are usually absent. Hordeum jubatum dominates the community. Other common species in this community are Elymus trachycaulus, Distichlis spicata, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa arida, Poa compressa, and Rumex crispus.
Diagnostic Characteristics: No Data Available
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although this is a common community type in the interior western United States, it is poorly sampled and defined. This abstract is based on two descriptions of Hordeum jubatum-dominated stands which are assumed to be examples of this community. These stands may be variants of ~Distichlis spicata - Hordeum jubatum - Puccinellia nuttalliana - Suaeda calceoliformis Wet Meadow (CEGL002273)$$ and ~Pascopyrum smithii - Hordeum jubatum Wet Meadow (CEGL001582)$$. Both communities usually contain Hordeum jubatum and Distichlis spicata or Pascopyrum smithii in varying amounts. The presence of Puccinellia nuttalliana or Suaeda calceoliformis may be distinguishing factors. They appear to be more characteristic of strongly saline areas, while Hordeum jubatum can dominate on less saline sites (Redmann 1972). Classification problems may arise on intermediate sites when Hordeum jubatum is the dominant species and Distichlis spicata, Pascopyrum smithii, Puccinellia nuttalliana, and Suaeda calceoliformis are present in more than minor amounts.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available
Floristics: The typically dense vegetation is dominated by short and medium-tall graminoids with a total vegetation cover of nearly 100%, but it may occur as sparser stands (15-30% cover) (Barnes and Tieszen 1978, Von Loh 2000). Shrubs are usually absent. Hordeum jubatum dominates the community. No other dominants are usually associated with this association, perhaps due to fluctuating moisture conditions in combination with an alkaline or saline environment. Other common species in this community are Elymus trachycaulus, Distichlis spicata, Pascopyrum smithii, Poa arida, Poa compressa, Rumex crispus, Ambrosia tomentosa, and Malvella leprosa. Introduced species may be common in some stands, including Bassia scoparia (= Kochia scoparia), Sonchus arvensis, and Lepidium latifolium.
Dynamics: Total vegetation cover (density and height), species composition, and soil salinity depend on the amount and timing of precipitation and flooding. Growth-inhibiting salt concentrations are diluted when the soil is saturated, allowing the growth of less salt-tolerant species and more robust growth (Ungar 1967). Hordeum jubatum will replace Distichlis spicata in those communities when heavily grazed (Jones and Walford 1995).
Environmental Description: This association has been reported from lowlands across the northern Great Plains. The climate is semi-arid continental with mean annual precipitation of 25-48 cm. Elevation generally ranges from 600-1600 m. Stands are located in lowlands with moderately to strongly saline soils (Barnes and Tieszen 1978). The topography is flat, and the soils are often flooded or saturated in the spring (Redmann 1972). Hordeum jubatum is often found dominating disturbed areas such as roadsides and overgrazed bottomland.
Geographic Range: This foxtail barley community type is found in the northern and central Great Plains of the United States and Canada, ranging from South Dakota to Saskatchewan.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: ND, SD, SK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.839373
Confidence Level: Low - Poorly Documented
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4
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.5 Salt Marsh Formation | F035 | 2.C.5 |
| Division | 2.C.5.Na North American Great Plains Saline Marsh Division | D033 | 2.C.5.Na |
| Macrogroup | 2.C.5.Na.1 Great Plains Saline Wet Meadow & Marsh Macrogroup | M077 | 2.C.5.Na.1 |
| Group | 2.C.5.Na.1.a Saltgrass - Foxtail Barley - Western Wheatgrass Great Plains Saline Wet Meadow & Marsh Group | G324 | 2.C.5.Na.1.a |
| Alliance | A1341 Saltgrass - Foxtail Barley Wet Meadow Alliance | A1341 | 2.C.5.Na.1.a |
| Association | CEGL005286 Foxtail Barley Great Plains Wet Meadow | CEGL005286 | 2.C.5.Na.1.a |
Concept Lineage: The archived association (CEGL001798) was split into two new associations, with CEGL005286 (Great Plains) assigned to Group G324 and CEGL005285 (Great Basin) assigned to Group G538.decision needs further review, and the descriptive or distributional material for each will require review and editing.
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Hordeum jubatum Great Plains Herbaceous Vegetation (Von Loh 2000)
= Hordeum Type (Redmann 1972) [uncertain if equivalent]
= Foxtail Barley Community (Barnes and Tieszen 1978)
= Hordeum Type (Redmann 1972) [uncertain if equivalent]
= Foxtail Barley Community (Barnes and Tieszen 1978)
- Barnes, P. W., and L. L. Tieszen. 1978. A phytosociological study of 14 selected communities at the Samuel H. Ordway Prairie. Unpublished Paper. Undergraduate Research Project, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD.
- Jones, G. P., and G. M. Walford. 1995. Major riparian vegetation types of eastern Wyoming. Submitted to Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. 245 pp.
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- NDNHI [North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory]. 2018. Unpublished data. Vegetation classification of North Dakota. North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory, North Dakota Parks & Recreation Department, Bismarck.
- Redmann, R. E. 1972. Plant communities and soils of an eastern North Dakota prairie. Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 99(2):65-76.
- SDNHP [South Dakota Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. South Dakota Natural Heritage Program, Pierre, SD.
- Ungar, I. A. 1967. Vegetation-soil relationships on saline soils in northern Kansas. The American Midland Naturalist 78(1):98-121.
- Von Loh, J. 2000. Draft local descriptions of the vegetation associations of Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. USGS Bureau of Reclamation, Remote Sensing and GIS Group, Denver Federal Center, Denver.