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G335 Schizachyrium scoparium - Bifora americana - Paspalum plicatulum Tallgrass Prairie Group

Type Concept Sentence: This prairie group ranges from the outer Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Texas, through central Texas to southern Oklahoma. It is characterized by grasslands, though some examples on xeric sandy soils may have greater cover of forbs. Microtopography often influences dominance patterns of characteristic grasses such as Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Paspalum plicatulum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Sporobolus silveanus, Triplasis purpurea, and Tripsacum dactyloides.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Prairie Bishop - Brownseed Crowngrass Tallgrass Prairie Group

Colloquial Name: Blackland & Coastal Tallgrass Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Group

Type Concept: This perennial grassland prairie group encompasses alliances and associations related to blackland prairies of Texas and Oklahoma, grasslands on sands of central Texas, as well as non-saline tallgrass prairie vegetation ranging along the coast of Louisiana and Texas. In the blackland areas, soils are typically dark alkaline Vertisols over calcareous parent material interspersed with patches of acidic, sandy loam Alfisols and Mollisols. In the coastal prairies, this vegetation occurs on Vertisols and Alfisols which have developed over Pleistocene terraces flanking the Gulf Coast. This group also encompasses grasslands occurring on deep sandy soils (Entisols) in two settings: older Eocene strata, and younger Pleistocene terraces flanking rivers. Terrain in this group is often characterized by gilgai, ridge-and-swale, or mound-and-intermound mima mound microtopography, and the vegetation encompasses both upland and small-scale wetland plant communities. Both of these components are typically dominated by perennial grasses such as Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Sporobolus silveanus, Triplasis purpurea, and Tripsacum dactyloides. In addition, Paspalum plicatulum is a possible dominant in the coastal stands. Disturbed examples of coastal stands may be dominated by Andropogon glomeratus.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This group is characterized by a tall to medium-tall, more-or-less continuous graminoid layer dominated or codominated by perennial grasses such as Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Sporobolus silveanus, Triplasis purpurea, and Tripsacum dactyloides. Soils are typically deep and may be Alfisols, Mollisols, or Vertisols.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: No Data Available

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: The vegetation of this group is herbaceous, prairie vegetation on deep soils. Some components may be an upland/wetland mosaic.

Floristics: Both the ridge/mound and swale/intermound components are typically dominated by perennial grasses such as Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, Sporobolus silveanus, and Tripsacum dactyloides. In addition, Paspalum plicatulum is a possible dominant in the coastal stands. Disturbed occurrences of the coastal prairie may be dominated by Andropogon glomeratus. In the blackland prairies, Andropogon gerardii is a more likely associate on Mollisols. Tripsacum dactyloides and Panicum virgatum are common associates on Vertisols, especially on the gilgai microtopography. Heavy grazing has allowed species such as Bouteloua dactyloides (= Buchloe dactyloides) and Bouteloua rigidiseta to invade. Grasses of deep sandy soils are characterized by Aristida desmantha, Dichanthelium spp., Schizachyrium scoparium, and Triplasis purpurea but forbs, lichens and dry-site ferns, such as Brazoria truncata, Cladonia spp., Cnidoscolus texanus, Froelichia floridana, Gaillardia amblyodon, Lechea mucronata, Monarda punctata, Polanisia erosa, Rhynchosia americana, Selaginella arenicola ssp. riddellii, Stylisma pickeringii, Tephrosia lindheimeri, Tetragonotheca repanda, Zornia bracteata, may be more characteristic of these areas than grasses.

Dynamics:  Fire and grazing constitute the major natural dynamics influencing the blackland prairie. Infrequent, but intense, fires prevent woody species from establishing. Fire suppression and overgrazing have allowed woody species to invade. Heavy grazing has also altered the floristic composition by allowing species such as Bouteloua dactyloides and Bouteloua rigidiseta to invade. Stands of this group are matrix in the case of the coastal Louisiana and Texas component, and large patch in the case of the blackland component. Some estimates state that 99% of Texas-Louisiana coastal prairie has been lost through conversion to other uses and environmental degradation due to the interruption of important ecological processes, such as fire, needed to maintain it. In the absence of regular fire, this vegetation will be invaded by woody shrubs and trees.
Environmental Description:  Prairies on deep sandy soils in this group are found primarily on the Carrizo geologic formation, but also on other Eocene strata such as Queen City and Sparta. The combination of these very droughty soils with low levels of rainfall create extreme edaphic conditions and a locally unique environment which supports a number of endemic plant taxa. It is found on high topographic positions, and this, along with rapidly draining soils, results in conditions that only briefly retain surface moisture. The coastal prairie is generally coincident with the distribution of the Pleistocene Beaumont and Lissie formations in Texas (Prairie and Intermediate allogroups in Louisiana). It is usually found on level to gently rolling landscapes, with slopes generally less than 5%. Microtopography plays an important role in local variation, with ridges, swales, mounds, depressions, mima (or pimple) mounds, and gilgai leading to a mosaic of drier and wetter plant communities. Typical soils are non-saline Vertisols, Alfisols, and (less extensively) Mollisols (Diamond and Smeins 1984, Smeins et al. 1992). Vertisols are often characterized by gilgai, resulting from shrink-swell attributes of the montmorillonitic clays of which they are composed. Historically, rivers and streams dissected this vegetation type, breaking it into large compartments with species composition shifting across the range. A moisture gradient occurs from northeast (average 120 cm/year) to southwest (average 100 cm/year) across the range of the coastal prairie component of this group (Diamond and Smeins 1984). Texas blackland prairie examples are typified by the presence of dark alkaline Vertisol soils over calcareous parent material interspersed with patches of acidic, sandy loam Alfisols and Mollisols. Microtopography such as gilgai and mima mounds can occur and are important microhabitats that lead to a high degree of plant diversity. The main belt of the Texas blackland prairie is divided into Vertisol, Alfisol and Mollisol regions. The Vertisol region is characterized by the presence of dark clay alkaline soils over limestone marl parent material, while the Eastern Marginal prairies are characterized by variously textured Alfisols over sandstone parent material. Alkaline clay and clay loam Mollisols are found on the Austin Chalk formation on fragmented Cretaceous limestone. Two outlier prairies, the Fayette Prairie (EPA 32b) and San Antonio Prairie (EPA 33c), are underlain by both Vertisols and Alfisols. Each variation in soil texture and pH supports its characteristic community.
Geographic Range: This group ranges from the outer Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana and Texas through central Texas to southern Oklahoma.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  LA, OK, TX


Confidence Level: Moderate

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.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.1 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Dense Blazingstar Tallgrass Prairie Macrogroup M054 2.B.2.Nb.1
Group 2.B.2.Nb.1.a Little Bluestem - Prairie Bishop - Brownseed Crowngrass Tallgrass Prairie Group G335 2.B.2.Nb.1.a
Alliance A4059 Little Bluestem - Brownseed Crowngrass - Slender Little Bluestem Grassland Alliance A4059 2.B.2.Nb.1.a
Alliance A4060 Switchgrass - Eastern Gamagrass Grassland Alliance A4060 2.B.2.Nb.1.a
Alliance A4062 Little Bluestem - Pinkscale Blazingstar Sandy Grassland Alliance A4062 2.B.2.Nb.1.a
Alliance A4063 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - Big Bluestem Grassland Alliance A4063 2.B.2.Nb.1.a
Concept Lineage: G064 & G065 appear to have been reworked to form G333 & G335

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Schizachyrium-Sorghastrum-Andropogon community type (Diamond and Smeins 1985)
> Schizachyrium-Sorghastrum-Andropogon community type (Diamond and Smeins 1988)
> Blackland Prairie (Andropogon-Stipa): 76 (Küchler 1964)
> Bluestem - Sacahuista Prairie (711) (Shiflet 1994)
> Bluestem-Sacahuista Prairie (Andropogon-Spartina): 77 (Küchler 1964)
> Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - Texas Wintergrass (717) (Shiflet 1994)
> Little Bluestem-Big Bluestem-Indiangrass Association (Diamond and Smeins 1990)
Concept Author(s): J. Teague and M. Pyne, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2011)

Author of Description: J. Teague and M. Pyne

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 05-07-15
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