Print Report
G680 Southern Great Plains-Comanchian Ruderal Grassland & Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: This group is dominated by a variety of non-native invasive or native adventive grasses, forbs, or shrubs and is found from Oklahoma though central Texas to western and southern Texas and into Mexico.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Southern Great Plains-Comanchian Ruderal Grassland & Shrubland
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland & Shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Group
Type Concept: This group is found from Oklahoma though central Texas to western and southern Texas, and eastern New Mexico, south into Mexico. It is dominated by non-native invasive or native adventive grasses, forbs, or shrubs that become abundant after significant disturbance, often associated with agricultural activities, or a disruption of natural disturbance regimes. Common disturbances which favor establishment of this group include long-term, heavy grazing, planting exotic species for livestock forage, plowing land and then abandoning it, and a disruption of the natural fire regime. Vegetation cover varies from low to very high. Abundant species vary greatly in this group, depending on the geographic location, seed sources, and nature of land use. This group includes pastures characterized by non-native invasive grasses such as Bothriochloa ischaemum, Dichanthium annulatum, Dichanthium sericeum, Pennisetum ciliare, and Setaria spp. It includes pastures and other disturbed areas dominated by native increasers such as Bouteloua dactyloides, and successional shrublands of old fields, pastures and other cleared areas that were previously forested and dominated by native species of Crataegus, Rhus lanceolata, or Baccharis neglecta. In some cases, areas dominated by these species were originally planted, but now the species have become completely naturalized, and may dominate large areas. This group also includes native upland shortgrass prairie areas dominated by invasive woody species, especially Prosopis glandulosa and Juniperus virginiana (when low and less than 2-5 m). When Juniperus virginiana matures, it is treated as a Juniper woodland.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This group is dominated by non-native invasive or native adventive grasses, forbs, or shrubs that become abundant after significant disturbance, often associated with agricultural activities, or a disruption of natural disturbance regimes. Common disturbances which favor establishment of this group include long-term, heavy grazing, planting exotic species for livestock forage, plowing land and then abandoning it, and a disruption of the natural fire regime.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: Although Prosopis glandulosa was reported in the Texas Panhandle in 1849 and along the Canadian River in New Mexico in 1715 prior to extensive cattle grazing (Hart 2008), in the last hundred years it has expanded into upland areas in the shortgrass prairie where it did not occur historically and is consider to be ruderal or novel vegetation.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Examples of this group range from herbaceous-dominated to shrub-dominated.
Floristics: This group includes pastures characterized by non-native invasive grasses such as Bothriochloa ischaemum, Dichanthium annulatum, Dichanthium sericeum, Pennisetum ciliare (= Cenchrus ciliaris), and Setaria spp. It includes pastures and other disturbed areas dominated by native increasers such as Bouteloua dactyloides (= Buchloe dactyloides), and successional shrublands of old fields, pastures and other cleared areas that were previously forested and dominated by native species of Crataegus, Rhus lanceolata, or Baccharis neglecta. This group also includes native upland shortgrass prairie areas dominated by invasive Prosopis glandulosa.
Dynamics: It is dominated by non-native invasive or native adventive grasses, forbs, or shrubs that become abundant after significant disturbance, often associated with agricultural activities, or a disruption of natural disturbance regimes. Common disturbances which favor establishment of this group include long-term, heavy grazing, planting exotic species for livestock forage, plowing land and then abandoning it, and a disruption of the natural fire regime.
Historically, mesquite-dominated shrublands and tree savannas probably occurred as a natural component on more fertile soils and along drainages where soils are deep in the short- and midgrass prairie, but mesquite has expanded its range into prairie uplands in recent decades (Sims and Risser 2000). Previously, periodic fire limited the development of woody cover to widely scattered large mesquite trees or possibly denser trees resembling a tree savanna (Archer 1989). Livestock grazing reduces fine fuels that carry fire and disperse seeds away from seed predators in animal dung which provides favorable conditions for germination and establishment (Archer 1989, Brown and Archer 1989). These recent invasive upland mesquite shrublands are considered ruderal or novel in th eshortgrass prairie where it did not occur historically.
Historically, mesquite-dominated shrublands and tree savannas probably occurred as a natural component on more fertile soils and along drainages where soils are deep in the short- and midgrass prairie, but mesquite has expanded its range into prairie uplands in recent decades (Sims and Risser 2000). Previously, periodic fire limited the development of woody cover to widely scattered large mesquite trees or possibly denser trees resembling a tree savanna (Archer 1989). Livestock grazing reduces fine fuels that carry fire and disperse seeds away from seed predators in animal dung which provides favorable conditions for germination and establishment (Archer 1989, Brown and Archer 1989). These recent invasive upland mesquite shrublands are considered ruderal or novel in th eshortgrass prairie where it did not occur historically.
Environmental Description: This vegetation occupies a variety of landscape positions and soil types.
Geographic Range: This group is found from Oklahoma though central Texas to western and southern Texas, and eastern New Mexico, south into Mexico.
Nations: MX,US
States/Provinces: MXCOA, MXNLE, MXTAM, NM, OK, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.881410
Confidence Level: Moderate
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNA
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.90 Kentucky Bluegrass - Buffalograss - Knapweed species Great Plains Ruderal Grassland & Shrubland Macrogroup | M498 | 2.B.2.Nb.90 |
| Group | 2.B.2.Nb.90.a Southern Great Plains-Comanchian Ruderal Grassland & Shrubland | G680 | 2.B.2.Nb.90.a |
| Alliance | A3952 Honey Mesquite Ruderal Scrub Alliance | A3952 | 2.B.2.Nb.90.a |
| Alliance | A4232 Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Shrubland Alliance | A4232 | 2.B.2.Nb.90.a |
| Alliance | A4233 Great Plains Comanchian Ruderal Grassland Alliance | A4233 | 2.B.2.Nb.90.a |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Archer, S. 1989. Have southern Texas savannas been converted to woodlands in recent history? The American Naturalist 134:545-561.
- Brown, J. R., and S. Archer. 1989. Woody plant invasion of grasslands: Establishment of honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa) on sites differing in herbaceous biomass and grazing history. Oecologia 80:19-26.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, S. Gawler, M. Hall, C. Josse, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, L. Sneddon, K. Schulz, J. Teague, M. Russo, K. Snow, and P. Comer, editors. 2010-2019a. Divisions, Macrogroups and Groups for the Revised U.S. National Vegetation Classification. NatureServe, Arlington, VA. plus appendices. [in preparation]
- Hart, R. H. 2008. Land-use history on the Shortgrass Steppe. Pages 55-69 in: W. K. Lauenroth and I. C. Burke, editors. Ecology of the shortgrass steppe: A long-term perspective. Oxford University Press, New York.
- Sims, P. L., and P. G. Risser. 2000. Grasslands. Pages 325-356 in: M. G. Barbour and W. D. Billings, editors. North American terrestrial vegetation. Second edition. Cambridge University Press, New York. 434 pp.