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CEGL005282 Salix interior - (Salix exigua) Great Plains Wet Shrubland
Type Concept Sentence: Riparian shrublands in the Great Plains dominated by Salix interior (less commonly Salix exigua) with a graminoid understory.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Sandbar Willow - (Narrowleaf Willow) Great Plains Wet Shrubland
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Sandbar Willow Wet Shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Association
Type Concept: This association is found in the central and northern Great Plains along rivers and streams. Soils are poorly developed or absent. The substrate is typically alluvial sand or gravel, though finer sediments can occur in places. Shrubs dominate. Depending on time since the last major disturbance (usually flooding), the shrubs can be short to tall (0-4 m). Salix interior is the dominant shrub but other shrubs or saplings are common, including Salix amygdaloides, Salix exigua, Salix nigra (in the East), Salix lutea, Salix eriocephala, Populus deltoides, and Cornus sericea. The understory is usually moderate to lush but can be sparse if subject to a recent major flood. The herbaceous layer is typically dominated by mid and tall graminoids such as Carex spp., Pascopyrum smithii, Panicum virgatum, Spartina pectinata, and Schoenoplectus spp. (in wetter areas). Other common herbaceous species include Equisetum hyemale, Xanthium strumarium, Polygonum spp., and Ambrosia artemisiifolia.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Riparian wetlands dominated by Salix interior with a graminoid undergrowth. Salix exigua is characteristic in parts of the range.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This association was created from the Great Plains portion of ~Salix exigua / Mesic Graminoids Western Wet Shrubland (CEGL001203)$$. There is currently only this association to represent Salix interior shrublands in the Great Plains. That may be too broad an area and concept for a single association. Salix exigua stands may represent a distinct type. It is arbitrarily separated from ~Salix interior Wet Shrubland (CEGL008562)$$ based on geography, with CEGL008562 replacing this type in the Central Lowlands (tallgrass prairie - province 250). More information is needed to support this distinction.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Medium to tall shrublands with a graminoid understory.
Floristics: Salix interior is the dominant shrub and often the only woody species present. Stands can have other woody species such as saplings of Salix amygdaloides, Salix exigua, Salix nigra (in the east), and Populus deltoides. Shrubs often found include Salix lutea, Salix eriocephala, and Cornus sericea. The understory is usually moderate to lush but can be sparse if subject to a recent major flood. The herbaceous layer is typically dominated by mid and tall graminoids such as Carex spp., Pascopyrum smithii, Panicum virgatum, Spartina pectinata, and Schoenoplectus spp. (in wetter areas). Other common herbaceous species include Equisetum hyemale, Xanthium strumarium, Polygonum spp., and Ambrosia artemisiifolia.
Dynamics: These require high water tables, and flooding, but generally do not experience scouring floods, which allows for the graminoid understory to develop.
Environmental Description: This association is found in riparian channels, immediate streambanks, backwater channels, irrigation ditches, and other low wet areas that are not subject to frequent flooding scour.
Geographic Range: This shrubland is found in the central and western Great Plains from the central Dakotas, central Nebraska, and central Kansas to eastern Colorado, Wyoming, and central Montana. It extends into Canada in southern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: CO, KS, MT, ND, NE, OK, SD, WY
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.887171
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.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.c Dogwood species - Chokecherry / Western Wheatgrass Great Plains Riparian Wet Meadow & Shrubland Group | G337 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.c |
| Alliance | A3589 Sandbar Willow Wet Shrubland | A3589 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.c |
| Association | CEGL005282 Sandbar Willow - (Narrowleaf Willow) Great Plains Wet Shrubland | CEGL005282 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.c |
Concept Lineage: No Data Available
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Midwestern Ecology Working Group of NatureServe. No date. International Ecological Classification Standard: International Vegetation Classification. Terrestrial Vegetation. NatureServe, Minneapolis, MN.
- Rolfsmeier, S. B., and G. Steinauer. 2010. Terrestrial ecological systems and natural communities of Nebraska (Version IV - March 9, 2010). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Lincoln, NE. 228 pp.
- SDNHP [South Dakota Natural Heritage Program]. 2018. Unpublished data. South Dakota Natural Heritage Program, Pierre, SD.