Print Report

A1294 Carex filifolia Mesic Grassland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance is dominated by Carex filifolia in the herbaceous layer. Plants grow in tight clumps that form closed to open turf. This short grassland of dry subalpine and alpine meadows occurs on slopes and ridges from 1500-3700 m elevation in the Sierra Nevada of California and possibly east into the mountain ranges of western Nevada.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Threadleaf Sedge Mesic Grassland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Threadleaf Sedge Mesic Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance is dominated by Carex filifolia in the herbaceous layer. Plants grow in tight clumps that form closed to open turf. Other herbs may include Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Antennaria rosea, Calamagrostis muiriana, Cistanthe monosperma, Cistanthe umbellata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dicentra uniflora, Erigeron algidus, Juncus mertensianus, Lewisia pygmaea, Lupinus breweri, Oreostemma alpigenum, Penstemon heterodoxus, Potentilla spp., Saxifraga aprica, Solidago multiradiata, and Trisetum spicatum. Emergent Eriogonum nudum plants may be present at low cover. This alliance forms large stands. Herbs are <0.3 m in height, and the canopy coverage is open to continuous. This short grassland of dry subalpine and alpine meadows occurs on slopes and ridges, and edges of subalpine meadows and basins from 1500-3700 m elevation in the Sierra Nevada of California and possibly east into the mountain ranges of western Nevada. Stands often grow on the upper margins of meadows, or just beyond the zone of seasonal soil saturation if the stand is adjacent to a lake. Soils are well-drained sands or loams. The precipitation regime where this alliance occurs is strongly seasonal, with most precipitation falling in the winter months. Most precipitation in the upper elevational range falls as snow. Summers are very dry.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Dominated by Carex filifolia in the herbaceous layer. Carex filifolia >=50% relative cover or is conspicuous (>=1% absolute cover) if other herbaceous species present. Calamagrostis muiriana or other short subalpine grasses and sedges are either subdominant or absent.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This alliance could possibly be merged with ~Calamagrostis breweri Mesic Grassland Alliance (A3364)$$, but occurs on somewhat drier sites, whereas Calamagrostis breweri requires subsurface moisture, and is seasonally flooded. In California, this is apparently Carex filifolia var. erostrata (Hickman 1993, Ball and Reznicek 2002), which in Kartesz (1999) is synonymous with Carex exserta. All of the associations in the USNVC for California should be renamed from Carex filifolia to Carex exserta or else to Carex filifolia var. erostrata.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This short, alpine or subalpine sod grassland is dominated by forbs less than 30 cm in height. The herbaceous canopy can be open to continuous. Emergent shrubs (1-2 m) may be present.

Floristics: This alliance is dominated by Carex filifolia in the herbaceous layer. Plants grow in tight clumps that form closed to open turf. Other herbs may include Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis (= Achillea lanulosa), Antennaria rosea, Calamagrostis muiriana, Cistanthe monosperma, Cistanthe umbellata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dicentra uniflora, Erigeron algidus (= Erigeron petiolaris), Juncus mertensianus, Lewisia pygmaea, Lupinus breweri, Oreostemma alpigenum (= Aster alpigenus), Penstemon heterodoxus, Potentilla spp., Saxifraga aprica, Solidago multiradiata, and Trisetum spicatum. Emergent Eriogonum nudum plants may be present at low cover.

Dynamics:  No information available.
Environmental Description:  This short grassland of dry subalpine and alpine meadows occurs on slopes and ridges, and edges of subalpine meadows and basins from 1500-3700 m elevation. Stands often grow on the upper margins of meadows, or just beyond the zone of seasonal soil saturation if the stand is adjacent to a lake. Soils are well-drained sands or loams. The precipitation regime where this alliance occurs is strongly seasonal, with most precipitation falling in the winter months. Most precipitation in the upper elevational range falls as snow. Summers are very dry.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs in the Sierra Nevada of California and possibly east into the mountain ranges of western Nevada.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, NV?


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.Nf Western North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D022 2.B.2.Nf
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nf.3 Tufted Hairgrass - Licorice-root species - Mountain Muhly Subalpine-High Montane Mesic Meadow Macrogroup M168 2.B.2.Nf.3
Group 2.B.2.Nf.3.b Greenleaf Fescue - Tufted Hairgrass - Licorice-root species Rocky Mountain-Vancouverian Grassland & Meadow Group G271 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Alliance A1294 Threadleaf Sedge Mesic Grassland Alliance A1294 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008653 Dwarf Bilberry / Threadleaf Sedge Dwarf-shrubland CEGL008653 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008660 Threadleaf Sedge - Pussy-paws species Grassland CEGL008660 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008662 Threadleaf Sedge - Sierra Beardtongue Grassland CEGL008662 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008663 Threadleaf Sedge - Narrow False Oats Grassland CEGL008663 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Concept Lineage: No Data Available

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Carex filifolia (Shorthair sedge turf) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.140.00]
= Carex filifolia Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [45.140.00]
>< Dry Subalpine or Alpine Meadow (#45220) (Holland 1986b)
= Shorthair sedge series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
Concept Author(s): M. Schindel, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: M.S. Reid

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-18-14
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