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A1334 Sporobolus airoides - Muhlenbergia asperifolia - Spartina gracilis Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance is characterized by sparse to dense grasslands and meadows dominated by Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Poa secunda, Puccinellia lemmonii, Puccinellia nuttalliana, Spartina gracilis, and/or Sporobolus airoides, any of which may form nearly pure stands. It occurs in lowland habitats such as playas, swales, terraces along intermittently flooded washes, and flats that are alkaline or moderately saline. This alliance is found on plains, in mountain parks and valleys, and in canyons and plateaus of the western U.S.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Alkali Sacaton - Scratchgrass - Alkali Cordgrass Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Alkali Sacaton - Scratchgrass - Alkali Cordgrass Alkaline Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: Vegetation included in this alliance is characterized by grasslands and meadows dominated by Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Poa secunda, Puccinellia lemmonii, Puccinellia nuttalliana, Spartina gracilis, and/or Sporobolus airoides, any of which may form monotypic stands. Other species that co-occur include Carex microptera, Distichlis spicata, Elymus elymoides, Hordeum brachyantherum, Juncus arcticus ssp. littoralis, Juncus ensifolius, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Pascopyrum smithii, and/or Pseudoroegneria. Forb cover is generally low with Achillea millefolium, Arnica longifolia, Iris missouriensis, Stellaria longipes, the annuals Montia linearis and Trifolium cyathiferum, and may include species of Atriplex, Polygonum, and Rumex. Shrubs are rare, but because of the patchy distribution of these stands, scattered Atriplex canescens and Sarcobatus vermiculatus may be present. Sites are found in lowland habitats such as playas, swales, terraces along intermittently flooded washes, and alkali flats. Any flooding that occurs tends to be the result of localized thunderstorms in the summer. Soils are variable, ranging from deep, fine-textured soil to shallow sand deposits. They are alkaline and may be moderately saline and poorly drained due to an impermeable layer. Stands are documented from eastern Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Bottomland alkaline grasslands dominated by Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Puccinellia lemmonii, Puccinellia nuttalliana, Spartina gracilis, and/or Sporobolus airoides. Stands are often monotypic, or with 1-3 dominants, with any combination of these species.

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: Vegetation included in this alliance has a sparse to dense herbaceous layer dominated by medium-tall bunch grasses.

Floristics: Dominant graminoids include Muhlenbergia asperifolia, Poa secunda, Puccinellia lemmonii, Puccinellia nuttalliana, and/or Sporobolus airoides. Other graminoids present to codominant may include Agrostis gigantea, Carex douglasii, Carex microptera, Distichlis spicata, Elymus elymoides, Hordeum brachyantherum, Juncus balticus, Juncus ensifolius, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Pascopyrum smithii, Pseudoroegneria spicata, Bolboschoenus maritimus (= Scirpus paludosus), and Spartina gracilis. Forb cover is generally low but may include Achillea millefolium, Arnica longifolia, Atriplex argentea, Iris missouriensis, Montia linearis, Plantago eriopoda, Polygonum spp., Rumex spp., Stellaria longipes, and Trifolium cyathiferum. Shrubs may be present as well with very low cover (<3%) and include Atriplex canescens and Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Exotic annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum and Polypogon monspeliensis are often abundant on disturbed sites.

Dynamics:  Total vegetation abundance (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. As the saturated soils dry, the salt concentrates until it precipitates out on the soil surface (Dodd and Coupland 1966, Ungar 1968). Higher salinity favors some species over others, and may influence changes in species composition from year to year. For example, higher soil salinity favors Distichlis spicata, Hordeum jubatum, and Sporobolus airoides over the less salt-tolerant Muhlenbergia asperifolia. Ungar (1965) lists Muhlenbergia asperifolia as significantly less salt-tolerant than Sporobolus airoides and much less tolerant than Distichlis spicata. The special configuration (often concentric rings) of salt-tolerant species may also change with microtopography and degree of ponded water (Ungar 1967, 1970, 1972, Ungar et al. 1969).
Environmental Description:  Sites occur in lowland habitats such as playas, swales, terraces along intermittently flooded washes, and alkali flats. Soils are variable, ranging from deep, fine-textured soil to shallow sand deposits. They are alkaline and may be moderately saline and poorly drained due to an impermeable layer. When dry the soil may have salt accumulations on the soil surface. Stands are typically flooded in the spring and have a shallow water table that may drop below 1 m by the early summer. Elevation ranges from low interior valleys of eastern Oregon to high-elevation mountain parks of Colorado (Reid 1974).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the interior west of California, Oregon, and Washington east to Colorado, south into New Mexico, and north into Alberta.

Nations: CA,MX,US

States/Provinces:  AB, AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, MXCOA, NM, NV, OR, SK?, TX, UT, WA, WY


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.5 Salt Marsh Formation F035 2.C.5
Division 2.C.5.Nd North American Western Interior Brackish Marsh, Playa & Shrubland Division D036 2.C.5.Nd
Macrogroup 2.C.5.Nd.1 Warm & Cool Desert Alkali-Saline Marsh, Playa & Shrubland Macrogroup M082 2.C.5.Nd.1
Group 2.C.5.Nd.1.a Saltgrass - Lemmon''s Alkali Grass - Saltwort species Alkaline-Saline Marsh & Playa Group G538 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Alliance A1334 Alkali Sacaton - Scratchgrass - Alkali Cordgrass Alkaline Wet Meadow Alliance A1334 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001476 Prairie Cordgrass Western Wet Meadow CEGL001476 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001588 Alkali Cordgrass Wet Meadow CEGL001588 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001658 Lemmon''s Alkali Grass - Sandberg Bluegrass Wet Meadow CEGL001658 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001685 Alkali Sacaton Southern Plains Wet Meadow CEGL001685 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001687 Alkali Sacaton - Saltgrass Wet Meadow CEGL001687 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001688 Alkali Sacaton Monotype Wet Meadow CEGL001688 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001779 Scratchgrass Wet Meadow CEGL001779 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL001799 Nuttall''s Alkali Grass Salt Marsh CEGL001799 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Association CEGL005809 Matted Crinklemat / Alkali Sacaton Dwarf-shrub Wet Meadow CEGL005809 2.C.5.Nd.1.a
Concept Lineage: A.1334 [Edited]

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Muhlenbergia asperifolia salt marsh (Baker 1984a)
> Poa secunda (Curly blue grass grassland) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.180.00]
> Poa secunda Alliance (Curly blue grass grassland) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
> Spartina gracilis (Alkali cordgrass marsh) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [52.030.00]
> Sporobolus airoides (Alkali sacaton grassland) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.010.00]
> Sporobolus airoides Alliance (Alkali sacaton grassland) (Buck-Diaz et al. 2012)
> Sporobolus airoides Herbaceous Alliance (Evens et al. 2014)
>< Sporobolus cryptandrus - Aristida purpurea var. longiseta Grasslands (Chambers et al. 1997)
>< One-sided Bluegrass Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
Concept Author(s): K.A. Schulz, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: G. Kittel and K.A. Schulz

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-26-14
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