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A3138 Schizachyrium scoparium - Bothriochloa barbinodis Tamaulipan Grassland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This alliance represents herbaceous vegetation characterized by Schizachyrium scoparium, Trichloris pluriflora, and/or Bothriochloa barbinodis and a variety of other grasses and forbs in southern Texas and possibly adjacent areas of Mexico.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Cane Bluestem Tamaulipan Grassland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Tamaulipan Little Bluestem - Cane Bluestem Grassland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This alliance represents herbaceous vegetation characterized by Schizachyrium scoparium, Trichloris pluriflora, and/or Bothriochloa barbinodis and a variety of other grasses and forbs in southern Texas and possibly adjacent areas of Mexico. A sparse or patchy overstory of Prosopis glandulosa or other thornscrub species is sometimes present. Other herbaceous species include Schizachyrium littorale, Bothriochloa laguroides ssp. torreyana, Setaria spp., Bouteloua rigidiseta, Pappophorum vaginatum, Digitaria californica, Pappophorum bicolor, Bouteloua dactyloides, Hilaria belangeri, Trichloris crinita, and Heteropogon contortus. Several invasive grasses, including Dichanthium annulatum, Dichanthium aristatum, Dichanthium sericeum, Pennisetum ciliare, and Urochloa maxima, are also often present.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Schizachyrium scoparium, Trichloris pluriflora, and/or Bothriochloa barbinodis and a variety of other grasses and forbs in southern Texas and low cover of thronscrubs.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: More information is needed to better define this alliance and its relationship to historic and current day vegetation of the Tamaulipan Thornscrub region. This grassland may have naturally occurred as an open matrix of midgrass species within native mesquite - acacia shrublands dominated by Prosopis glandulosa, Acacia farnesiana, and Acacia rigidula. These grasslands are thought to have been more widespread historically, occupying uplands in the South Texas Plains and ranging into Mexico, but have been virtually eliminated due to conversion to tame pasture, cropland, or due to lack of burning. Some of the few remaining examples are in private ownership and are highly disturbed because of overgrazing and brush clearing. There may be undescribed associations related to this alliance. More information is needed to flesh out detailed floristic, environment, and range.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This grassland is thought to have occurred historically as an open matrix of midgrass species within native mesquite - acacia shrublands dominated by Prosopis glandulosa, Acacia farnesiana, and Acacia rigidula. Most extant examples have become shrub-dominated due to lack of prescribed burning.
Floristics: Vegetation in this alliance is characterized by Schizachyrium scoparium, Trichloris pluriflora (= Chloris pluriflora), and/or Bothriochloa barbinodis and a variety of other grasses and forbs. A sparse or patchy overstory of Prosopis glandulosa or other thornscrub species is sometimes present. Other herbaceous species include Schizachyrium littorale, Bothriochloa laguroides ssp. torreyana, Setaria spp., Bouteloua rigidiseta, Pappophorum vaginatum, Digitaria californica, Pappophorum bicolor, Bouteloua dactyloides (= Buchloe dactyloides), Hilaria belangeri, Trichloris crinita (= Chloris crinita), and Heteropogon contortus. Several invasive grasses, including Dichanthium annulatum, Dichanthium aristatum, Dichanthium sericeum, Pennisetum ciliare (= var. ciliare), and Urochloa maxima (= Panicum maximum), are also often present. A few remnant examples of this or similar vegetation can be found at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge interspersed with shrublands and non-native grasslands. These examples may be dominated by admixtures of Trichloris pluriflora, Bouteloua rigidiseta, Pappophorum vaginatum, Bothriochloa laguroides, Heteropogon contortus, and Digitaria californica.
Dynamics: These grasslands once occupied uplands in the South Texas Plains and ranged into Mexico, but have been virtually eliminated due to conversion to tame pasture, cropland, or, due to lack of burning, thorn shrubland. Fire, climate, native grazing and edaphic factors all likely played a role historically in maintaining an open structure in this vegetation. Loss of these natural processes often results in a shift toward a more closed canopy of shrubs, increase in successional woody species, and decrease in native grass cover. Most examples of this alliance have become shrub-dominated due to lack of prescribed burning. The few remaining examples are in private ownership and are highly disturbed because of overgrazing and brush clearing.
Environmental Description: These grasslands once occupied uplands in the South Texas Plains and ranged into Mexico.
Geographic Range: These grasslands are known from upland areas in the South Texas Plains, possibly ranging into Mexico. They are thought to have been more widespread once, but have been virtually eliminated due to conversion to tame pasture, cropland, or due to lack of burning.
Nations: MX,US
States/Provinces: MXCOA?, MXNLE?, MXTAM, TX
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899263
Confidence Level: Low
Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: GNR
Greasons: No Data Available
| Type | Name | Database Code | Classification Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class | 3 Desert & Semi-Desert Class | C03 | 3 |
| Subclass | 3.A Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Woodland, Scrub & Grassland Subclass | S06 | 3.A |
| Formation | 3.A.2 Warm Desert & Semi-Desert Scrub & Grassland Formation | F015 | 3.A.2 |
| Division | 3.A.2.Na North American Warm Desert Scrub & Grassland Division | D039 | 3.A.2.Na |
| Macrogroup | 3.A.2.Na.1 Honey Mesquite - Spiny Hackberry / Multi-flower Rhodesgrass Tamaulipan Scrub & Grassland Macrogroup | M130 | 3.A.2.Na.1 |
| Group | 3.A.2.Na.1.b Multi-flower Rhodesgrass - Cane Bluestem - Texas Prickly-pear Grassland Group | G100 | 3.A.2.Na.1.b |
| Alliance | A3138 Little Bluestem - Cane Bluestem Tamaulipan Grassland Alliance | A3138 | 3.A.2.Na.1.b |
| Association | CEGL002236 Cane Bluestem - Multi-flower Rhodesgrass Grassland | CEGL002236 | 3.A.2.Na.1.b |
Concept Lineage: A.1209, in part
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: > Cane Bluestem-False Rhodesgrass Series (Diamond 1993)
- Diamond, D. D. 1993. Classification of the plant communities of Texas (series level). Unpublished document. Texas Natural Heritage Program, Austin. 25 pp.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., J. Drake, M. Hall, G. Kittel, S. Menard, C. Nordman, M. Pyne, M. Reid, M. Russo, K. Schulz, L. Sneddon, K. Snow, and J. Teague. 2013-2019b. Screening alliances for induction into the U.S. National Vegetation Classification: Part 1 - Alliance concept review. NatureServe, Arlington, VA.