Print Report

A3364 Calamagrostis breweri Mesic Grassland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance consists of meadows where Calamagrostis breweri or Calamagrostis muiriana is the important or dominant grass in the herbaceous layer. This is an alpine and subalpine grassland found in the Sierra Nevada of California at elevations ranging from 1300-1800 m. It occurs on fine-textured soils which are moist for most of the year, often on stream and lake margins.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Shorthair Reedgrass Mesic Grassland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Shorthair Reedgrass Mesic Grassland

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance consists of wet meadows dominated by Calamagrostis breweri or Calamagrostis muiriana. Other species include Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis, Carex filifolia, Deschampsia cespitosa, Eriogonum spp., Juncus drummondii, Juncus mertensianus, Oreostemma alpigenum, Penstemon heterodoxus, Phyllodoce breweri, Potentilla spp., Ptilagrostis kingii, Trisetum spicatum, and Vaccinium cespitosum. Emergent shrubs such as Kalmia microphylla, Salix arctica, or Vaccinium cespitosum may be present at low cover. Herbs are <0.5 m in height, and the canopy cover is intermittent to continuous. This is an alpine and subalpine grassland found in the Sierra Nevada of California at elevations ranging from 1300-1800 m. Habitats are subalpine to alpine seasonally flooded meadows, valley bottoms, flats, and lower slopes which are moist for most of the year, having subsurface moisture.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Calamagrostis breweri or Calamagrostis muiriana are the indicators, generally dominant, or having >30% relative cover. Shrubs such as Vaccinium cespitosum have low to moderate in cover.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: Much of the information for this alliance is derived from Sawyer et al. (2009) which follows the treatment of Wilson and Gray (2002), wherein Calamagrostis breweri is found north of Carson Pass in the central Sierra Nevada. They differentiated the plants that grow south of Carson Pass as Calamagrostis muiriana. The associations listed in Sawyer et al. (2009) under the Calamagrostis muiriana Herbaceous Alliance are included here, but currently the USNVC uses Calamagrostis breweri in those names. According to Wilson and Gray (2002), the Calamagrostis muiriana plants differ in morphology, isozyme patterns, chromosomes number, and ecology from Calamagrostis breweri that grows in the northern Sierra Nevada, Klamath Mountains, and Oregon. Unlike Calamagrostis muiriana, the northern plants are not community dominants. Under this concept, Calamagrostis muiriana associations are restricted to the central and southern Sierra Nevada. Kartesz (1999) does not recognize Calamagrostis muiriana but USDA Plants (accessed 20 November 2014) does.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This short, alpine or subalpine sod grassland is dominated by graminoids less than 15 cm in height. The herbaceous canopy can be open to continuous. Emergent shrubs (1-2 m) may be present.

Floristics: These wet meadows are dominated by Calamagrostis breweri or Calamagrostis muiriana. Other species include Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis (= Achillea lanulosa), Carex filifolia, Deschampsia cespitosa, Eriogonum spp., Juncus drummondii, Juncus mertensianus, Oreostemma alpigenum, Penstemon heterodoxus, Phyllodoce breweri, Potentilla spp., Ptilagrostis kingii, Trisetum spicatum, and Vaccinium cespitosum. Emergent shrubs such as Kalmia microphylla, Salix arctica, or Vaccinium cespitosum may be present at low cover. Herbs are >0.5 m in height, and the canopy cover is intermittent to continuous.

Dynamics:  Periodic droughts can reduce the extent of this alliance.
Environmental Description:  Habitats are subalpine to alpine seasonally flooded meadows, valley bottoms, flats, and lower slopes. This alliance occurs on fine-textured soils which are moist for most of the year, having subsurface moisture. It is also found on stream and lake margins that maintain the proper soil moisture content. 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. Elevation range is 1300-1800 m. This alliance forms large stands, which often intergrade with other meadow, forest and woodland alliances.
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Sierra Nevada of California.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA


Confidence Level: Moderate

Confidence Level Comments: No Data Available
Grank: G4

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 A3364 Shorthair Reedgrass Mesic Grassland Alliance A3364 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008654 Shorthair Reedgrass - Tundra Aster Grassland CEGL008654 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008655 Dwarf Bilberry / Shorthair Reedgrass Dwarf-shrub Grassland CEGL008655 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008656 Shorthair Reedgrass - Drummond''s Rush Grassland CEGL008656 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Association CEGL008657 Shorthair Reedgrass - Narrow False Oats Grassland CEGL008657 2.B.2.Nf.3.b
Concept Lineage: Includes A.1293 in entirety, A.1575 in entirety, one association from A.1117.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: = Calamagrostis muiriana (Shorthair reed grass meadows) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.141.00]
= Calamagrostis muiriana Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [45.141.00]
>< Dry Montane Meadow (#45120) (Holland 1986b)
>< Dry Subalpine or Alpine Meadow (#45220) (Holland 1986b)
= Shorthair Reed Grass Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
>< Wet Montane Meadow (#45110) (Holland 1986b)
>< Wet Subalpine or Alpine Meadow (#45210) (Holland 1986b)
Concept Author(s): M.S. Reid after Sawyer et al. (2009)

Author of Description: M.S. Reid

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-18-14
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