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A3484 Carex atherodes - Carex aquatilis - Scolochloa festucacea Marsh Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This herbaceous wetland occurs in the northern Great Plains on seasonally flooded sites with moderate to dense medium-tall graminoid vegetation typically dominated by Carex atherodes, Carex aquatilis, and Scolochloa festucacea.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Wheat Sedge - Water Sedge - Common Rivergrass Marsh Alliance
Colloquial Name: Great Plains Sedge Marsh
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This herbaceous wetland occurs in the northern Great Plains. Herbaceous cover is moderate to dense and 0.4-1.0 m tall. Woody cover is uncommon through most of the range but is somewhat more common in the eastern portion of this alliance''s range. Stands vary from nearly monotypic to mixed with the most common species being Carex atherodes, Carex aquatilis, and Scolochloa festucacea. Other Carex spp. are sometimes dominant, including Carex lacustris, Carex rostrata, and Carex stricta. Minor species include Eleocharis palustris, Glyceria grandis, Schoenoplectus spp., and Typha latifolia. This alliance usually occurs in basins, though sometimes it can be found along streams or rivers. The surface is flooded for a few to several weeks during the growing season with fresh to moderately saline water. Soils are often mineral but mucks can form from the accumulation of organic matter.
Diagnostic Characteristics: Stands of this alliance occur in the northern to central Great Plains and are dominated by Carex atherodes, Carex aquatilis, and/or Scolochloa festucacea or, rarely, Carex lacustris, Carex rostrata, or Carex stricta, and are flooded a few to several weeks during the growing season. This alliance does not occur in seep/fen settings.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance is on the drier edge of the hydrologic range of ~Great Plains Freshwater Marsh Group (G325)$$ and, though judged to fit that group, should be compared to ~Great Plains Wet Prairie, Wet Meadow & Seepage Fen Group (G336)$$ as both groups are further developed. This alliance is the only Great Plains alliance dominated by Carex spp. and/or Scolochloa festucacea and not occurring in seep/fen settings.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: Stands of this alliance have a moderately dense to dense cover by medium-tall graminoids, 0.5-1 m tall. Forb cover is low and shrubs are rare to absent.
Floristics: Stands vary from nearly monotypic to mixed with the most common species being Carex atherodes, Carex aquatilis, and Scolochloa festucacea. Other Carex spp. are sometimes dominant, including Carex lacustris, Carex rostrata, and Carex stricta. Minor species include Eleocharis palustris, Glyceria grandis, Juncus balticus, Schoenoplectus spp., Sium suave, and Typha latifolia. Scolochloa festucacea may occur in almost monotypic stands, particularly on somewhat saline soils (Dix and Smeins 1967, Walker and Coupland 1970).
Dynamics: Stands in this alliance are flooded for a few to several weeks during the growing season, usually in the spring to early summer. The surface is dry by late summer in most stands.
Environmental Description: This alliance usually occurs in basins, though sometimes it can be found along streams or rivers. The water table may be above the surface for only a few weeks in spring and after heavy rains or constantly until midsummer (Walker and Coupland 1970, Looman 1982), but sites do not stay flooded throughout the growing season. Stands dominated by Scolochloa festucacea can be found on marginally fresh to moderately saline sites (Looman 1981a, 1982). The soils are typically medium- to fine-textured and often have an accumulation of organic matter (Smith 1973).
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs in the northern Great Plains from southern Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan to North Dakota and Montana.
Nations: CA,US
States/Provinces: MB, MT, ND, SK
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.899607
Confidence Level: Low
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.a Cattail species - Chairmaker''s Bulrush - Common Rivergrass Great Plains Freshwater Marsh Group | G325 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.a |
| Alliance | A3484 Wheat Sedge - Water Sedge - Common Rivergrass Marsh Alliance | A3484 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.a |
| Association | CEGL002260 Common Rivergrass Marsh | CEGL002260 | 2.C.4.Nd.5.a |
Concept Lineage: Composed of the one association of A.1401
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Scolochloion festucacea Association (Looman 1981a)
? Scolochloion festucacea Association (Looman 1982)
? Scolochloion festucacea Association (Looman 1982)
- Dix, R. L., and F. E. Smeins. 1967. The prairies, meadows, and marsh vegetation of Nelson County, North Dakota. Canadian Journal of Botany 45:21-58.
- 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.
- Faber-Langendoen, D., and Midwest State Natural Heritage Program Ecologists. 1996. Terrestrial vegetation of the midwest United States. International classification of ecological communities: Terrestrial vegetation of the United States. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA.
- Looman, J. 1981a. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. III. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. Phytocoenologia 9(4):473-497.
- Looman, J. 1982. The vegetation of the Canadian prairie provinces. III. Aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation, Part 2. Freshwater marshes and bogs. Phytocoenologia 10(4):401-423.
- Smith, A. L. 1973. Life cycle of the marsh grass Scolochloa festucacea. Canadian Journal of Botany 51:1661-1668.
- Walker, B. H., and R. T. Coupland. 1970. Herbaceous wetland vegetation in the aspen grove and grassland region of Saskatchewan. Canadian Journal of Botany 48:1861-1878.