Print Report

A3804 Carex aquatilis - Carex utriculata - Deschampsia cespitosa Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance includes wet meadows of the mountains, high montane grading into subalpine altitudes, dominated by Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex rostrata, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, and/or Phleum alpinum. These graminoids form small and large stands of single-species meadows or mosaics that grade from one to the other with changes in depth to groundwater levels, degree of surface flooding depth and length of inundation.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Water Sedge - Northwest Territory Sedge - Tufted Hairgrass Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Water Sedge - Northwest Territory Sedge - Tufted Hairgrass Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: This alliance includes wet meadows of the mountains, high montane grading into subalpine altitudes, dominated by Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex rostrata, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, and/or Phleum alpinum. Additional species present may include Carex pellita, Carex praegracilis, Juncus hallii, and Trisetum wolfii, among many others. The plant associations within this alliance occur in the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade Range, and the Basin and Range of the Intermountain West regions from montane and subalpine elevations that can grade into alpine zones. They form small and large stands of single-species meadows or mosaics that grade from one to the other with changes in depth to groundwater levels, degree of surface flooding depth and length of inundation.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Wet meadows of the mountains, high montane grading into subalpine altitudes, dominated by Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex rostrata, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, and/or Phleum alpinum.

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: Herbaceous layer of tufted perennial and rhizomatous graminoids, less than 1 m in height.

Floristics: Plant associations within this alliance are dominated by Carex aquatilis, Carex microptera, Carex rostrata, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Phleum alpinum, and/or Trisetum wolfii. They often form near monotypic stands that grade into each other. However, some stands are quite mixed. Other graminoids that may be present include Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex pellita (= Carex lanuginosa), Carex praegracilis, Juncus balticus, and Juncus hallii. Associates in the forb layer can be Agoseris glauca, Antennaria corymbosa, Caltha leptosepala, Cardamine cordifolia, Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum (= Epilobium glandulosum), Geum macrophyllum, Mentha arvensis, Mertensia ciliata, Pedicularis groenlandica, Polygonum bistortoides, and Symphyotrichum foliaceum (= Aster foliaceus) (Mattson 1984, Carsey et al. 2003b).

Dynamics:  Beaver have a great impact on streamside wet meadows and create a cycle of flooding and drying that takes many years, causing increases and decreases in wet meadow extent. These graminoids can invade and re-colonize muddy areas of abandoned beaver ponds. All dominate species are tolerant of saturated soils and flooding, but some are more tolerant than others, such that these associations are often arranged in predictable bands with varying water table depth. Carex aquatilis and Carex utriculata occupy the wettest end and Deschampsia cespitosa the driest end of the soil moisture gradient.
Environmental Description:  These are high montane meadows that occur at approximately 1920 to 3900 m in elevation. Stands are found mostly on gentle, subirrigated slopes, valley bottoms, swales, seeps, streamsides, riparian terraces, and openings in moist woods. The soils are often deep mineral with pockets of organic lens or a thin organic layer but are not classified as peatlands. Soil texture is fine to medium, sandy, loamy, silts and clays. Water tables generally remain within the rooting zone throughout the growing season, but may be more than 1 m below the surface on drier sites (Padgett et al. 1985, Youngblood et al. 1985b, Hansen et al. 1988b).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Intermountain West ranges and Rocky Mountains.

Nations: CA,MX?,US

States/Provinces:  AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY


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.Nb Western North American Temperate Freshwater Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Division D031 2.C.4.Nb
Macrogroup 2.C.4.Nb.5 Sitka Alder - Booth''s Willow / Northwest Territory Sedge Montane Marsh, Wet Meadow & Shrubland Macrogroup M893 2.C.4.Nb.5
Group 2.C.4.Nb.5.b Sedge species - Reedgrass species Montane Wet Meadow & Marsh Group G521 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Alliance A3804 Water Sedge - Northwest Territory Sedge - Tufted Hairgrass Wet Meadow Alliance A3804 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001562 Northwest Territory Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001562 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001599 Tufted Hairgrass Wet Meadow CEGL001599 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001792 Small-wing Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001792 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001802 Water Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001802 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001803 Water Sedge - Northwest Territory Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001803 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001880 Tufted Hairgrass - Western Yarrow Wet Meadow CEGL001880 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001884 Tufted Hairgrass - Ross'' Avens Wet Meadow CEGL001884 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001885 Tufted Hairgrass - Idaho Licorice-root Wet Meadow CEGL001885 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001887 Tufted Hairgrass - Tall Fringed Bluebells Wet Meadow CEGL001887 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001889 Tufted Hairgrass - Varileaf Cinquefoil Wet Meadow CEGL001889 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001921 Alpine Timothy - Water Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001921 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001922 Alpine Timothy - Small-wing Sedge Wet Meadow CEGL001922 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Concept Lineage: This description is based on four former alliances (A.1411, A.1402, A.1404, and A.1408).

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Carex (aquatilis, lenticularis) (Water sedge and Lakeshore sedge meadows) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [45.168.00]
? Carex (utriculata, vesicaria) (Beaked sedge and blister sedge meadows) Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [52.121.00]
? Carex aquatilis Herbaceous Alliance (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003a)
? Carex (aquatilis, lenticularis) Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [45.168.00]
? Carex (utriculata, vesicaria) Herbaceous Alliance (CNPS 2017) [52.121.00]
? Carex spp. Series (Johnston 1987)
Concept Author(s): G. Kittel, in Faber-Langendoen et al. (2013)

Author of Description: G. Kittel

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 09-26-14
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