Print Report

A3814 Danthonia spp. - Camassia spp. Wet Meadow Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This herbaceous alliance consists of mesic to wet meadows characterized by a dense cover of Danthonia californica, Danthonia unispicata, Poa secunda, or Camassia cusickii usually in association with other perennial bunchgrasses. It occurs below 1200 m in elevation east of the Cascades in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and into Wyoming.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Oatgrass species - Camas species Wet Meadow Alliance

Colloquial Name: Oatgrass - Camas Wet Meadow

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: These are seasonally wet meadows characterized by a dense cover of Danthonia californica, Danthonia unispicata, Poa secunda, or Camassia cusickii usually in association with other perennial bunchgrasses, including Agrostis spp., Calamagrostis nutkaensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Festuca californica, Festuca idahoensis, and Festuca rubra. Common forb species include Calochortus eurycarpus, Polygonum douglasii, Sedum lanceolatum, Senecio integerrimus, and Sidalcea oregana. This alliance occurs below 1200 m in elevation east of the Cascades in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and into Wyoming. The climate is temperate, with abundant winter rains or snow and dry summers. Stands occur on flat to steep slopes where sites may have seeps or are wet from winter moisture, on typically shallow, moderately to well-drained soils, with a high percentage of rock fragments and exposed rock. Soil texture varies from sandy loam to clay loam.

Diagnostic Characteristics: Mesic to wet meadows dominated by Danthonia californica, Danthonia unispicata, Poa secunda, or Camassia cusickii.

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 low-statured meadows dominated by cespitose perennial or narrow-leaved forbs general less than 1 m in height. Annual grasses may also be abundant.

Floristics: Stands are dominated by one of these four species: Camassia cusickii, Danthonia californica, Danthonia unispicata, or Poa secunda. Other grasses may be present to codominant, such as Festuca idahoensis or Pseudoroegneria spicata. Several forbs may also be present, such as Allium acuminatum, Antennaria spp., Arenaria congesta, Artemisia ludoviciana, Balsamorhiza incana, Epilobium brachycarpum (= Epilobium paniculatum), Erigeron chrysopsidis, Eriogonum caespitosum, Lomatium spp., Perideridia bolanderi, Polygonum spp., Potentilla gracilis, Pyrrocoma uniflora (= Haplopappus uniflorus), Sedum spp., and Trifolium macrocephalum. Daubenmire (1970) and Johnson and Simon (1987) suggest that bedrock present under these grasslands is not fractured enough to support deeper-rooted shrubs. Exotic plants have invaded many stands especially where disturbed by heavy livestock use. Common exotics include annual grasses such as Bromus tectorum, Bromus arvensis (= Bromus japonicus), and Bromus briziformis, that may dominate the herbaceous layer during wet years (Ganskopp 1979, Tisdale 1986). Other exotics include annual forbs such as Epilobium brachycarpum, Erodium cicutarium, Lactuca serriola, Tragopogon dubius, and the perennial forb Hypericum perforatum.

Dynamics:  Frost heaving causes local soil disturbance in the winter when these thin, saturated soils freeze and push soil and plants up out of the ground. Fire is thought to be unimportant because it is unlikely that the sparse vegetation in these stands could carry a fire. Poa secunda is also tolerant of grazing and trampling by livestock (Daubenmire 1970, Ganskopp 1979).
Environmental Description:  This alliance occurs between 915-1830 m (3000-6000 feet) in elevation, on shallow fine-textured soils with high rock and gravel content that are usually underlain by unfractured bedrock that can prevent drainage. Soil texture varies from sandy loam to clay loam (Johnson and Simon 1987). Most sites are in some type of seepage area or sites that receive some augmented moisture. Slopes can be flat to steep. Stands occur below basalt rims or in scablands. All have basalt or rhyolitic bedrock and parent material.
Geographic Range: This alliance occurs in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, Idaho, northeastern California, and Wyoming.

Nations: US

States/Provinces:  CA, ID, OR, 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.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 A3814 Oatgrass species - Camas species Wet Meadow Alliance A3814 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001607 California Oatgrass - Idaho Fescue Wet Meadow CEGL001607 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL001783 Few-flower Wild Oatgrass - Sandberg Bluegrass Wet Meadow CEGL001783 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Association CEGL003440 Cusick''s Camas Wet Meadow CEGL003440 2.C.4.Nb.5.b
Concept Lineage: A.1291 and A.2587

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: ? Danthonia californica (California oat grass prairie) Provisional Alliance (Sawyer et al. 2009) [41.050.00]
>< Sporobolus cryptandrus - Aristida purpurea var. longiseta Grasslands (Chappell et al. 1997)
>< Bluegrass Scabland (Hall 1973)
>< Bluegrass Scabland (Volland 1976)
>< One-sided Bluegrass Series (Sawyer and Keeler-Wolf 1995)
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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