Print Report

A4047 Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans Central Sand & Gravel Grassland Alliance

Type Concept Sentence: This alliance is found in the central United States and southern Canada on shallow to deep, well-drained to excessively well-drained soils and contains moderate to dense cover of medium and tall grasses and a diverse mixture of forbs.

Common (Translated Scientific) Name: Little Bluestem - Indiangrass Central Sand & Gravel Grassland Alliance

Colloquial Name: Central Dry Sand & Gravel Tallgrass Prairie

Hierarchy Level:  Alliance

Type Concept: The vegetation is characterized by moderate to dense cover of medium and tall grasses and a diverse mixture of forbs. The typical species across the range of this alliance include Bouteloua curtipendula, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans. Other graminoids species common in parts of this alliance are Andropogon gerardii, Bouteloua hirsuta, Carex spp., Hesperostipa spartea, and Sporobolus heterolepis. Some stands may be dominated by a shrub layer including Corylus americana and Salix humilis. This alliance is found in the central United States and southern Canada. It occurs on shallow to deep, well-drained to excessively drained soils. Soils are typically sandy or gravelly.

Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance includes sand prairies and barrens within the central U.S. and southern Canada. Dominants typically include Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, and Bouteloua curtipendula.

Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available

Classification Comments: This alliance contains sand and sand barren associations in the central Midwest. Northern sand and gravel prairies are placed in ~Northern Tallgrass Prairie Group (G075)$$. More information is needed to determine if this separation is correct. Name of the alliance needs to include better diagnostic species, as this alliance has a name very similar to ~Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Central Loamy Grassland Alliance (A4058)$$ (in G333). For now, a geographic modifier is used to distinguish it.

Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance is dominated by midgrasses. The vegetation cover can be moderately sparse to dense.

Floristics: Sparse to moderately dense mid- and tallgrasses dominate this alliance. Bouteloua curtipendula, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Sorghastrum nutans are typical dominants across the range of this alliance. Other graminoids species common in parts of this alliance are Andropogon gerardii, Bouteloua hirsuta, Carex spp., Hesperostipa spartea (= Stipa spartea), and Sporobolus heterolepis. Some stands may be dominated by a shrub layer including Corylus americana and Salix humilis.

Dynamics:  Droughty conditions and fires interact to maintain this alliance. Windstorms can create sand blowouts.
Environmental Description:  Stands can occur on steep slopes on sandy outwash, sandy lakeplains, and alluvial deposits along rivers and streams. They may occur on sand ridges, inland dunes, sandy areas of coarse-textured end moraines, and on blowouts. The deep, well-drained soils formed from eolian or alluvial sand south of the limit of glaciation and also from glacial outwash, old dunes, alluvium, or sandy glacial lakeplains. Soils are well-drained to excessively drained, coarse-textured sands, loamy sands, and sandy loams. Gravels are very minor (Curtis 1959, White and Madany 1978, Homoya et al. 1985, Chapman et al. 1989, MNNHP 1993, Anderson 1996).
Geographic Range: This dry sand prairie community is widespread throughout the midwestern region of the United States and adjacent Canada, extending from Indiana, Michigan and southern Ontario, west to Iowa and east-central Minnesota.

Nations: CA,US

States/Provinces:  AR, IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, ON, WI


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.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.Nb Central North American Grassland & Shrubland Division D023 2.B.2.Nb
Macrogroup 2.B.2.Nb.1 Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Dense Blazingstar Tallgrass Prairie Macrogroup M054 2.B.2.Nb.1
Group 2.B.2.Nb.1.c Big Bluestem - Indiangrass - Porcupine Grass Tallgrass Prairie Group G333 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Alliance A4047 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass Central Sand & Gravel Grassland Alliance A4047 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002035 Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama - Hairy Grama - (Soapweed Yucca) Grassland CEGL002035 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002210 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - Big Bluestem - Round-head Bushclover Sand Grassland CEGL002210 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002215 Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama Gravel Grassland CEGL002215 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002318 Little Bluestem - Poverty Oatgrass - Pennsylvania Sedge - (Bird''s-foot Violet) Sand Grassland CEGL002318 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL002397 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - Woolly-sheath Three-awn - Juniper-leaf Sand Grassland CEGL002397 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL005072 American Hazelnut - Prairie Willow / Little Bluestem Sand Shrubland CEGL005072 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL005099 Little Bluestem - Muhlenberg''s Sedge - Carolina Puccoon - Eastern Prickly-pear Sand Grassland CEGL005099 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL005176 Little Bluestem - Indiangrass - Sideoats Grama Gravel Grassland CEGL005176 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Association CEGL005221 Little Bluestem - Forked Three-awn - Sand Dropseed - Sand Lovegrass Grassland CEGL005221 2.B.2.Nb.1.c
Concept Lineage: This contains central Midwest associations from A.1224, A.1198, and A.998.

Predecessors: No Data Available

Obsolete Names: No Data Available

Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: >< ID4a. Bluestem Tallgrass Prairie (Allard 1990)
? ID4b. Morse Clay Calcareous Prairie (Allard 1990)
? ID4c. Fleming Calcareous Prairie (Allard 1990)
? ID4c. Jackson Prairie (Allard 1990)
? ID4e. Cook Mountain Calcareous Prairie (Allard 1990)
? Sand Barrens (Curtis 1959)
? T5A1aI1c. Andropogon gerardii - Sorghastrum avenaceum (Foti et al. 1994)
Concept Author(s): P.W. Nelson (1985); M.D. Hutchison (1994)

Author of Description: S. Menard and D. Faber-Langendoen

Acknowledgements: No Data Available

Version Date: 12-18-14
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