Print Report
A4208 Corylus americana - Malus ioensis - Ceanothus americanus Central Shrubland Alliance
Type Concept Sentence: This shrubland community is found in the central tallgrass prairie region where shrubs dominate, forming copses of Ceanothus americanus, Corylus americana, Malus ioensis, and Prunus americana, with scattered scrub shrub or trees, such as Quercus ellipsoidalis, Quercus macrocarpa, and Salix humilis.
Common (Translated Scientific) Name: American Hazelnut - Prairie Crabapple - New Jersey-tea Central Shrubland Alliance
Colloquial Name: Central Hazelnut - Sumac Mixed Prairie Shrubland
Hierarchy Level: Alliance
Type Concept: This shrubland community is found in the central tallgrass prairie region of the midwestern United States. Shrubs dominate the canopy, forming copses of Ceanothus americanus, Cornus drummondii, Corylus americana, Malus ioensis, Prunus americana, Rhus glabra, Salix humilis, and scattered scrub trees of Quercus ellipsoidalis (eastward) and Quercus macrocarpa. Where shrub cover is open, the dominant grasses are Andropogon gerardii and Schizachyrium scoparium, with Danthonia spicata also present. Typical forbs include Apocynum androsaemifolium, Helianthus divaricatus, Lathyrus venosus, and Polygala senega. Where shrub cover is dense, vines such as Celastrus scandens and Parthenocissus vitacea may be present. Under the dense canopy, the herbaceous layer may be sparse, consisting of exotic species, such as Poa pratensis and Nepeta cataria. Stands occur on level to moderate, well-drained slopes of uplands, usually along the borders of upland woods, but also in grassland ravines. Soils are silty loams formed in loess or glacial till.
Diagnostic Characteristics: This alliance is characterized by medium to tall shrubs on upland, loamy soils. Dominants are typically Ceanothus americanus, Cornus drummondii, Corylus americana, Malus ioensis, Prunus americana, Rhus glabra, Salix humilis, and scattered scrub trees of Quercus ellipsoidalis (eastward) and Quercus macrocarpa.
Rationale for Nominal Species or Physiognomic Features: No Data Available
Classification Comments: This alliance contains a mix of potentially rare shrub prairie types and more widespread shrub types that may arise in the absence of fires. With effective fire suppression, many stands have grown up into wooded vegetation (Bowles and McBride 1994). Thus this alliance is probably both a natural and a semi-natural type. Rosburg and Glenn-Lewin (1996) describe both a shrub edge type, dominated by Cornus drummondii and Symphoricarpos sp., and a dogwood/elm woodland type, with Ulmus rubra and other woody tree species present. Those types are treated together here.
Similar NVC Types: No Data Available
note: No Data Available
Physiognomy and Structure: This alliance has a deciduous shrub canopy with >25% cover. Dominant shrubs and scrubby trees range from 0.5 to 2 m tall. The herbaceous stratum is dominated by tallgrass species 1-2 m tall.
Floristics: Shrubs dominate the canopy, forming copses of Ceanothus americanus, Cornus drummondii, Corylus americana, Malus ioensis (= Pyrus ioensis), Prunus americana, Rhus glabra, Salix humilis, and scattered scrub trees of Quercus ellipsoidalis (eastward) and Quercus macrocarpa. Typical forbs include Apocynum androsaemifolium, Helianthus divaricatus, Lathyrus venosus, and Polygala senega. Where shrub cover is dense, vines such as Celastrus scandens and Parthenocissus vitacea may be present. Under the dense canopy, the herbaceous layer may be sparse, consisting of exotic species, such as Poa pratensis and Nepeta cataria. In open stands, the herbaceous layer is more dense, and consists of species characteristic of tallgrass and mixedgrass prairie, including Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, and Schizachyrium scoparium (Rosburg and Glenn-Lewin 1996, Hoagland 1998a, Steinauer and Rolfsmeier 2003).
Dynamics: No Data Available
Environmental Description: These barrens shrublands occur on flat to gently rolling sites near prairie vegetation. This alliance occurs on level to moderate, well-drained slopes of uplands, in a prairie grassland setting, but often along the borders of upland woods. Soils are silty loams formed in loess or glacial till (White and Madany 1978). Fires maintain the open shrubby character of the alliance, and in its absence the shrub cover will increase, and the type may expand into open grasslands. Eventually trees will dominate the vegetation (Bowles and McBride 1994).
Geographic Range: This alliance is found in the central tallgrass prairie region of the United States.
Nations: US
States/Provinces: IA, IL, KS, NE
Plot Analysis Summary:
http://vegbank.org/natureserve/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.948753
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 | A4208 American Hazelnut - Prairie Crabapple - New Jersey-tea Central Shrubland Alliance | A4208 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
| Association | CEGL005073 American Hazelnut - Prairie Crabapple - New Jersey-tea Shrubland | CEGL005073 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
| Association | CEGL005219 Roughleaf Dogwood - (Smooth Sumac, Cherry species) Shrubland | CEGL005219 | 2.B.2.Nb.1.c |
Concept Lineage: A4055 & A4054 merged into A4208 (DFL 6-15).
Predecessors: No Data Available
Obsolete Names: No Data Available
Obsolete Parents: No Data Available
Synonomy: No Data Available
- Baalman, R. J. 1965. Vegetation of the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, Jet, Oklahoma. Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Oklahoma, Norman.
- Bowles, M. L., and J. L. McBride. 1994. Presettlement barrens in the glaciated prairie region of Illinois. Submitted to the North American Conference on Savannas and Barrens, 1994, Illinois State University.
- Ewing, A. L., J. F. Stritzke, and J. D. Kulbeth. 1984. Vegetation of the Cross Timbers experimental range, Payne County, Oklahoma. Research Report P-856, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Stillwater.
- 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.
- Galloway, L. A. 1964. The vegetation of an actively eroding canyon in Canadian County, Oklahoma. Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science 45:20-23.
- Hoagland, B. 2000. The vegetation of Oklahoma: A classification for landscape mapping and conservation planning. The Southwestern Naturalist 45(4):385-420.
- Hoagland, B. W. 1998a. Classification of Oklahoma vegetation types. Working draft. University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Norman. 43 pp.
- Rosburg, T. R., and D. C. Glenn-Lewin. 1996. Species composition and environmental characteristics of grassland and ecotonal plant communities in the Loess Hills of western Iowa (USA). Natural Areas Journal 16:318-334.
- Steinauer, G., and S. Rolfsmeier. 2003. Terrestrial natural communities of Nebraska. (Version III - June 30, 2003). Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln. 163 pp.
- White, J., and M. Madany. 1978. Classification of natural communities in Illinois. Pages 311-405 in: Natural Areas Inventory technical report: Volume I, survey methods and results. Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, Urbana, IL.