Ohio subset of Plant Communities of the Midwest ... - NatureServe

Prairies/Grasslands: Midwestern Deep Soil Tallgrass Prairies
Schizachyrium scoparium - Sorghastrum nutans - Bouteloua curtipendula Herbaceous Vegetation
Little Bluestem - Yellow Indiangrass - Sideoats Grama Herbaceous Vegetation
Midwest Dry-mesic Prairie
CEGL002214
DESCRIPTION: The dominant vegetation of this community is mid and tall grasses, 1-2 m tall. Total plant cover is
moderate to dense. The most abundant species are Schizachyrium scoparium, Sorghastrum nutans, and
Hesperostipa spartea (= Stipa spartea). Other common herbaceous species include Andropogon gerardii, Bouteloua
curtipendula, Echinacea pallida, Potentilla arguta, and Sporobolus heterolepis. Amorpha canescens is a common
subshrubby species. Woody species occur but are not common in high-quality examples of this community (Curtis
1959, MNNHP 1993, Nelson 1985).
This community is found on upper slopes and hillcrests with moderate to steep slopes. Rarely, it can be found on
level plains, especially in the southern parts of its range (Nelson 1985). The aspect is most often southern or western,
but others are possible (Curtis 1959, Chapman 1984). Soils are 40-100 cm deep (Nelson 1985), well-drained to
excessively well-drained, and clay loam, sandy loam, or loamy sand (MNNHP 1993). The sites typically occur over
loess, glacial outwash, or glacial till.
Stands depend on fire to prevent woody encroachment (Nelson 1985).
COMMENTS: 2, MCS. This type is currently reported from subsections 251Bd and 251Be (and subsections east), but
these two subsections could also go with Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula - Hesperostipa spartea -
(Pascopyrum smithii) Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL002377), which occurs primarily in 251A. In Ohio, this type is
probably extirpated, except perhaps Buffalo Beats (on clay dome). However, those stands are far east of much of the
range of this type, and they should be compared to other eastern prairie openings. Type may closely resemble
Schizachyrium scoparium - Bouteloua curtipendula Gravel Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL002215).
CONSERVATION RANK: G2G3. This community has a fairly broad and matrix-scale distribution in the Midwest, but
current high-quality sites tend to be small patches restricted to upper slopes and hillcrests. This community has
probably been substantially reduced by conversion to agriculture, or degraded by grazing and fire suppression.
DISTRIBUTION: This dry-mesic prairie community type is found in the central midwestern United States, ranging from
outliers in Ohio west to east-central Minnesota, south to Missouri and possibly Oklahoma, and east to Indiana.
USFS ECOREGIONS: 221Ea:CCC, 221Ed:CCP, 221Eg:CCC, 221Fa:CCC, 222Ai:CCC, 222Ga:CCC, 222Gb:CCC, 222Ge:CCC,
222Ha:CCC, 222Hb:CCC, 222Hf:CCC, 222If:CCC, 222Ja:CCP, 222Jh:CCC, 222Ji:CCC, 222Jj:CCC, 222Ka:CCC, 222Ke:CCC,
222Kf:CCC, 222Kg:CCC, 222Kh:CCC, 222Kj:CCC, 222Lc:CCC, 222Le:CCC, 222Lf:CCC, 222Ma:CCC, 222Mb:CCC,
222Mc:CCC, 222Me:CCC, 251Aa:CCC, 251Ba:CCC, 251Bb:CCC, 251Bd:CCC, 251Be:CCC, 251Ca:CCC, 251Cc:CCC,
251Cf:CCC, 251Ch:CCC, 251Cj:CCC, 251Ck:CCC, 251Db:CCC, 251Dc:CCC, 251Dd:CCC, 251Dg:CCC, 251Dh:CCC
CONSERVATION REGIONS: 35:C, 36:C, 38:C, 44:C, 45:C, 46:C, 48:C, 49:C
STATES: IA IL IN MI MN MO OH OK WI PROVINCES:
MIDWEST HERITAGE SYNONYMY: IL dry-mesic prairie (S); mesic barren (N); dry-mesic prairie (N) -
IN dry-mesic prairie =
MI hillside prairie =
MN dry prairie (central section) hill subtype; dry prairie (southeast section hill subtype
-
MO dry-mesic prairie +
OH little bluestem prairie +
WI dry-mesic prairie =
OTHER SYNONYMY: Dry-mesic Prairie (Curtis 1959) =, Hilltop Prairie (Chapman 1984) =
USNVC HIERARCHY: SCHIZACHYRIUM SCOPARIUM - SORGHASTRUM NUTANS HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE (V.A.5.N.a)
PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST – 2001. APPENDIX: ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTIONS
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