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

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Rocky Shores: Appalachian Highlands Riverscour Vegetation Andropogon gerardii - Panicum virgatum - Baptisia australis Herbaceous Vegetation Big Bluestem - Switchgrass - Tall Blue Wild Indigo Herbaceous Vegetation Riverwash Bedrock Prairie CEGL006283 DESCRIPTION: This community is characterized by a luxuriant growth of the robust grasses Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, Panicum virgatum, and Spartina pectinata, which resembles prairie vegetation. Tripsacum dactyloides may also occur. Many of the forbs are also typical of prairies. Characteristic species include Baptisia australis, Toxicodendron radicans, Allium cernuum, Cerastium arvense, Clematis viorna, Coreopsis tripteris, Melica mutica, Phlox divaricata, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Silphium trifoliatum, Solidago erecta, Solidago rupestris, Solidago speciosa, Teucrium canadense, Veronicastrum virginicum, Vicia americana, and Zizia aurea. Stands occur only along high-gradient sections of major rivers, such as in gorges and along the Fall Line. They occur within the active channel shelf at an intermediate level above the low-water level and the bank-full level. Flood scouring and river ice may become a powerful and ecologically important abrasive force along the riverbanks. Soils are rapidly drained Psamments. Often, soil material is restricted to the narrow interstices of tightly packed boulders, or to small crevices in bedrock exposures. Flash floods actively scour the floodplain, keeping the vegetation open. COMMENTS: 2, ECS. In the Central Appalachian region, the type is found predominantly on Western Allegheny Mountains (M221Be + M221Bd, Gauley M221Ca dammed). CONSERVATION RANK: G2G3. There are probably fewer than 100 occurrences of this community rangewide, depending on how an occurrence is defined. It is known from Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia along the Potomac River, from the James River, Shenandoah River, and various tributaries in Virginia, and from about 50 miles along the Greenbrier River in West Virginia. It is also reported from Pennsylvania, and may also occur in Ohio. This community is threatened by invasion of exotic weeds, especially Sorghum halepense and Lythrum salicaria. DISTRIBUTION: This riverwash grassland community is found in the east-central United States, from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, and possibly Ohio. USFS ECOREGIONS: M221Aa:CCC, M221Ac:CCC, M221Ad:CCC, M221Bd:CCC, M221Be:CCC, M221C:C, M221D:C CONSERVATION REGIONS: 59:C, 61:C STATES: MD OH PA VA WV PROVINCES: MIDWEST HERITAGE SYNONYMY: OH no state equivalent OTHER SYNONYMY: Fraxinus pennsylvanica / Andropogon gerardii - Panicum virgatum - Baptisia australis Wooded Herbaceous Vegetation (Lea 2000), Riverwash Grasslands (Baptisia australis - Lespedeza violacea - Chasmanthium latifolium Herbaceous Vegetation) (Grossman et al. 1994) USNVC HIERARCHY: ANDROPOGON GERARDII - (SORGHASTRUM NUTANS) TEMPORARILY FLOODED HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE (V.A.5.N.j) PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST – 2001. APPENDIX: ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTIONS 273
Rocky Uplands (Glades, Rock Barrens, Outcrops and Alvars): Alvar Shrublands Juniperus communis - (Juniperus virginiana) - Rhus aromatica - Viburnum rafinesquianum / Oligoneuron album Shrubland Common Juniper - (Eastern Red-cedar) - Fragrant Sumac - Downy Arrow-wood / Prairie Goldenrod Shrubland Juniper Alvar Shrubland CEGL005212 DESCRIPTION: Shrubs dominate, with over 25% cover of tall, short, and dwarf-shrubs; the average is about 43% cover of shrubs, with less than 10% of that being tall shrubs. Characteristic tall shrubs (2-5 m tall) are scrub forms of trees such as Juniperus virginiana, Thuja occidentalis, and Quercus macrocarpa. Tree forms (>5 m tall) of these species may be present, but trees have less than 10% cover in the community. Other less common trees (>5 m tall) that may be present include Carya ovata, Ulmus thomasii, and Fraxinus americana. Characteristic short shrubs (0.5-2 m tall) include Juniperus communis, Cornus racemosa (= Cornus foemina ssp. racemosa), Rhus aromatica, Prunus virginiana, and Viburnum rafinesquianum. Some dwarf-shrubs (under 0.5 m tall) are usually present, including Arctostaphylos uva-ursi and Symphoricarpos albus. Characteristic vines include Toxicodendron radicans and Vitis riparia. The herb layer forms a dry, grassy meadow between the shrubs; average cover of herbs is about 23%. The most abundant herbs are Danthonia spicata, Oligoneuron album (= Solidago ptarmicoides), and Carex umbellata. Less than 50% of the ground surface is exposed limestone bedrock, which is usually covered with lichens, mosses, and algae (Reschke et al. 1998). Stands occur on very shallow soils (usually less than 30 cm deep) over flat limestone outcrops (pavements). Moisture varies over the season, but summer droughts are typical. Grikes (eroded cracks in the rock up to 2 m or more deep and extending 5 to 30 m in length) may occur, with shrubs and trees rooted in the cracks (Reschke et al. 1998). Summer droughts are typical (Reschke et al. 1998). COMMENTS: 1, MCS. More northern stands may be more heavily dominated by Juniperus communis, and species such as Abies balsamea, Aquilegia canadensis, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and Picea glauca may be more common, and deciduous trees and shrubs are less common. Juniper Alvar Shrublands often occur in a patchy landscape mosaic with other alvar communities, including Tufted Hairgrass Wet Alvar Grassland, Deschampsia caespitosa - (Sporobolus heterolepis, Schizachyrium scoparium) - Carex crawei - Packera paupercula Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL005110); Little Bluestem Alvar Grassland, Sporobolus heterolepis - Schizachyrium scoparium - (Carex scirpoidea) / (Juniperus horizontalis) Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL005234); Annual Alvar Pavement-Grassland, Sporobolus neglectus - Sporobolus vaginiflorus - Isanthus brachiatus - Panicum philadelphicum - (Poa compressa) Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL005235); Alvar Nonvascular Pavement, Tortella tortuosa - Cladonia pocillum - Placynthium spp. Sparse Vegetation (CEGL005192); and Poverty Grass Dry Alvar Grassland, Danthonia spicata - Poa compressa - (Schizachyrium scoparium) Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL005100). CONSERVATION RANK: G3. This community occurs throughout the Great Lakes basin in New York, Ontario, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Thirty-five occurrences of this community were documented, with a total of about 7768 acres (3144 ha). Juniper alvar shrubland occurs in small to large patches; some of the larger patches form a smallscale matrix within which smaller openings of alvar grasslands and pavements may occur. Sizes of currently known occurrences range from under 10 acres to about 1600 acres (4 to about 650 ha). The global rank of this community (as compared to G2-ranked alvar grasslands with similar numbers of occurrences and acres) reflects our expectation that there are more examples of this community that we have not surveyed, including some sites too disturbed to be considered viable. The threats to this community do not seem to be as imminent as threats to the alvar grasslands, and since the soils are only briefly saturated (just after a rainfall), they are less vulnerable to disturbance by off-road vehicles. DISTRIBUTION: This juniper alvar shrubland type occurs throughout the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, in northern New York, southern Ontario, northern Ohio, northern Michigan, and eastern Wisconsin. USFS ECOREGIONS: 212Ee:CCC, 212H:CC, 222Qa:CCC CONSERVATION REGIONS: 48:C STATES: MI NY OH WI PROVINCES: ON MIDWEST HERITAGE SYNONYMY: MI alvar-shrubland + OH shoreline alvar + WI alvar shrubland = OTHER SYNONYMY: USNVC HIERARCHY: JUNIPERUS COMMUNIS SHRUBLAND ALLIANCE (III.A.3.N.a) PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST – 2001. APPENDIX: ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTIONS 291
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PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST CL
Page 3 and 4:
CONTENTS APPENDIX: PLANT COMMUNITY
Page 5 and 6:
OVERVIEW APPENDIX: PLANT COMMUNITY
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− The USFS (U.S. Forest Service)
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Box 2. State Natural Heritage progr
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INDEX TO ASSOCIATIONS BY ECOLOGICAL
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2.3.4.4. Interior Highlands Shale G
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Acid Peatlands: Northern Shrub/Gram
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Rich Peat Fens: Northeastern Rich F
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Rich Peat Fens: Midwestern Prairie
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Seeps: Midwestern Seepage Meadows S
Page 24 and 25: Open and Emergent Marshes: Eastern
Page 30 and 31: * Nonstandard type (needs review) G
Page 32 and 33: Open and Emergent Marshes: Great La
Page 34 and 35: Wet Prairies and Wet Meadows: Great
Page 36 and 37: Wet Prairies and Wet Meadows: Midwe
Page 38 and 39: Wet Prairies and Wet Meadows: Midwe
Page 40 and 41: Wooded Swamps and Floodplains: Nort
Page 46 and 47: Wooded Swamps and Floodplains: Midw
Page 60 and 61: Wooded Swamps and Floodplains: Appa
Page 62 and 63: Wooded Swamps and Floodplains: Sout
Page 64 and 65: Wooded Swamps and Floodplains: Sout
Page 66 and 67: Shoreline Sand/Mud Strands, Beaches
Page 68 and 69: Sphagnum wulfianum, Sphagnum warnst
Page 70 and 71: Shoreline Sand/Mud Strands, Beaches
Page 72 and 73: Rocky Shores: Great Lakes Alkaline
Page 76 and 77: Rocky Uplands (Glades, Rock Barrens
Page 78 and 79: DISTRIBUTION: This limestone glade
Page 80 and 81: DISTRIBUTION: This graminoid shale
Page 82 and 83: Cliffs, Talus, Buttes and Badlands:
Page 88 and 89: Forests and Woodlands: Midwestern D
Page 90 and 91: Forests and Woodlands: Midwestern D
Page 92 and 93: Forests and Woodlands: Midwestern M
Page 94 and 95: Forests and Woodlands: Appalachian
Page 102 and 103: Forests and Woodlands: Interior Hig
Page 104 and 105: Savannas and Non-Rock Barrens: Midw
Page 106 and 107: Savannas and Non-Rock Barrens: Midw
Page 108 and 109: Prairies/Grasslands: Midwestern San
Page 110 and 111: Prairies/Grasslands: Midwestern Thi
Page 112 and 113: Prairies/Grasslands: Midwestern Dee
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Ohio subset of Plant Communities of the Midwest ... - NatureServe

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