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

Cliffs, Talus, Buttes and Badlands: Eastern Dry Acid Cliffs
Sandstone Dry Cliff Sparse Vegetation
Sandstone Dry Cliff Sparse Vegetation
Midwest Dry Sandstone Cliff
CEGL002045
DESCRIPTION: Vegetation is restricted to shelves, cracks and crevices in the rock, generally averaging less than
20%. In the Ozarks and Interior Low Plateau, scattered occurrences of woody species, such as Juniperus virginiana,
Quercus stellata, Vaccinium arboreum, and Vaccinium pallidum (= Vaccinium vacillans), are found; farther east in
Ohio, woody species include Tsuga canadensis, Betula alleghaniensis (= Betula lutea), Kalmia latifolia, and
Hydrangea arborescens. In the Ozarks and Interior Low Plateau, the herbaceous layer contains the ferns Asplenium
bradleyi, Asplenium pinnatifidum, Cheilanthes lanosa, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, and Dryopteris marginalis. In the
Allegheny region of Ohio, the sandstone cliffs contain the forbs Agrostis perennans, Aquilegia canadensis, Mitchella
repens, and Viola blanda, and the ferns Asplenium montanum, Asplenium pinnatifidum, Asplenium rhizophyllum,
Asplenium trichomanes, Cystopteris fragilis, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Dryopteris intermedia, Dryopteris marginalis,
Polypodium virginianum, and the rare Asplenium bradleyi (some of these species in Ohio may be more common in
moist sandstone cliffs). In Minnesota and Wisconsin the dry cliffs include forbs, such as Aquilegia canadensis,
Campanula rotundifolia, Solidago hispida, Solidago sciaphila (Driftless Area endemic), Toxicodendron radicans,
Selaginella rupestris, Silene antirrhina, and Tradescantia ohiensis, and the ferns Asplenium trichomanes, Pellaea
atropurpurea, Pellaea glabella, Polypodium virginianum (= Polypodium vulgare), and Woodsia spp. The nonvascular
layer in Missouri includes the mosses Brothera leana, Polytrichum spp., and Rhodobryum roseum, and the lichens
Pleopsidium chlorophanum (= Acarospora chlorophana), Cladonia mateocyatha, Cladonia strepsilis, and
Dermatocarpon miniatum (White and Madany 1978, Homoya et al. 1985, Nelson 1985, MNNHP 1993, Anderson
1996). On some Driftless Area cliffs along major rivers, odd groupings of species can occur, e.g., Dasiphora fruticosa
ssp. floribunda (= Pentaphylloides floribunda), Ledum groenlandicum, and Photinia melanocarpa (= Aronia
melanocarpa). Also, the endemic Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium ssp. saxicola (= Gnaphalium saxicola) occurs
exclusively on dry sandstone cliffs in the Driftless Area (E. Epstein pers. comm. 1999).
Stands occur as steep to vertical rock exposures of sandstone bedrock, occasionally with dolostone interbedded.
Aspect is variable, but stands are best developed on south- and west-facing slopes (Nelson 1985, MNNHP 1993).
The geologic formations in Missouri include Channel Sands, St. Peter, Lamotte, Roubidoux, and Gunter Formations
(M. Leahy pers. comm. 1999).
Natural disturbances include drought stress, wind and storm damage, and disturbances from cliff-dwelling animals,
particularly in the crevices, ledges and rock shelters (Nelson 1985).
COMMENTS: 2, MCS. This type could be split into an Ozark/Interior Low Plateau sandstone cliff type and a more
northern Midwest sandstone cliff type. Relation of this type to stands in the southeast needs to be resolved. Cliffs are
defined as vertical exposures of rock at least 3 m tall. The distinction between open (dry) vs. shaded (moist) may be
more important that bedrock type, at least on a local or state level. Curtis (1959) comments that in an effort to group
the Wisconsin cliff data into meaningful categories, sites were separated by rock type (dolomite, sandstone, igneous)
and exposure (shaded, exposed). He found that type of rock was far less important than exposure.
CONSERVATION RANK: G4G5. Although the cliffs may be relatively common, sites may lack adequate buffers above
and below the cliffs.
DISTRIBUTION: This community is found throughout the central and upper midwestern United States and adjacent
Canada, ranging from Ohio and Ontario west to Minnesota, south to Kansas, and east to Indiana.
USFS ECOREGIONS: 212Hi:CPP, 212Ja:CPP, 212Jn:CPP, 212Jr:CPP, 221Ea:CCC, 221Ec:CCC, 221Ed:CCP, 221Ee:CCP,
221Ef:CCC, 221Eg:CCC, 221Fa:CCC, 222Aa:CCC, 222Ac:CCC, 222Aj:CCC, 222Ak:CCC, 222Aq:CCC, 222Dc:CCP,
222De:CCC, 222Df:CCC, 222Dh:CCP, 222Di:CCP, 222Ga:CCC, 222Gb:CCC, 222Gc:CCC, 222Hf:C, 222Ka:CCC,
222Lc:CCC, 251Cj:CCC, 251Dd:CCC, M221:
CONSERVATION REGIONS: 26:C, 36:C, 37:C, 38:C, 44:C, 46:C, 48:C, 49:C
STATES: AR IA IL IN KS MI MN MO OH WI PROVINCES: ON
MIDWEST HERITAGE SYNONYMY: IL sandstone cliff community =
IN sandstone cliff =
MI dry acid cliff +
MN dry cliff (southeast section) +
MO dry sandstone cliff =
OH non-calcareous cliff community +
WI open cliff (sandstone subtype) =
OTHER SYNONYMY: Cliff Communities (Anderson 1996) B, Exposed Rock Cliffs (Curtis 1959) B
USNVC HIERARCHY: OPEN CLIFF SPARSE VEGETATION ALLIANCE (VII.A.1.N.a)
PLANT COMMUNITIES OF THE MIDWEST – 2001. APPENDIX: ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTIONS
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