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V. HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
V.A.5.N.e. Short sod temperate or subpolar grassland
V.A.5.N.e.1. SPARTINA PATENS - (SCHOENOPLECTUS PUNGENS) HERBACEOUS ALLIANCE
Saltmeadow Cordgrass - (Threesquare) Herbaceous Alliance
Concept: This alliance includes upland dune grassland of barrier
islands of the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Spartina patens and Schoenoplectus
pungens (= Scirpus pungens) are characteristically dominant, though other
graminoids such as Schoenoplectus pungens, Sporobolus virginicus, Cenchrus
spinifex (= Cenchrus incertus), Cenchrus tribuloides, and Paspalum distichum
may
be codominant or prominent within their respective ranges. In parts of the range
of this alliance, Spartina patens is dominant and Schoenoplectus pungens may be
absent. This community characteristically occupies overwash terraces or low
dunes, less well-developed than those dominated by Uniola paniculata (from North
Carolina south and west to Texas and Tamaulipas, Mexico) or by Ammophila
breviligulata (from North Carolina northwards). Total vegetation cover is
variable, ranging from quite sparse (25% cover) to dense. Bare sand is often
visible through the vegetation, and there is no soil profile development.
Species diversity is variable; although it may be quite low and confined to the
nominal species in the northern part of the range, it may be of greater
diversity. Other components of this vegetation include Strophostyles helvula,
Solidago sempervirens, Cenchrus tribuloides, Setaria parviflora, Distichlis
spicata, Sabatia stellaris, Ammophila breviligulata, Suaeda linearis, Bassia
hirsuta (an exotic), Atriplex patula, Polygonum glaucum, Spergularia salina (=
Spergularia marina), Salicornia bigelovii, Salicornia virginica, Fimbristylis
castanea, and Cakile edentula ssp. edentula. Woody species may include scattered
individuals of Toxicodendron radicans, Solidago sempervirens, Lythrum lineare,
Kosteletzkya virginica, and seedlings of Baccharis halimifolia. The plants of
this community are influenced by sand deposited by storm surges. Storm overwash
is a prevalent natural disturbance to this community. This community appears to
be successional between interdunal herbaceous wetlands and interdunal
herbaceous/shrub uplands.
Range: This alliance is reported from coastal areas from New
York on the Atlantic Coast around to Tamaulipas, Mexico, on the Gulf Coast.
States/Provinces: AL DE FL LA MA? MD MS? MXTM? NC NJ NY TX VA
TNC Ecoregions: 31:C, 53:C, 55:C, 57:C, 58:C, 62:C
USFS Ecoregions: 221Ab:CCC, 231Fb:PPP, 232Aa:CCC, 232Ab:CCC,
232Ac:CCC, 232Bz:CCC, 232Ch:CCP, 232Ci:CC?, 232Dc:CCC, 232Dd:CCC, 232De:CCC,
232Eb:CC?, 232Ed:CCC, 232Ee:CCC, 255Dc:CCC
Federal Lands: NPS (Assateague Island, Fire Island, Padre
Island?); USFWS (Bon Secour, Laguna Atascosa, Matagorda Island)
Synonymy: Maritime Dry Grassland (Schafale and Weakley 1990);
Wash (Hill 1986); wash (Higgins et al. 1971); grassland community (Baumann
1978b); low dune community (Boule 1979); dunegrass community, in part (Higgins
et al. 1971); Dry community of barrier flats (Travis and Godfrey 1976);
secondary dunes (Klotz 1986)
References: Baumann 1978b, Boule 1979, Higgins et al. 1971, Hill
1986, Klotz 1986, Schafale and Weakley 1990, Travis and Godfrey 1976
Authors: ECS, JT, East Identifier:
A.1274
SPARTINA PATENS - SCHOENOPLECTUS PUNGENS - SOLIDAGO
SEMPERVIRENS HERBACEOUS VEGETATION
Saltmeadow Cordgrass - Threesquare - Seaside Goldenrod
Herbaceous Vegetation
Overwash Dune Grassland G2G3
(98-11-04)
Ecological Group (SCS;MCS): Atlantic and Gulf Coast Dune and Coastal
Grasslands (240-25; n/a)
Concept: This community is an upland dune grassland of
mid-Atlantic barrier islands on embryo dunes forming from overwash terraces from
Delaware to North Carolina. It forms a drier, later successional phase beginning
from water-deposited sand of storm overwash. Sand movement, plant burial, and
dune formation rates are not so high as to form Ammophila breviligulata-dominated
primary dunes, but can be found as a fringe around the outer edge of those
dunes. Spartina patens is dominant, ranging from quite sparse (25% cover)
to dense, and can be monotypic in early successional expressions. As the
vegetation develops, common associated species can include Schoenoplectus
pungens (= Scirpus pungens) or Solidago sempervirens. Less common
associates can include Cyperus grayi, Cenchrus tribuloides, Setaria
parviflora, Festuca rubra, and occasional scattered individuals of
Toxicodendron radicans and seedlings of Baccharis halimifolia. Bare
sand is often visible through the vegetation, and there is no soil profile
development. Ammophila breviligulata or Uniola paniculata may
invade from the surrounding dunes. This community appears to be a successional
step between interdunal herbaceous wetlands and interdunal herbaceous/shrub
uplands.
Comments: This community differs ecologically from dune
grasslands dominated by Ammophila breviligulata or Uniola paniculata,
which are primarily impacted by wind-deposited sand. This community is impacted
by wave-deposited sand. It is drier than brackish swales and vegetation that
immediately colonizes water-borne sand from storm overwash, like Spartina
patens - Eleocharis parvula Herbaceous Vegetation (CEGL006342). Spartina
patens - Schizachyrium maritimum - Solidago sempervirens Herbaceous
Vegetation (CEGL008445) is a southern analog of this association that occurs
along the Gulf Coast.
Range: This community is an upland dune grassland of
mid-Atlantic barrier islands from Delaware to North Carolina.
States/Provinces: DE:S2S3?, MA?, MD:S?, NC:S2, NJ:S?, NY:S5,
VA:S?
TNC Ecoregions: 57:C, 58:C, 62:C
USFS Ecoregions: 221Ab:CCC, 232Aa:CCC, 232Ab:CCC, 232Ac:CCC,
232Bz:CCC, 232Ci:C??
Federal Lands: NPS (Assateague Island, Fire Island)
Synonymy: Maritime Dry Grassland (Typic Subtype) (Schafale
2000), Wash (Hill 1986) =. Assateague Island., Wash (Higgins et al. 1971) =.
Assateague Island., Dunegrass community (Higgins et al. 1971) B. Assateague
Island., Grassland community (Baumann 1978b) =. Virginia., Low dune community
(Boule 1979) =. Virginia., Dry community of barrier flats (Travis and Godfrey
1976) B. North Carolina., Secondary dunes (Klotz 1986) B. Virginia., Dry
maritime grassland (Lea 2002b). Assateague Island.
References: Baumann 1978b, Berdine 1998, Boule 1979, Bowman
2000, Breden et al. 2001, Edinger et al. 2002, Fleming et al. 2001, Higgins et
al. 1971, Hill 1986, Klotz 1986, Lea 2002b, Reschke 1990, Schafale 2000,
Schafale and Weakley 1990, TNC 1995c, Travis and Godfrey 1976, Zaremba and
Leatherman 1984
Authors: L.A. Sneddon, ECS Confidence: 2
Identifier: CEGL004097 - Maryland Vegetation Classification Subset Report V.A. Perennial graminoid
vegetation |
