Carex jonesii Herbaceous Alliance
Jones’s sedge turf
Jones’s sedge turf
USDA Ecological Section Map
Summary Information
- Primary Life FormHerb
- Elevation900-3200 m
- State RarityS3
- Global RarityG4
- DistributionUSA: CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
- Endemic to CaliforniaNo
- Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
- Date Added2009/09/01
Characteristic Species
Carex jonesii is dominant or co-dominant in the herbaceous layer with Achillea millefolium, Bistorta bistortoides, Carex aquatilis, Carex nebrascensis, Deschampsia cespitosa, Dodecatheon conjugens, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Glyceria elata, Juncus nevadensis, Mimulus tilingii, Phleum alpinum, Poa pratensis, Taraxacum officinale, Trifolium longipes, Trifolium monanthum and Viola macloskeyi. Emergent trees or shrubs may be present at low cover, including Betula glandulosa, Salix eastwoodiae or Salix geyeriana. Mosses may be abundant, including Sphagnum spp.
Vegetation Layers
Herbs < 75 cm; cover is continuous.
Membership Rules
- Carex jonesii > 5% absolute cover with lower cover of other sedges, such as C. aquatilis, C. lenticularis, C. scopulorum, C. utriculata, or C. vesicaria, and lower cover of most other plants, such as Deschampsia cespitosa, Juncus nevadensis, and Veratrum californicum (Potter 2005).
Habitats
Seasonally saturated meadows, seeps, stream banks and transitional fens. Soil surfaces are hummocky. The USFWS Wetland Inventory (1996 national list) recognizes Carex jonesii as a FACW plant.
Other Habitat, Alliance and Community Groupings
| MCV (1995) | Sedge series |
| NVCS (2009) | Not treated |
| Calveg | Wet grasses and forbs |
| Holland | Wet montane meadow, Wet subalpine or alpine meadow, Freshwater seep, Fen |
| Munz | Alpine fell-fields, Freshwater marsh |
| WHR | Alpine dwarf-shrub, Wet meadow |
| CDFW CA Code | 45.162.00 |
National Vegetation Classification Hierarchy
| Formation Class | Mesomorphic Shrub and Herb Vegetation (Shrubland and Grassland) |
| Formation Subclass | Temperate and Boreal Shrubland and Grassland |
| Formation | Temperate Grassland, Meadow, and Shrubland |
| Division | Vancouverian and Rocky Mountain Grassland and Shrubland |
| Macro Group | Western Cordilleran montane-boreal wet meadow |
| Group | Western cordilleran montane-boreal mesic wet meadow |
Remarks
Carex jonesii, is a strongly rhizomatous sedge species to 60 cm tall. It has small, clustered, dark inflorescences that exceed the leaves. It typically occupies meadows that are mesic to saturated mid to late into the growing season.
The alliance is a recently described meadow type with Potter’s (2005) and Cooper and Wolf ’s (2006) data being the most synoptic. The Carex limosa, Carex nebrascensis, Bistorta bistortoides-Mimulus primuloides, and Oxypolis occidentalis alliances share codominants with this one, suggesting that all are closely related. We need further sampling and analysis of these meadows complexes in the montane and subalpine meadows of northern California’s mountains to understand their relationships.
The alliance is a recently described meadow type with Potter’s (2005) and Cooper and Wolf ’s (2006) data being the most synoptic. The Carex limosa, Carex nebrascensis, Bistorta bistortoides-Mimulus primuloides, and Oxypolis occidentalis alliances share codominants with this one, suggesting that all are closely related. We need further sampling and analysis of these meadows complexes in the montane and subalpine meadows of northern California’s mountains to understand their relationships.
Life History Traits of the Principal Species
| Carex jonesii | |
|---|---|
| Life forms | Polycarpic perennial; herb; rhizomatous |
| Seed storage | Transient |
| Seed longevity | Short |
| Mode of dispersal | Animal; gravity |
| Germination agents | Stratification—winter |
| Mode of sprouting | Underground structures |
| Survivability after fire/disturbance | Fire-hardy; high sprouter |
| Disturbance-stimulated flowering | No |
| Reproductive range | Long-lived |
| Recruitment | Low; episodic |
| Regional variation | Low |
Fire Characteristics
Fluvial processes rather than fire primarily disturb the alliance. Carex jonesii sprouts after disturbance.
| Fire return interval | — |
| Seasonality | — |
| Size/extent | — |
| Complexity | — |
| Intensity | — |
| Severity | — |
| Type | — |
| Regional knowledge | — |
Regional Status
The range of Carex jonesii includes the Klamath Mountains (M261Ag, At), Northern California Coast Ranges (M261Ba), San Bernardino Mountains (M262Bh), and Warner Mountains (M261Gf ).
- Sierra Nevada (M261Ee, Eg-h, Ej-k, Em-r, Et-u). Stands occur at montane elevations (Potter 2005), including those in transitional fens (Cooper and Wolf 2006).
- Southern Cascades (M261Df, Di-j, Dl-m). Stands are common in saturated meadows and spring/seep sites in the section (S. Smith 1998b).
Management Considerations
Carex jonesii is quite susceptible to grazing and tramping; turf can be degraded by soil compaction, frost heaving, and dewatering (S. Smith 1998b). In some stands, Bistorta bistortoides, Mimulus primuloides, and other herbs have high constancy and cover, suggesting that some stands may have developed following over-grazing; however, many sites with high herb densities have not been grazed for several decades (Potter 2005).
Carex jonesii appears to be highly favored by the introduced white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) in the Sierra Nevada. According to Clarke and Johnson (2005), the average diet of ptarmigan was composed of C. jonesii and Salix petrophila.
Associations
- Carex jonesii [3]
- Carex jonesii - Bistorta bistortoides [2]
- Carex jonesii / Sphagnum subsecundum [1]
References
- [1] Cooper, D.J.;Wolf, E.C. 2006
- [2] Potter, D.A. 2005
- [3] Smith, S. 1998b