Carex nebrascensis Herbaceous Alliance
Nebraska sedge meadows
Nebraska sedge meadows
USDA Ecological Section Map
Summary Information
- Primary Life FormHerb
- Elevation60-2700 m
- State RarityS4
- Global RarityG5
- DistributionUSA: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NE, NM, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY (NatureServe)
- Endemic to CaliforniaNo
- Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
- Date Added1995/11/01
Characteristic Species
Carex nebrascensis is dominant or co-dominant in the herbaceous layer with Achillea millefolium, Bistorta bistortoides, Calamagrostis stricta, Carex microptera, Carex praegracilis, Carex simulata, Carex utriculata, Deschampsia cespitosa, Eleocharis macrostachya, Eleocharis palustris, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Epilobium ciliatum, Glyceria elata, Juncus arcticus, Juncus nevadensis, Mimulus primuloides, Muhlenbergia filiformis, Muhlenbergia richardsonis, Perideridia parishii, Poa pratensis, Ptilagrostis kingii, Schoenoplectus pungens and Trifolium spp.
Vegetation Layers
Herbs < 1 m; cover is intermittent to continuous.
Membership Rules
- C. nebrascensis > 5% absolute cover; if Oxypolis occidentalis, C. utriculata, or C. vesicaria present, then C. nebrascensis is > 50% relative cover (Potter 2005).
- Carex nebrascensis > 25% relative cover and exceeding other species such as Eleocharis quinqueflora in cover in the herbaceous layer (Ratliff 1982).
Habitats
Fens, wet meadows; rarely along streamsides or lake basins. Soils are usually deep alluvium with organic surface layers. The USFWS Wetland Inventory (1996 national list) recognizes Carex nebrascensis as an OBL plant.
Other Habitat, Alliance and Community Groupings
MCV (1995) | Nebraska sedge series |
NVCS (2009) | Carex nebrascensis seasonally flooded herbaceous alliance |
Calveg | Wet grasses and forbs |
Holland | Wet montane meadow, Freshwater seep, Fen |
Munz | Freshwater marsh |
WHR | Wet meadow |
CDFW CA Code | 45.130.00 |
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 nebrascensis is a strongly rhizomatous sedge species with stout culms to 1 m and bluish-green leaves. One to two male flowering spikelets are usually found above 2-5 pistillate spikelets, which are subtended by a leafy bract (Ogle 2005b). It is common in seasonally wet to saturated meadows west of the Mississippi River. Seed establishment is best on freshly deposited, moist sediments, although vegetative reproduction is most common. Plants possess thick rhizomes that spread aggressively. They often form dense stands with few associated species (Ogle 2005b, Ratliff 1983, Potter 2005). In other cases, herbaceous cover can be high (Potter 2005).
In California, C. nebrascensis typically occurs on sites where water flows over the surface but does not pond (Ratliff and Westfall 1988). C. nebrascensis stands occur in somewhat drier situations than do those of the Carex (utriculata, vesicaria) alliance, but in wetter situations than do those of the Poa pratensis and Veratrum californicum alliances. Fites-Kaufman et al. (2007) characterized such meadow systems as open wet meadows. This and the Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex jonesii, Bistorta bistortoides-Mimulus primuloides, and Oxypolis occidentalis alliances have associations that share co-dominants, suggesting that they are closely related. We need further sampling and analysis of these meadow complexes to understand their relationships.
In California, C. nebrascensis typically occurs on sites where water flows over the surface but does not pond (Ratliff and Westfall 1988). C. nebrascensis stands occur in somewhat drier situations than do those of the Carex (utriculata, vesicaria) alliance, but in wetter situations than do those of the Poa pratensis and Veratrum californicum alliances. Fites-Kaufman et al. (2007) characterized such meadow systems as open wet meadows. This and the Deschampsia cespitosa, Carex jonesii, Bistorta bistortoides-Mimulus primuloides, and Oxypolis occidentalis alliances have associations that share co-dominants, suggesting that they are closely related. We need further sampling and analysis of these meadow complexes to understand their relationships.
Life History Traits of the Principal Species
Carex nebrascensis | |
---|---|
Life forms | Polycarpic perennial; herb; rhizomatous |
Seed storage | Transient |
Seed longevity | Short |
Mode of dispersal | Animal; gravity; water/hydrological |
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 | High; episodic |
Regional variation | High |
Fire Characteristics
Hydrologic processes rather than fire primarily disturb the alliance. Carex nebrascensis sprouts well after disturbances, including fires and flooding. Major processes influencing the persistence of stands involve meadow erosion and long-term, regional climatic shifts.
Fire return interval | — |
Seasonality | — |
Size/extent | — |
Complexity | — |
Intensity | — |
Severity | — |
Type | — |
Regional knowledge | — |
Regional Status
The range of Carex nebrascensis includes the Great Valley (262A), mountains of the Mojave Desert (322A), Northwestern Basin and Range (342B), Southeastern Great Basin (341F), and Southern California Mountains and Valleys (M262Bb, Bh, Bm).
- Klamath Mountains (M261Ad-e, Ag, Ai-l, An, Ap-q, As-t). Stands are widespread in wet meadows at higher elevations throughout the section.
- Modoc Plateau (M261Ga-p). Stands throughout the section (S. Smith 1998b) occupy streamside meadow systems and montane cirque basins mostly above 1500 m. Associated meadow types include those of the Hordeum brachyantherum, Poa pratensis, Poa secunda, and Veratrum californicum alliances, and associated shrublands include the Salix bebbiana or Salix lemmonii alliances.
- Mono (341Dd-e, Dl). Stands in the Carson, Truckee, and Walker river watersheds and in the Sweetwater and Excelsior mountains (Weixelman et al. 1999) are the most extensive in the state.
- Northern California Coast Ranges (M261Ba). Stands in the Yolla Bolly mountains occupy wet meadows (Keeler-Wolf and Keeler-Wolf 1974).
- Sierra Nevada (M261Ea-j, El-r, Et-u). Stands exist above 1500 m in transitional fens and wet meadows at Grass Lake RNA (Burke 1987), in Sequoia National Park (Halpern 1986), in Sequoia National Forest (Cooper and Wolf 2006), at Snow Canyon RNA (Nachlinger 1992), in Yosemite National Park (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003b), on the east side (Manning and Padgett 1995, Weixelman et al. 1999), and generally in the section (Beguin and Major 1975, Ratliff 1982, 1985, Potter 2005). Associated meadow types include associations of the Deschampsia cespitosa and Poa pratensis alliances (Allen-Diaz 1991).
- Southern Cascades (M261Da-f, Dh-j, Dl-m). Stands are common in the section except in the lower and drier subsections (S. Smith 1998b).
Management Considerations
Carex nebrascensis is an important forage species for livestock, and it resists grazing, trampling damage, and soil compaction (Ogle 2005b, Potter 2005, Ratliff 1982, S. Smith 1998b). The plant is useful for erosion control and soil stabilization. Although this species can tolerate drought and total inundation, the soil should be kept saturated for it to persist (Ogle 2005b). Juncus arcticus or Poa pratensis may replace C. nebrascensis when grazed continuously (Manning and Padgett 1995).
Associations
- Carex nebrascensis [1], [2], [3], [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11]
- Carex nebrascensis - Ptilagrostis kingii [4]
References
- [1] Beguin, C.N.;Major, J. 1975
- [2] Burke, M.T. 1987
- [3] Cooper, D.J.;Wolf, E.C. 2006
- [4] Halpern, C.B. 1986
- [5] Keeler-Wolf, T.;Schindel, M.;San, S.;Moore, P.;Hickson, D. 2003b
- [6] Manning, M.E.;Padgett, W.G. 1995
- [7] Potter, D.A. 2005
- [8] Ratliff, R.D. 1982
- [9] Smith, S. 1998b
- [10] Weixelman, D.A.;Zamudio, D.C.;Zamudio, K.A. 1999
- [11] Boul, R.;Keeler-Wolf, T.;Ratchford, J.;Haynes, T.;Hickson, D.;Yacoub, R.;Harbert, B.;Evens, J. 2021b
- Allen-Diaz, B.H. 1991
- Allen-Diaz, B.H. 1994
- Hermann, F.J. 1970
- Mason, H.L. 1957
- Ogle, D.G. 2005b
- Paysen, T.E.;Derby, J.A.;Black, H.;Bleich, V.C.;Mincks, J.W. 1980
- Ratliff, R.D. 1983
- Ratliff, R.D. 1985
- Sala, A.;Nowak, R.S. 1997