Elymus glaucus Montane Herbaceous Alliance
Blue wild rye montane meadows
Blue wild rye montane meadows
USDA Ecological Section Map
Summary Information
- Primary Life FormHerb
- Elevation400-2500 m
- State RarityS3?
- Global RarityG3?
- DistributionUSA: CA (NatureServe), w. North America. Mexico (TJM2) (BONAP)
- Endemic to CaliforniaNo
- Endemic to California Floristic Province and DesertsNo
- Date Added2009/09/01
Characteristic Species
Elymus glaucus is dominant or co-dominant in the herbaceous layer with Agrostis scabra, Bromus diandrus, Calamagrostis canadensis, Carex feta, Carex pellita, Glyceria striata, Heracleum maximum, Juncus oxymeris, Phleum pratense, Poa pratensis, Senecio clarkianus, Senecio triangularis, Solidago canadensis, Stachys albens and Veratrum californicum.
Vegetation Layers
Herbs < 1 m; cover is intermittent to continuous.
Membership Rules
- Elymus glaucus ≥ 50% relative cover or conspicuous along with other graminoids such as Agrostis gigantea, Carex feta, and C. pellita in the herbaceous layer (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003b).
Habitats
Foothill and montane meadow edges, forest openings, and elevated flats. Soils may be intermittently flooded and have water tables that drop well below the surface during the growing season. The USFWS Wetland Inventory (1996 national list) recognizes Elymus glaucus as a FACU plant.
Other Habitat, Alliance and Community Groupings
| MCV (1995) | Montane meadow habitat |
| NVCS (2009) | Elymus glaucus herbaceous alliance |
| Calveg | Perennial grasses and forbs |
| Holland | Native grassland |
| Munz | Valley grassland |
| WHR | Perennial grassland, Wet meadow |
| CDFW CA Code | 41.630.00 |
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
Elymus glaucus is a cool-season, short-lived bunchgrass native to the western United States. The species grows in small tufts of only a few stems per plant. The root system is well branched and penetrates deeply. Plants produce stolons or they lack horizontal stems. The species produces abundant seed that builds a seed bank. Seed stratification is not necessary for germination (Johnson 1999).
Elymus glaucus occurs throughout a matrix of grasslands, coastal and montane forests, montane woodlands, and montane meadows throughout western United States. It was an important component of Great Valley grasslands before heavy grazing and the invasion of non-native plants (Amme et al. 1990, Keeley 1990b), and was a dominant in southern California grasslands (Paysen et al. 1980). This alliance description comes primarily from montane elevation stands in the Sierra Nevada. Both ssp. glaucus and ssp. jepsonii grow at montane elevations; ssp. virescens is coastal. We include the former two subspecies in this alliance. Coastal stands are now assigned to the Bromus carinatus - Elymus glaucus Alliance.
Elymus glaucus occurs throughout a matrix of grasslands, coastal and montane forests, montane woodlands, and montane meadows throughout western United States. It was an important component of Great Valley grasslands before heavy grazing and the invasion of non-native plants (Amme et al. 1990, Keeley 1990b), and was a dominant in southern California grasslands (Paysen et al. 1980). This alliance description comes primarily from montane elevation stands in the Sierra Nevada. Both ssp. glaucus and ssp. jepsonii grow at montane elevations; ssp. virescens is coastal. We include the former two subspecies in this alliance. Coastal stands are now assigned to the Bromus carinatus - Elymus glaucus Alliance.
Life History Traits of the Principal Species
| Elymus glaucus | |
|---|---|
| Life forms | Polycarpic perennial; herb |
| Seed storage | Transient |
| Seed longevity | Short |
| Mode of dispersal | Animal; wind |
| Germination agents | None |
| Mode of sprouting | Buds on large branches or trunks (culms) |
| Survivability after fire/disturbance | Fire-hardy; high sprouter |
| Disturbance-stimulated flowering | No |
| Reproductive range | Life of plant |
| Recruitment | Moderate |
| Regional variation | Low |
Fire Characteristics
Elymus glaucus sprouts from surviving stolons and tillers after fires (Johnson 1999). It establishes quickly after low- to moderate-intensity fire and may form an early seral type in recently burned woodlands.
| Fire return interval | Short |
| Seasonality | Early fall |
| Size/extent | Up to stand size |
| Complexity | Low |
| Intensity | Moderate to high |
| Severity | Moderate to high |
| Type | Surface fire |
| Regional knowledge | Sierra Nevada |
Regional Status
The range of Elymus glaucus is statewide and extends into Oregon and Washington.
- Sierra Nevada (M261Eg, Em, Ep-q). Stands from Sequoia (Halpern 1986) and Yosemite national parks (Keeler-Wolf et al. 2003b) characterize the alliance. E. glaucus and Poa pratensis are the most abundant species in these stands. A strong overlap in the environmental settings exists for the two associations described in Yosemite National Park with Carex feta, C. pellita, and others as associates. Stands occur at moist meadow sites on similar substrates and in mid to lower elevations in the park. The associations share least eight species, so we need further data to compare and possibly combine them into a single association.
Management Considerations
Elymus glaucus rarely forms pure stands except in disturbed areas, such as roadside corridors, sites disturbed by fire or timber harvest, and sites with intermittent flooding. Although it is intolerant of heavy grazing, some disturbance typically favors E. glaucus, as it recovers quickly from burns and after suspension of grazing.
Land managers recommend the species for habitat restoration and soil stabilization because it exhibits frequent and abundant seed production, and high, rapid germination, early seedling growth, and deep, fibrous roots (Erickson et al. 2004, Johnson 1999). For successful plantings, managers may need to collect seed of E. glaucus in close proximity to proposed restoration sites, because the species has a high degree of genetic differentiation among populations (Hufford et al. 2008, Knapp and Rice 1996). The species is an important forage plant.
Associations
- Elymus glaucus - Carex feta [2]
- Elymus glaucus - Carex pellita [2]
- Elymus glaucus - Heracleum maximum [1]
References
- [1] Halpern, C.B. 1986
- [2] Keeler-Wolf, T.;Schindel, M.;San, S.;Moore, P.;Hickson, D. 2003b
- Johnson, K.A. 1999
- Knapp, E.E.;Rice, K.J. 1996