Terrestrial Ecological Systems and Natural Communities of Nebraska (Version IV – March 9, 2010) By Steven B. Rolfsmeier Kansas State University Herbarium Manhattan, KS 66506 and Gerry Steinauer Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Aurora, NE 68818 A publication of the NEBRASKA NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION LINCOLN, NEBRASKA TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction ..................................................................................… 1 Terrestrial Ecological System Classification…...................................................... 1 Ecological System Descriptions…………............................................................. 2 Terrestrial Natural Community Classification……………………………….….. 3 Vegetation Hierarchy………………………….………………………………… 4 Natural Community Nomenclature............................................................…........ 5 Natural Community Ranking..;……………….……….....................................…. 6 Natural Community Descriptions………….......................................................... 8 Chapter 2: Ecological Systems of Nebraska.………………………………… 10 Upland Forest, Woodland, and Shrubland Systems…………………………….. 10 Eastern Upland Oak Bluff Forest……….……………………………….. 10 Eastern Dry-Mesic Bur Oak Forest and Woodland……………………… 12 Great Plains Dry Upland Bur Oak Woodland…………………………… 15 Great Plains Wooded Draw, Ravine and Canyon……………………….. 17 Northwestern Great Plains Pine Woodland……………………………… 20 Upland Herbaceous Systems…………………………………………………….. 23 Central Tall-grass Prairie………………………………………………... 23 Central Mixed-grass Prairie…………….……………………………….. 26 Western Great Plains Sand Prairie………………………………………. 28 Northwestern Great Plains Mixed-grass Prairie………………………… 31 Western Great Plains Mixed-grass Prairie..……………………………… 32 Riparian Systems………………………………………………………………… 34 Northwestern Great Plains Riparian……….…………………………….. 34 Wetland Systems………………………………………………………………… 36 Eastern Floodplain Wetland……………………………………………… 36 Western Great Plains Floodplain………………………………………… 39 Eastern Great Plains Wet-Meadow, Prairie and Marsh………………….. 42 Western Great Plains Open Freshwater Depression Wetland…………… 44 Western Great Plains Closed Depression Wetland……………………… 46 Western Great Plains Saline Depression Wetland………………………. 49 Upland Sparsely Vegetated Systems…………………………………………….. 51 Western Great Plains Badlands………………………………………….. 51 Western Great Plains Cliff and Outcrop………………………………… 53 Chapter 3: Terrestrial Natural Communities of Nebraska …………………. 56 Wetland Forest and Woodland Communities…………………………………… 56 Eastern Riparian Forest………………………………………………….. 56 Cottonwood-Peachleaf Willow Riparian Woodland…………………….. 59 Eastern Cottonwood-Dogwood Riparian Woodland……………………. 62 Cottonwood-Diamond Willow Woodland………………………………. 64 Cottonwood Riparian Woodland………………………………………… 66 Peachleaf Willow Woodland……………………………………………. 68 Upland Forest and Woodland Communities…………………………………….. 69 Red Oak-Basswood-Ironwood Forest…………………………………..... 69 Oak-Hickory-Ironwood Forest…………………………………………… 72 I Bur Oak-Basswood-Ironwood Forest…………………………………… 74 Mesic Bur Oak Forest and Woodland…………………………………… 76 Dry-Mesic Bur Oak Forest and Woodland……………………………… 78 Sandstone Upland Bur Oak Woodland………………………………….. 81 Dry Upland Bur Oak Woodland………………………………………… 83 Paper Birch Springbranch Canyon Forest………………………………. 85 Basswood-Ironwood Springbranch Canyon Forest……………………… 87 Green Ash- Elm- Hackberry Canyon Bottom Woodland……………….. 89 Green Ash-Eastern Red Cedar Scarp Woodland………………………… 91 Ponderosa Pine Forest…………………………………………………… 93 Dry-Mesic Ponderosa Pine Woodland………………………………….. 95 Dry Ponderosa Pine Open Woodland and Savanna……………………… 97 Pine-Juniper Scarp Woodland…………………………………………… 99 Rocky Mountain Juniper Woodland…………………………………….. 101 Wetland Shrubland Communities……………………………………………….. 103 Sandbar Willow Shrubland……………………………………………… 103 Riparian Dogwood-False Indigobush Shrubland……………………….. 105 Upland Shrubland Communities………………………………………………… 106 Buckbrush Shrubland……………………………………………………. 106 Buffaloberry Shrubland…………………………………………………. 108 Skunkbrush Sumac Shrubland…………………………………………… 109 Chokecherry-Plum Shrub Thicket………………………………………. 111 Mountain Mahogany Shrubland………………………………………..... 112 Wetland Herbaceous Communities…………………………………………114 Freshwater Seep…………………………………………………………. 114 Prairie Fen……………………………………………………………….. 116 Sandhills Fen……………………………………………………………. 118 Eastern Cordgrass Wet Prairie………………………………………….. 120 Eastern Sedge Wet Meadow…………………………………………….. 122 Eastern Saline Meadow………………………………………………….. 123 Northern Cordgrass Wet Prairie…………………………………………. 125 Sandhills Wet Meadow………………………………………………….. 127 Western Alkaline Meadow………………………………………………. 130 Western Subirrigated Alkaline Meadow………………………………… 132 Wheatgrass Playa Grassland…………………………………………….. 133 Western Sedge Wet Meadow……………………………………………. 135 Playa Wetland…………………………………………………………… 137 Spikerush Vernal Pool…………………………………………………… 138 Eastern Bulrush Deep Marsh…………………………………………….. 140 Cattail Shallow Marsh…………………………………………………… 142 Eastern Saline Marsh……………………………………………………. 144 Sandhills Hardstem Bulrush Marsh……………………………………… 146 Reed Marsh………………………………………………………………. 148 Western Alkaline Marsh…………………………………………………. 150 Eastern Pondweed Aquatic Wetland…………………………………….. 152 American Lotus Aquatic Wetland……………………………………….. 153 II Northern Pondweed Aquatic Wetland…………………………………… 155 Water-lily Aquatic Wetland……………………………………………… 157 Saline/Alkaline Aquatic Wetland………………………………………… 159 Upland Herbaceous Communities………………………………………………… 161 Upland Tall-grass Prairie………………………………………………… 161 Dakota Sandstone Tall-grass Prairie……………………………………… 163 Lowland Tall-grass Prairie………………………………………………... 165 Missouri River Valley Dune Grassland………………………………….. 167 Missouri River Floodplain Terrace Grassland……………………………. 169 Southern Sand/Gravel Prairie…………………………………………….. 170 Loess Mixed-grass Prairie………………………………………………… 172 Northern Loess/Shale Bluff Prairie………………………………………. 174 Eastern Sand Prairie………………………………………………………. 176 Sandhills Mesic Tall-grass Prairie………………………………………… 178 Sandhills Dune Prairie…………………………………………………….. 180 Sandhills Dry Valley Prairie……………………………………………… 183 Sandsage Prairie…………………………………………………………… 185 Western Sand Prairie……………………………………………………… 187 Threadleaf Sedge Western Mixed-grass Prairie………………………….. 188 Northwestern Mixed-grass Prairie………………………………………… 190 Wheatgrass Western Mixed-grass Prairie…………………………………. 193 Great Plains Gravel-Cobble Prairie……………………………………….. 195 Western Floodplain Terrace Grassland…………………………………… 197 Silver Sagebrush Shrub Prairie……………………………………………. 199 Greasewood Shrub Prairie………………………………………………… 201 Wetland Sparsely Vegetated Communities………………………………………. 202 Perennial Sandbar………………………………………………………… 202 Sandbar/Mudflat………………………………………………………….. 204 Upland Sparsely Vegetated Communities………………………………………… 205 Eastern Sandstone Bluff and Cliff………………………………………… 205 Northern Chalk Bluff and Cliff…………………………………………… 207 Western Sandstone Cliff………………………………………………….. 209 Rock Outcrop……………………………………………………………… 210 Badlands………………………………………………………………….. 212 Riverine Gravel Flats…………………………………………………….. 213 Chapter 4: References……………………………………………………….… 216 III CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Over two decades ago, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and state natural heritage programs developed the “coarse filter/fine filter” approach to preserving biological diversity (Grossman et al. 1994). This approach involves identification and protection of natural communities (coarse filter) as well as rare species (fine filter). Identifying and protecting representative examples of natural communities ensures conservation of most species, biotic interactions and ecological processes. Those species that “fall through” the community filters are generally the rare species. Identification and protection of viable occurrences of rare species serves as the fine filter for preserving biological diversity. Using communities as a coarse filter assures that conservation efforts are working to protect a more complete spectrum of biological diversity, not just those species whose priority conservation status has been documented. By protecting communities many species not generally targeted for conservation, such as poorly known groups like fungi and invertebrates, are protected. Furthermore, communities are an important tool for systematically characterizing the current pattern and condition of ecosystems and landscapes. The Terrestrial Ecological Systems and Natural Communities of Nebraska (Version IV) was developed primarily as a tool to aid in the conservation of biological diversity by providing a systematic classification of the natural communities found in the state. In some cases, land managers and other conservationists have found natural community classifications too fine-scale and complex for vegetation mapping and other land management projects. In recent years the need for a broader scale ecological classification unit for conservation and resource management efforts on a national and state level became obvious. To fulfill this need, this document, for the first time, includes a classification of the ecological systems of Nebraska (ecological systems are broader scale classification units than natural communities). TERRESTRIAL ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM CLASSIFICATION In 2002, NatureServe and its natural heritage program partners developed an ecological systems classification that includes nearly 600 types for the coterminous United States, southern Alaska and adjacent portions of Mexico and Alaska (Comer 2002 and NatureServe 2007). NatureServe (2008) listed and provided