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Wildlife, Animals, and Plants |
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BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS:Alkali sacaton is a native, long-lived, warm-season, densely tufted perennial bunchgrass ranging from 20 to 40 inches (50-100 cm) in height. Panicles are nearly half the length of the plant with stiff, slender, widely spreading branches. Spikelets have 1 flower and tend to diverge from the panicles, appearing scattered. Seeds are free from the lemma and fall readily from the spikelet at maturity [9]. The species is a facultative halophyte, having a broad tolerance to salinity [83,84,85]. Alkali sacaton forms vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae. In a greenhouse study of effects of mycorrhizal inoculation, mean dry mass of inoculated grass plants of this species was significantly greater (p <0.001) than dry mass of uninoculated plants after 16 weeks [91].
RAUNKIAER [59] LIFE FORM:Hemicryptophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES:Alkali sacaton reproduces from seeds and tillers. Seed production is abundant, and seeds remain viable for many years [9]. Seedcoats need not be scarified, but seeds must undergo an afterripening period of several months for good germination. Water movement in floodplains disperses seeds, some of which are deposited in saturated sediments where they later germinate [2]. The effects of moisture stress on germination were studied in the Rio Puerco Watershed near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The study showed that alkali sacaton is more severely affected by moisture stress than galleta and blue grama. This supports observations that alkali sacaton is restricted to frequently flooded sites, while galleta and blue grama can establish on drier sites [43]. Germination percentages decrease with increasing salt increments. Soils rich in magnesium and low in calcium inhibit germination [37,84]. Alkali sacaton seed germinates best between temperatures of 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit (27 and 32 oC) [1,2,42]. Minimum germination temperature was measured at 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 oC)[39].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS:Alkali sacaton grows in saline and nonsaline soils, sometimes in dense, pure stands. It has a broad pH and salinity tolerance, and is common in moist alkaline flats [9,11,13,19,22,28,64,71,86]. It adapted to soils containing high sodium chloride concentrations and soils containing mixtures of other salts including bicarbonate and sulfate compounds [83,84,85]. Ungar [83,84] (and references therein) reported alkali sacaton on sites with soil salinity ranging from 0.003% to 3%, with optimum levels between 0.3% and 0.5%. This species grows in soil textures ranging from sand to clay, usually with low organic matter [19,81,84]. After establishment, it is tolerant of both drought [84] and inundation by water [74]. Elevations ranges for alkali sacaton are as follows: Arizona 2,500 to 6,500 ft (760-1,980 m) [35] Colorado 4,000 to 8,000 ft (1,220-2,440 m) [29] New Mexico 3,100 to 7,500 ft (950-2,290 m) [58,71] Utah 2,625 to 7,710 ft (800-2,350 m) [90]
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:Alkali sacaton is intolerant of shade [81]. It is commonly found as a primary or secondary invader on saline soils. It invades saline flats directly or follows a stage where "succulents" are dominant. In successional series on marsh borders, alkali sacaton represents the vegetation stage just prior to prairie, possibly playing a part in a cycle involving periods of decreased and increased salinity. With decreased salinity its dense root system produces hummocks. As succession proceeds, prairie species invade the hummocks [84]. A study of succession following lowered water tables caused by groundwater pumping in the Owens Valley of California found alkali meadow (dominated by alkali sacaton and saltgrass) was followed by either Nevada saltbush-meadow or rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus)-meadow [49].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:Alkali sacaton is a warm-season grass. It blooms from July to August in the Northwest [34], from June to October in the Great Plains [28], and from April to May in the Southwest [53]. Seeds are produced from late summer to October. They usually germinate in July after a 9-month afterripening period [2].
Related categories for SPECIES: Sporobolus airoides | Alkali Sacaton |
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