More info for the terms: basal area, cover, frequency, tundra
Little spikemoss is most often found on dry shallow soils that are
gravelly or rocky or have gravelly or stony subsoils [57]. It is most
common in grasslands, alpine tundra, and high subalpine communities
which occupy dry, snow-free ridges. Little spikemoss is an extremely
stress-tolerant species and can survive in cold alpine regions with a
short growing season, drought, and summer frosts [62]. Little spikemoss
is not common in forests but can be found in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) with ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) or lodgepole pine (P.
contorta), Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) and subalpine fir (Abies
lasiocarpa), or aspen (Populus tremuloides) communities [33,44]. Little
spikemoss also grows in pinyon (Pinus edulis)-juniper (Juniperus spp.),
sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), and krummholz communities [63]. In Jackson
Hole, Wyoming the big sagebrush (A. tridentata) community has abundant
little spikemoss [47]. In northern Montana aspen grove and grassland
communities, it is found primarily with Hood's phlox (Phlox hoodii) on
stony moraine summits, outwash fans and coarse gravels [38]. The
abundance of little spikemoss in the aspen grove and grassland community
decreases to the north in Saskatchewan [11].
Grassland Sites: Little spikemoss is most abundant in short-grass
prairie. Its basal area may be equal to that of all other herbs and
shrubs [7,9]. In mixed prairie, little spikemoss is slightly less
abundant, occurring with an overall frequency of 74 to 98 percent and
cover up to 25 percent [10]. It has much less cover and is not evenly
distributed in the fescue prairie [7,11]. In the northern Red River
Valley, it dominates with needle-and-thread grass [45]. On sites with
standing surface water, little spikemoss will be unimportant [64].
However, in Montana, areas where it grows are closer to permanent water
than areas where it does not grow [57]. In North Dakota, little
spikemoss is common on a variety of grassland habitat types except those
with extra moisture [64].
Alpine and subalpine sites: In the Washington and British Columbia
Cascades, little spikemoss is common in herb field, the Bellard
alpinesedge (Kobresia myosuroides), and purple reedgrass (Calamagrostis
purpurascens) communities on sites that are essentially snow-free during
the winter. On such sites it is exposed to high wind, low temperatures,
and frequent frosts all winter [20]. On alpine sites in Montana, little
spikemoss does well where Hooker mountainavens (Dryas octopetala) is
dominant [2]. In alpine areas in Utah, it grows in cushion plant
communities with alpine avens (Geum rossii) and on dry meadows and
alpine turf [37]. On the Colorado Front Range, little spikemoss is part
of several forest communities, but its greatest abundance is at higher
elevations in Bellard alpinesedge meadows or under limber pine (Pinus
flexilis) on exposed rocky sites [33,44]. It is well adapted to these
and other alpine cushion-plant communities [62]. In contrast, near
Schoolroom Glacier in the Teton Range of Wyoming, it is found in a
meadow community with kentrophyta milkvetch (Astragalus kentrophyta)
[53]. In Alberta it grows under limber pine on the rocky, dry slopes
and summits of exposed ridges [41]. In northern California little
spikemoss (var. scopulorum) grows on open rocky sites in red fir (Abies
magnifica) and lodgepole pine forests of Siskiyou County [42].
Parent material: Little spikemoss grows in the drier interior of British
Columbia except for a disjunct population on dry, well-aerated and warm
limestone soils on the Queen Charlotte Islands [49]. In Montana, little
spikemoss does well on sites with thin, rocky, and unstable soils derived
from calcareous parent material [2]. In the Bighorn Mountains of
Wyoming, it is present on granitic soils but almost absent on soils
derived from sedimentary rock [57].
Soil texture: Little spikemoss is common on medium texture soils and
sandy loams. It is less common on sandy soils and rare on clay
[10,52,57]. In grasslands dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass
(Pseudoroegneria spicata) little spikemoss is found in areas with
shallower, rockier, and less sandy soils than areas without little
spikemoss [57]. Optimum soil depth for little spikemoss (var. densa) is
between 10 and 20 inches (25.4-50.8 cm) [16]. Growth of little spikemoss
(var. densa) on various soils in several western states is ranked as
follows [16]:
UT WY MT ND
Soil texture
Gravel good fair fair fair
Sand good poor fair fair
Sandy loam good good fair fair
Loam good good good good
Clay loam good good good good
clay fair fair fair good
dense clay poor poor poor poor
Organic soils fair poor poor ----
Acidic soils fair poor poor ----
Saline soils fair poor poor poor
Sodic soils ---- poor poor fair
Sodic-saline soils poor poor poor poor
Elevation: Elevational ranges in some western regions are
[16,26,30,42,63]:
Minimum Maximum
feet meters feet meters
Arizona 11,470 3,496 11,470 3,496
California
var. scopulorum 5,000 1,524 7,000 2,134
Colorado
var. densa 4,000 1,219 12,000 3,658
var. scopulorum 8,000 2,438 12,500 3,810
var. standleyi 9,500 2,896 13,000 3,962
Montana
var. scopulorum 6,300 1,920 6,300 1,920
Utah 8,858 2,700 14,107 4,300
Wyoming
var. densa 6,000 1,829 10,800 3,292
var. scopulorum 5,600 1,707 10,800 3,292
var. standleyi 5,600 1,707 10,800 3,292
