Index of Species Information
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
Introductory
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Esser, Lora L. 1994. Festuca subulata. In: Fire Effects Information System, [Online].
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station,
Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). Available:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/graminoid/fessub/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
FESSUB
SYNONYMS :
NO-ENTRY
SCS PLANT CODE :
FESU
COMMON NAMES :
bearded fescue
nodding fescue
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name of bearded fescue is Festuca
subulata Trin. [9,14,24]]. There are no recognized infrataxa.
LIFE FORM :
Graminoid
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
No special status
OTHER STATUS :
NO-ENTRY
DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Bearded fescue occurs from Alaska south to northern California and east
to Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, and western South Dakota [8,9,14,24,25].
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES20 Douglas-fir
FRES23 Fir - spruce
FRES24 Hemlock - Sitka spruce
FRES27 Redwood
FRES28 Western hardwoods
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES36 Mountain grasslands
FRES37 Mountain meadows
STATES :
AK CA ID MT OR SD UT WA WY AB
BC
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
1 Northern Pacific Border
2 Cascade Mountains
4 Sierra Mountains
5 Columbia Plateau
8 Northern Rocky Mountains
9 Middle Rocky Mountains
10 Wyoming Basin
15 Black Hills Uplift
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K001 Spruce - cedar - hemlock forest
K002 Cedar - hemlock - Douglas-fir forest
K003 Silver fir - Douglas-fir forest
K004 Fir - hemlock forest
K005 Mixed conifer forest
K006 Redwood forest
K025 Alder - ash forest
K037 Mountain-mahogany - oak scrub
K047 Fescue - oatgrass
K052 Alpine meadows and barren
SAF COVER TYPES :
205 Mountain hemlock
217 Aspen
221 Red alder
223 Sitka spruce
224 Western hemlock
225 Western hemlock - Sitka spruce
226 Coastal true fir - hemlock
227 Western redcedar - western hemlock
228 Western redcedar
229 Pacific Douglas-fir
230 Douglas-fir - western hemlock
232 Redwood
243 Sierra Nevada mixed conifer
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Bearded fescue is a member of maple-quaking aspen (Acer spp.-Populus
tremuloides), quaking aspen-mountain brush, and aspen-spruce-fir
(Picea-Abies spp.) communities in the mountains of northern Utah [24].
It is found in stands dominated by Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) in Red
Butte Canyon, Utah [4].
Bearded fescue is found in upland coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens)
forests of northern California and montane coniferous forests of the
Sierra Nevada, California [15,17].
Bearded fescue is commonly found in the Sitka spruce/devil's club (Picea
sitchensis/Oplopanax horridus) association in British Columbia and the
Pacific Northwest [1]. It is also found in the coastal Douglas-fir
(Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga
heterophylla) zones of British Columbia [19]. On the Saturna Island
Ecological Reserve, British Columbia, bearded fescue is a member of a
virgin Douglas-fir forest [22].
Bearded fescue is a common understory species in red alder (Alnus rubra)
communities in the central Oregon Coast Range [3]. In Washington,
bearded fescue occurs in western hemlock/vanillaleaf (Achlys triphylla),
western hemlock/devil's club, red alder/salmonberry (Alnus rubra/Rubus
spectabilis), and Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis)/devil's club
associations [6]. At Mount St. Helens, Washington, in the airfall area
(the area surrounding the immediate devastated area), bearded fescue is
one of the dominant riparian herbs [16].
Species commonly associated with bearded fescue not previously mentioned
in Distribution and Occurrence include noble fir (Abies procera),
Alaska-cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis), vine maple (Acer circinatum),
dwarf Oregon-grape (Berberis nervosa), red huckleberry (Vaccinium
parviflorum), Alaska blueberry (V. alaskensis), baldhip rose (Rosa
gymnocarpa), salal (Gaultheria shallon), western fescue (Festuca
occidentalis), blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus), evergreen violet (Viola
sempervirens), twinflower (Linnaea borealis), bunchberry (Cornus
canadensis), oneleaf foamflower (Tiarella unifoliata), sweet-scented
bedstraw (Galium trifolium), starry Solomon-seal (Smilacina stellata),
thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), California hazel (Corylus cornuta var.
californica), oceanspray (Holodiscus discolor), Oregon oxalis (Oxalis
oregana), western sword fern (Polystichum munitum), and bracken fern
(Pteridium aquilinum) [1,3,6,18,22].
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE :
Bearded fescue is eaten by grizzly bears in British Columbia [1]. The
western hemlock/devil's club and red alder/salmonberry habitat types of
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, which include bearded fescue,
provide important habitat for deer, elk, and mountain beaver [6].
PALATABILITY :
NO-ENTRY
NUTRITIONAL VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
COVER VALUE :
NO-ENTRY
VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER USES AND VALUES :
NO-ENTRY
OTHER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
NO-ENTRY
BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS :
Bearded fescue is a native, perennial bunchgrass [8,14,24]. Culms are
16 to 32 inches (40-80 cm) tall [14,24]. Leaf blades are drooping, flat
or loosely rolled, and 4 to 12 inches (10-30 cm) long [9]. The
inflorescence is an open, loose panicle 4 to 16 inches (10-40 cm) long
[9,24]. Bearded fescue is occasionally stoloniferous in Utah [9], and
California plants reportedly have short rhizomes [24].
RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM :
Hemicryptophyte
REGENERATION PROCESSES :
Bearded fescue may sprout from rhizomes and perennating buds at the base
of the culms. It also reproduces by seed [9,24].
SITE CHARACTERISTICS :
Bearded fescue occurs on mesic to moist sites in meadows, thickets,
forests, shaded places, coastal mountain valleys, wet benches, terraces
and streambanks [6,8,9,14,24]. It is most commonly found in soils
derived from sandstone, shale, and conglomerates [4,15].
Elevations for bearded fescue in some western states are as follows:
feet meters
California <8,250 <2,500 [9]
Utah 5,544-7,656 1,680-2,320 [24]
Washington 1,815-4,820 550-1,460 [6]
SUCCESSIONAL STATUS :
Facultative Seral Species
Bearded fescue grows in both open and shaded areas [8,9,17], but does
best in full or partial shade [9]. In British Columbia, bearded fescue
occurs as a pioneer species in communities disturbed by avalanches [1].
SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT :
Bearded fescue blooms from June to August in California [17].
FIRE ECOLOGY
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS :
Bearded fescue grows best in plant communities that burn infrequently,
but it can grow on open, disturbed sites. Western hemlock, redwood, and
Pacific silver fir forests, in which bearded fescue occurs, have
fire-return intervals of 500 years or more [26]. The fire-return
interval varies with respect to location, associated species, and
climate.
Bearded fescue has basal culm buds and rhizomes which may sprout after
aerial portions are burned. Bearded fescue forms densely clumped stems
with persistent dead leaf sheaths at the plant base [9,14]. If thick
tufts form, they may protect the basal buds from fire damage.
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY :
Rhizomatous herb, rhizome in soil
Surface rhizome/chamaephytic root crown
Tussock graminoid
Secondary colonizer - off-site seed
FIRE EFFECTS
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT :
Bearded fescue culms, leaves, and stolons are probably killed by fire.
Plants with rhizomes are probably only top-killed.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE :
Bearded fescue may sprout following some fires.
DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE :
NO-ENTRY
FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Agee [26] summarizes fire management options in Pacific Northwest
forests where bearded fescue occurs. In western hemlock forests no
natural areas are large enough to allow a free-ranging fire, and few
will allow prescribed natural fire. Also, much of the protected western
hemlock forest is within conservation areas for the northern spotted owl
and is being managed to preserve owl habitat. Without fire, the
proportion of Douglas-fir in natural stands will decline, particularly
on more mesic sites, and western hemlock will assume a more important
role. In Pacific silver fir forests fire is not a useful management
option. Under controllable conditions, prescribed fires will not
spread. As a fuel reduction tool, prescribed fire usually increases
dead fuel loadings [26].
REFERENCES
SPECIES: Festuca subulata
REFERENCES :
1. Banner, Allen; Pojar, Jim; Trowbridge, Rick; Hamilton, Anthony. 1986.
Grizzly bear habitat in the Kimsquit River Valley, coastal British
Columbia: classification, description, and mapping. In: Contreras, Glen
P.; Evans, Keith E., compilers. Proceedings--grizzly bear habitat
symposium; 1985 April 30 - May 2; Missoula, MT. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-207.
Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain
Research Station: 36-49. [10810]
2. Bernard, Stephen R.; Brown, Kenneth F. 1977. Distribution of mammals,
reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
associations for the eleven western states. Tech. Note 301. Denver, CO:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
[434]
3. Carlton, Gary C. 1988. The structure and dynamics of red alder
communities in the central Coast Range of western Oregon. Corvallis, OR:
Oregon State University. 173 p. Thesis. [10549]
4. Cottam, Walter P.; Evans, Frederick R. 1945. A comparative study of the
vegetation of grazed and ungrazed canyons of the Wasatch Range, Utah.
Ecology. 26(2): 171-181. [695]
5. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and
Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905]
6. Franklin, Jerry F.; Moir, William H.; Hemstrom, Miles A.; [and others].
1988. The forest communities of Mount Rainier National Park. Scientific
Monograph Series No 19. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of the Interior,
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7. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others].
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ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
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of Wyoming. 3rd ed. Research Journal 202. Laramie, WY: University of
Wyoming, Agricultural Experiment Station. 432 p. [2906]
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California. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. 1400 p.
[21992]
10. Hitchcock, C. Leo; Cronquist, Arthur. 1973. Flora of the Pacific
Northwest. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press. 730 p. [1168]
11. Hulten, Eric. 1968. Flora of Alaska and neighboring territories.
Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. 1008 p. [13403]
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plants of coastal British Columbia. Vancouver, BC: University of British
Columbia Press. 288 p. [10703]
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of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384]
14. Lackschewitz, Klaus. 1991. Vascular plants of west-central
Montana--identification guidebook. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-227. Ogden, UT:
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research
Station. 648 p. [13798]
15. Lenihan, James M. 1990. Forest ass. of Little Lost Man Creek, Humboldt
Co., CA: reference-level in the hierarchical structure of old-growth
coastal redwood vegetation. Madrono. 37(2): 69-87. [10673]
16. Means, Joseph E.; McKee, W. Arthur; Moir, William H.; Franklin, Jerry F.
1982. Natural revegetation of the northeastern portion of the devestated
area. In: Keller, S. A, C.; ed. Mount St. Helens: one year later:
Proceedings of a symposium; 1981 May 17-18; Cheney, WA. Cheney, WA:
Eastern Washington University Press: 93-103. [5977]
17. Munz, Philip A. 1973. A California flora and supplement. Berkeley, CA:
University of California Press. 1905 p. [6155]
18. Ogilvie, R. T.; Hebda, R. J.; Roemer, H. L. 1984. The phytogeography of
Oxalis oregana in British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Botany. 62:
1561-1563. [9004]
19. Pojar, J.; Klinka, K.; Meidinger, D. V. 1987. Biogeoclimatic ecosystem
classification in British Columbia. Forest Ecology and Management. 22:
119-154. [7314]
20. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant
geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843]
21. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern
Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire
Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090]
22. Sullivan, Thomas P. 1979. Virgin Douglas-fir forest on Saturna Island,
British Columbia. Canadian Field-Naturalist. 93(2): 126-131. [10155]
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National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names.
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C., eds. 1987. A Utah flora. Great Basin Naturalist Memoir No. 9. Provo,
UT: Brigham Young University. 894 p. [2944]
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Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p. [1603]
26. Agee, James K. 1993. Fire ecology of Pacific Northwest forests.
Washington, DC: Island Press. 493 p. [22247]
FEIS Home Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/graminoid/fessub/all.html
