Sand Bluestem

sand bluestem
sandhill bluestem
turkey-foot

More info for the term: cover

Sand bluestem often grows in large patches which retain an upright
vegetative structure. These provide good protective cover for smaller
wildlife species. When growing with other tall grasses, sand bluestem
provides essential nesting cover for prairie chickens, other upland game
birds, small nongame birds, and small mammals.

The degree to which sand bluestem provides environmental protection
during one or more seasons for wildlife species has been rated as
follows [19,30,41]:

KS ND NM UT WY

Pronghorn ---- poor ---- poor poor
Elk ---- ---- ---- poor poor
Mule deer ---- fair ---- poor poor
White-tailed deer ---- good ---- ---- poor
Small mammals ---- ---- ---- good fair
Small nongame birds ---- fair ---- good fair
Upland game birds good ---- good good fair
Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- poor poor

More info for the terms: climax, warm-season

Sand bluestem is a native, warm-season, perennial, rhizomatous tallgrass
that grows 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m) tall. Well-developed rhizomes reach
lengths of 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) in climax stands but only about 4
inches (10 cm) in recently vegetated shifting sands [58,61]. Root
depths vary from 6 to 10 feet (1.8-3 m) [61].

Sand bluestem is restricted to the drier, sandy soils of the Great
Plains [6]. It is locally common from eastern Montana to southwestern
Minnesota and from the Dakotas to central Texas and eastern Arizona
[1,26,29]. An outlying population is located in Illinois [10].

More info for the terms: fire regime, grassland, warm-season

Native warm-season grasses, such as sand bluestem, are generally
considered to be tolerant of fire if burned when dormant [18,49]. The
well-developed rhizomes of sand bluestem are apparently deep enough in
the soil to be protected from the damaging effects of grassland fires.

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".

More info for the terms: formation, frequency, warm-season

Fire has the potential to remove the protective vegetation in sandhills,
thereby increasing the frequency of blowout formation [39]. If
prescribed fires are planned in areas with unstable sandhills, they
should be conducted just before the warm-season grasses present on the
site break dormancy. This will leave the soil unprotected for the least
amount of time.

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Cryptophyte

Sand bluestem is found almost exclusively on sandy soils. It is most
common on sandhills, windblown sand dunes, and high and low sandy
plains. It is only occasionally found on moderately coarse soils [53].
In the Northern and Central Great Plains, sand bluestem appears to be
restricted to the upper and middle elevations of sand dunes and
sandhills [3,5,6,51]. This preference is apparently related to soil
moisture. In sandhills, there is very little soil development because
of wind erosion. Here coarse-textured sands are found at the tops of
dunes, and the finer sands near the bottom. The sandy characteristic of
the soil at the upper reaches of the sand dunes allows for deep water
percolation with very little runnoff. This water is stored at depths
below 23.5 inches (60 cm) and is available to deeply rooted species such
as sand bluestem throughout the growing season, even during dry summer
periods [4].

Sand bluestem's importance in a plant community tends to decrease as
sand content of the soil decreases. Finer textured soils do not absorb
water as efficiently, nor does the water percolate as deeply, as in
sandy soils. On these sites, sand bluestem must compete with
shallow-rooted grasses, such as Stipa, Agropyron, and Bouteloua spp.,
which are better able to extract moisture in this soil type. Barnes and
Harrison [4] observed that sand bluestem plants growing on fine-textured
soils at the lower slopes of sand dunes experienced greater water stress
than plants growing at mid or upper slopes.

Elevational ranges for sand bluestem in several western states are as
follows [8,19,25,62]:

under 5,000 feet (1,524 m) in the Rincon Mountains, AZ
from 3,500 to 5,200 feet (1,067-1,585 m) in CO
3,000 to 7,000 feet ( 914-2,134 m) in NM
2,800 to 3,800 feet ( 853-1,158 m) in MT
4,100 to 4,800 feet (1,250-1,463 m) in WY
4,600 to 5,800 feet (1,400-1,770 m) in UT

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

63 Cottonwood
239 Pinyon - juniper

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES31 Shinnery
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: forest, woodland

K016 Eastern ponderosa forest
K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K039 Blackbrush
K041 Creosotebush
K053 Grama - galleta steppe
K057 Galleta - threeawn shrubsteppe
K064 Grama - needlegrass - wheatgrass
K065 Grama - buffalograss
K066 Wheatgrass - needlegrass
K067 Wheatgrass - bluestem - needlegrass
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K071 Shinnery
K074 Bluestem prairie
K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie
K081 Oak savanna
K098 Northern floodplain forest

Sand bluestem is a valuable forage grass because of its palatability and
high yield. It is highly preferred by livestock, especially cattle
which tend to seek it out during the summer [14,53,61]. In the
Sandhills of Nebraska, sand bluestem is a palatable and nutritious
component of upland hay [53]. Plants are eaten by small mammals, and
the seeds are consumed by upland game birds and songbirds [23,41]. In
Texas, sand bluestem is an important local food source for mule deer
[11].

More info for the terms: climax, forest, grassland

Sand bluestem is an indicator of climax stands in a number of grassland
community types; common associates include prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa
longifolia), sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), sandhill muhley
(Muhlenbergia purgens), and grama grasses (Bouteloua spp.) [33,63].

Published classification schemes listing sand bluestem as a climax
indicator or as a dominant part of the vegetation are presented below:

Area Classification Authority

AZ forest hts, cts Hanks, Fitzhugh, & Hanks 1983
CO general veg. pas Baker 1980

More info for the term: graminoid

Graminoid

Sand bluestem is an indicator of range in good condition [43,48]. It is
classified as a decreaser but can withstand considerable grazing because
of its rhizomatous habit. With continued heavy grazing, however, it
loses vigor, develops a prostrate growth habit, and is eventually
replaced by less desirable grasses such as prairie sandreed [43,53,61].
In Nebraska sand bluestem increased in abundance and vigor following the
cessation of intensive livestock grazing. Annual biomass significantly
increased despite below average precipitation. The increase was
successively greater each of the 4 years of the study [45].

Nutritive value of sand bluestem varies with season [13,40,43,50,60].
Digestibility decreases with maturity but remains high enough to make
sand bluestem a fair winter forage. Sand bluestem is more digestible
throughout the growing season than either prairie sandreed or little
bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) [13]. It has higher protein levels
than prairie sandreed, little bluestem, or sand lovegrass (Eragrostis
trichodes) but lower protein levels than switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
[13,40,60]. Sand bluestem may be somewhat deficient in phosphorus
[50,60]. Sand bluestem is considered a superior quality summer forage,
however, because of the combination of its high palatability and
chemical composition.

AZ CO HI IL IA KS MN MT NE NM
ND OK SD TX UT WY MEXICO

Sand bluestem is highly palatable. Livestock, especially cattle, tend
to seek it out during the summer growing season [14]. Sand bluestem is
most palatable in spring and summer during the green growth stage. It
becomes tough and coarse at maturity; in Nebraska, however, it is
reportedly highly palatable throughout the year [14,32,50,53]. Sand
bluestem cures well and is utilized by horses and cattle in the winter
[32]. The relish and degree of use shown by livestock and wildlife
species for sand bluestem for several states has been rated as follows
[14,19,22,41]:

KS CO MT ND NE UT WY

Cattle good good good good good good good
Sheep ---- fair fair fair ---- fair good
Horses ---- good good fair ---- good fair
Pronghorn ---- ---- ---- poor ---- fair fair
Elk ---- ---- fair ---- ---- fair poor
Mule deer ---- ---- ---- poor ---- fair poor
White-tailed deer ---- ---- ---- poor ---- ---- fair
Small mammals fair ---- ---- ---- ---- fair fair
Small nongame birds fair ---- ---- ---- ---- fair fair
Upland game birds fair ---- ---- ---- ---- fair fair
Waterfowl ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- poor poor

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: phenology, seed

Regrowth of sand bluestem occurs in late spring. Shoots originate
primarily from axillary buds and apical meristems of short, terminal
rhizomes [51]. Studying the growth of the cultivar 'Elida in eastern
Colorado, Sims and others [51] observed that 26 percent of blade growth
occurred by May 29, 81 percent by June 30, and 99 percent by July 28.
Most of the leaves were dry by September 5, and all were dry by October
14.

Sand bluestem exhibits ecotypic variation in relation to the time of
flowering and maturity. Plants from the northern and western areas of
its range flower earlier than plants growing in the southern and eastern
portion of its range [38,40]. Flowering dates in several states was
reported as follows [19,26,33,58]:

Location Beginning of flowering End of flowering

CO July Sept
MT July Sept
ND July Aug
NE July Sept
TX Aug Nov
WY July Sept

Phenology of two sand bluestem cultivars grown in Fergus Falls,
Minnesota was reported as follows [42]:

'Garden' 'Goldstrike'
(origin w NE) (origin nw NE)

1st emergence of inflorescence, July 28 August 4
10 culms or more
1st anthesis, 10 culms or more July 30 August 8
50% emergence of inflorescence August 16 August 23
1st seed mature August 21 August 24
Seed mature - starting to shatter October 9 October 9

More info for the terms: cover, warm-season

Sand bluestem's response to fire is not well documented. Warm-season
grasses generally are more harmed by fires that occur during active
growth stages than by those that occur during periods of dormancy [18].
Results from a study comparing grass composition of areas in Nebraska
burned in May and June with that of adjacent unburned areas showed that
sand bluestem cover values decreased by about 2 percent [9]. In this
study, sand bluestem plants were probably in an early growth stage when
burned, which may account for the slight decrease in cover. In this
same area of Nebraska, an October fire caused by lightning strikes
resulted in no change in sand bluestem phytomass 1 year later [39].

Annual burning in April in a shinnery oak (Quercus havardi) community in
Oklahoma resulted in increased forage production of sand bluestem [64].
Burning in April in Kansas caused an increase in the number of
inflorescences of sand bluestem [15].

Survivor species; on-site surviving rhizomes

More info for the term: seed

Sand bluestem is a poor seed producer. Tolstead [58] noted that in
Nebraska seeds seldom formed even in well-developed communities. Sims
and others [51] observed that only 36 percent of shoots of the cultivar
'Elida' developed seed heads. In sand bluestem stands in Kansas,
Cornelius [15] observed that only 13.3 percent of florets contained
caryopses. Seed does not require cold treatment to germinate [56].
Seeds germinate in the fall and overwinter as seedlings. Stubbendieck
and McCully [52] noted that although high temperatures favored
germination, lower temperatures favored seedling survival.

Most reproduction in sand bluestem occurs via rhizomes. Rhizomes grow
from axillary buds during June and July, turn upward in late summer, and
then remain dormant, ready for shoot growth the following spring [51].

More info on this topic.

This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

10 Wyoming Basin
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
15 Black Hills Uplift
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands

More info on this topic.

More info for the terms: climax, grassland

Facultative Seral Species

Sand bluestem occurs in a variety of successional stages, from recently
vegetated shifting sands to climax grassland communities [46,58,61]. It
is a pioneer on sand blowouts where it often dominates with blowout
grass (Redfieldia flexuosa), prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis),
and hairy prairie clover (Helianthus periolaris) [12]. In more mature
stands it is often found with prairie sandreed, sandhill lovegrass
(Eragrostis trichodes), sand dropseed, sandhill muhley (Muhlenbergia
pungens), and needle-and-thread grass (Stipa comata) [46,57,58].

More info for the term: fern

Andropogon gerardii Vitman var. paucipilus (Nash) Fern. [26,54,62]

The scientific name of sand bluestem is Andropogon hallii Hack. [16,17,27,29,66]

Currently there is considerable disagreement over the taxonomic
treatment of the grasses traditionally known as sand bluestem
(Andropogon hallii Hack.) and big bluestem (A. gerardii Vitman).
Various authorities have recognized these two bluestems either as
distinct species [16,17,27,29] or as varieties within a single species
[26,54,62]. Artificial hybridization experiments have shown that these
two bluestems are completely interfertile [44], with offspring showing
intermediate morphological characteristics [27,44]. These bluestems,
however, show clear ecological differences: big bluestem is widely
distributed in North America on moist prairie sites, while sand bluestem
is restricted to drier, sandy soils in the Great Plains [6]. Where
their ranges overlap, they freely interbreed. In the Nebraska
Sandhills, sand bluestem is restricted to upland sand dunes, while big
bluestem occurs only in low meadows. Hybrids with intermediate
morphological characteristics are found in narrow zones 16 to 33 feet
(5-10 m) wide at the dune-meadow interface [6].

More info for the term: seed

Sand bluestem is currently used to revegetate disturbed sites with sandy
soil because its extensive system of roots and rhizomes allows it to
quickly stabilize such sites. Sand bluestem has been used for
rehabilitation of (1) sandy rangelands plowed and later abandoned, (2)
sand dune "blowouts", and (3) mined lands. Sand bluestem can be
established by broadcast seeding [34], with hay mulch underseeded with
sand bluestem and other grasses [37], or by transplanting sod [61].
Seeds of sand bluestem exhibit a number of characteristics which
indicate good potential for use in reclamation: good seed fill, broad
range of optimal germination temperatures, and pronounced seedling
vigor, even in drought conditions [20].

Seed generally should be planted in early spring to take advantage of
soil moisture. Seed can also be planted in fall if moisture is
sufficient; the warm soil temperatures during fall may promote maximum
germination, while the decreasing soil temperature as the season
progresses may favor seedling survival [52]. Sand bluestem is
recommended for seeding where mean annual precipitation (MAP) exceeds 14
inches (35.5 cm) [55]. Several cultivars are available, including
'Elida', 'Garden', 'Goldstrike', and 'Woodward [31,55].

Andropogon hallii Hack. Sitz.-ber. Akad. Wien 89' : 127. 1884
Andropogon Hallii Jlaveolus Hack. Sitz.-ber. Akad. Wien Spi : 128. 1884.
Andropogon Hallii incanescens Hack. Sitz.-ber. Akad. Wien 89i : 128. 1884.
Andropogon Hallii muHcus Hack, in DC. Monog. Phan. 6 : 444. 1889.
Sorgum Hallii Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 791. 1891.
Andropogon geminatus Hack.; Beal, Grasses N. Am. 2 : 55. 1896.
Andropogon Hallii grandijlorus Scribn. Bull. U. S. Dep. Agr. Agrost. 5: 21. 1897.
A tall usually glaucous perennial with long stout rootstocks. Stems up to 1.5 m. tall, branched; leaf-sheaths glabrous; blades erect, rigid, up to 3 dm. long and 1 cm. wide, long-acuminate, smooth, glabrous, or sometimes with a few scattered hairs on the upper surface ; racemes in 2's or 3's, at length exserted from the spathes, 3-8 cm. long, straight, stout, the internodes and pedicels densely long-hairy, the hairs white or yellowish; sessile spikelet 8-12 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, the first scale hispidulous or long-hairy on the keels, the intercarinal space glabrous or appressed-pubescent, the second scale 1 -nerved, long-ciUate on the keel, the fourth scale lanceolate, 2-toothed, ciliate, awnless, or bearing a glabrous imperfect awn shorter than the scale; pedicellate spikelet equaling or larger than the sessile one, lanceolate, the first scale long-ciliate or hispid on the keels, usually hispidulous on the back, 5-9-nerved, the second scale equaling the first, l-nerved, ciliate on the margins and usually on the keel.
Type locality : Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Distribution : North Dakota and Wyoming to Texas and Arizona.

Andropogon paucipilus Nash, in Britton, Man. 70. 1901
A glabrous perennial. Stems up to 1 m. tall, sparingly branched above; leaf -sheaths shorter than the internodes; ligule scarious, about 3 mm. long; blades erect, firm, usually somewhat glaucous, long-acuminate, the lower 2-3 dm. long and 5-7 mm. wide; racemes in pairs, 5-8 cm. long, the rachis-internodes less than one half as long as the sessile spikelets, glabrous, or the margins with a few long weak crimped hairs; sessile spikelet lanceolate, about 1 cm. long, acuminate, the first scale sulcate on the back, the margins infolded, the keels hispidulous above, the intercarinal space 2-nerved, the second scale l-nerved, the fourth scale with an imperfect awn less than one half its length; pedicellate spikelet staminate, a little smaller than the sessile one, the first scale 9-nerved, not sulcate, the pedicel shorter than the sessile spikelet, sparsely pubescent with long, weak crimped hairs.
Type locality : Three miles northeast of Whitman, Grant County, Nebraska. Distribution : Montana and Nebraska.

Perennials, Terrestrial, not aquatic, Rhizomes present, Rhizome elongate, creeping, stems distant, Stems nodes swollen or brittle, Stems erect or ascending, Stems geniculate, decumbent, or lax, sometimes rooting at nodes, Stems caespitose, tufted, or clustered, Stems terete, round in cross section, or polygonal, Stems branching above base or distally at nodes, Stem internodes solid or spongy, Stems with inflorescence less than 1 m tall, Stems with inflorescence 1-2 m tall, Stems, culms, or scapes ex ceeding basal leaves, Leaves mostly basal, below middle of stem, Leaves mostly cauline, Leaves conspicuously 2-ranked, distichous, Leaves sheathing at base, Leaf sheath mostly open, or loose, Leaf sheath smooth, glabrous, Leaf sheath and blade differentiated, Leaf blades linear, Leaf blades 2-10 mm wide, Leaf blades mostly flat, Leaf blade margins folded, involute, or conduplicate, Leaf blades mostly glabrous, Leaf blades more or less hairy, Ligule present, Ligule an unfringed eciliate membrane, Ligule a fringed, ciliate, or lobed membrane, Inflorescence terminal, Inflorescence solitary, with 1 spike, fascicle, glomerule, head, or cluster per stem or culm, Inflorescence a panicle with narrowly racemose or spicate branches, Inflorescence a panicle with digitately arranged spicate branches, Inflorescence with 2-10 branches, Inflorescence branches paired or digitate at a single node, Inflorescence branches paired racemes, V-shaped, Peduncle or rachis scabrous or pubescent, oft en with long hairs, Flowers bisexual, Flowers unisexual, Spikelets pedicellate, Spikelets sessile or subsessile, Spikelets laterally compressed, Spikelet less than 3 mm wide, Spikelets with 2 florets, Spikelets paired at rachis nodes, Spikelets in paired units, 1 sessile, 1 pedicellate, Pedicellate spikelet rudimentary or absent, usually sterile, Spikelets bisexual, Spikelets unisexual, Inflorescence disarticulating between nodes or joints of rachis, rachis fragmenting, Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, Spikelets falling with parts of disarticulating rachis or pedicel, Rachilla or pedicel hairy, Glumes present, empty bracts, Glumes 2 clearly present, Glumes equal or subequal, Glumes equal to or longer than adjacent lemma, Glumes keeled or winged, Glume surface hairy, villous or pilose, Lemmas thin, chartaceous, hyaline, cartilaginous, or membranous, Lemma 1 nerved, Lemma 3 nerved, Lemma glabrous, Lemma apex dentate, 2-fid, Lemma awnless, Lemma distinctly awned, mor e than 2-3 mm, Lemma with 1 awn, Lemma awn less than 1 cm long, Lemma awn from sinus of bifid apex, Lemma awns straight or curved to base, Lemma margins thin, lying flat, Lemma straight, Callus or base of lemma evidently hairy, Callus hairs shorter than lemma, Stamens 3, Styles 2-fid, deeply 2-branched, Stigmas 2, Fruit - caryopsis.

Andropogon hallii (sand bluestem, sand hill bluestem, Hall's bluestem, Hall's beardgrass, prairie bluestem, turkey-foot) is a sod-forming perennial species in the grass family, Poaceae. It is a bunchgrass which grows in tufts and can reach 7 feet (2.1 meters) in height under favorable conditions.

Sand bluestem is native to North America. It is found growing from the Mississippi River west to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to Chihuahua, Mexico. It prefers sandy soils and will dominate in areas that average less than 30 inches of rain annually.

Sand bluestem is a high quality forage with good palatability for livestock, but it cannot stand up to continuous heavy grazing. It is also valuable as browse for wildlife and as a source of edible seeds and nesting habitat for upland birds.