Ecological dynamics

The dominant visual aspect of this site is mountain big sagebrush in the overstory with Idaho fescue in the understory. Composition by weight is approximately 50 to 60 percent grasses, 10 to 20 percent forbs and 25 to 35 percent shrubs.

During the last few thousand years, this site has evolved in an arid climate characterized by dry summers and cold, wet winters. Herbivory has historically occurred on this site at low levels of utilization. Herbivores include mule deer, big horn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk and lagomorphs. Fire has historically occurred on the site at intervals of 20-50 years.

The Historic Climax Plant Community (HCPC), THE Reference State (State 1), moves through many phases depending on the natural and man-made forces that impact the community over time. State 1, described later, indicates some of these phases. The Reference Plant Community Phase is Phase A. This plant community is dominated by Idaho fescue and mountain big sagebrush. Subdominant species can include bluebunch wheatgrass, big bluegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, Columbia needlegrass, mountain brome, prairie junegrass, arrowleaf balsamroot and rose pussytoes. Mountain snowberry is a significant subdominant species due to snow accumulation on the site. There can be a large variety of other grasses, forbs and shrubs that occur in minor amounts. The plant species composition of Phase A is listed later under “Reference Plant Community Phase Plant Species Composition”.

Total annual production is 1000 pounds per acre (1120 kilograms per hectare) in a normal year. Production in a favorable year is 1500 pounds per acre (1680 kilograms per hectare). Production in an unfavorable year is 750 pounds per acre (840 kilograms per hectare). Structurally, cool season deep rooted perennial bunchgrasses are very dominant, followed by tall shrubs being more dominant than perennial forbs while shallow rooted perennial bunchgrasses are subdominant.

FUNCTION:
This site is well suited for big game summer and fall range. It is also well suited for livestock and recreation use in the summer and fall. Due to the relatively high rainfall, elevation and deep soils on this site, it is fairly resistant to disturbances that can potentially degrade it.

Due to the cover, infiltration is normally high and runoff low. Runoff, when it does occur, is non-erosive except during high intensity convection storms. Snow accumulates on the site due to high elevation and presence of tall shrubs.

Impacts on the Plant Community.

Influence of fire:
In the absence of normal fire frequency, mountain big sagebrush can increase. Grasses and forbs decrease as shrubs increase. With the continued absence of fire, juniper can displace most of the shrubs and other understory species. Utah juniper can also increase if a seed source is in the proximity. See “Influence of juniper invasion” below. An increase in tall shrubs generally leads to an increase in juniper by providing bird perches and “nursery” sites for juniper establishment.

When fires become more frequent than historic levels (20-50 years), mountain big sagebrush and antelope bitterbrush (if present in the plant community) are reduced significantly. With continued short fire frequency, big sagebrush and bitterbrush can be completely eliminated along with many of the desirable understory species such as bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue. These species may be replaced by Sandberg bluegrass along with a variety of annual and perennial forbs including noxious and invasive plants. Some root-sprouting shrubs such as rabbitbrush, horsebrush, and snowberry may remain in the plant community or increase.

Influence of improper grazing management:
Season-long grazing and/or excessive utilization can be very detrimental to this site. This type of management leads to reduced vigor of the bunchgrasses and possibly bitterbrush. With reduced vigor, recruitment of these species declines. As these species decline, the plant community becomes susceptible to juniper invasion, an increase in mountain big sagebrush and noxious and invasive plants.

Continued improper grazing management influences fire frequency by increasing fine fuels. If cheatgrass increases due to improper grazing management and it becomes co-dominant with Sandberg bluegrass and other annuals, fires become more frequent.

Proper grazing management that addresses frequency, duration, and intensity of grazing can also keep fine fuels from developing, thereby reducing fire frequency. This can lead to gradual increases in mountain big sagebrush and/or Utah juniper. A planned grazing system can be developed to intentionally accumulate fine fuels in preparation for a prescribed burn. Any brush management should be carefully planned, as a reduction in shrubs without a suitable understory of perennial grasses, can increase cheatgrass which will lead to more frequent fire intervals.

Weather influences:
Above normal precipitation in April, May and June can dramatically increase total annual production of the plant community. These weather patterns can also increase viable seed production of desirable species to provide for recruitment. Likewise, below normal precipitation during these spring months can significantly reduce total annual production and be detrimental to viable seed production. Overall plant composition is normally not affected when perennials have good vigor.

Below normal temperatures in the spring can have an adverse impact on total production regardless of the precipitation. An early, hard frost can occasionally kill some plants. Prolonged drought adversely affects this plant community in several ways. Vigor, recruitment and production are usually reduced. Mortality can occur. Prolonged drought can lead to a reduction in fire frequency.

Influence of Insects and disease:
Outbreaks can affect vegetation health, particularly bitterbrush with western tent caterpillars (Malacosoma fragilis). Two consecutive years of defoliation by the tent caterpillar can cause mortality in bitterbrush. Mormon cricket and grasshopper outbreaks occur periodically. Outbreaks seldom cause plant mortality since defoliation of the plant occurs only once during the year of the outbreak.

Snow mold can occasionally cause reduced vigor in mountain big sagebrush, but it is a short-term effect. An outbreak of a particular insect is usually influenced by weather but no specific data for this site is available.

Influence of noxious and invasive plants:
Many of these species add to the fine-fuel component and lead to increased fire frequency. Many of the perennial invasive species with deep root systems compete with desirable plants for moisture and nutrients. The result is reduced production and change in composition of the understory.

Influence of wildlife:
Big game animals use this site in the spring, summer and fall. Their numbers are seldom high enough to adversely affect the plant community. Herbivory can be detrimental to bitterbrush when livestock grazing and browsing by big game occurs at the same time and season. This will occur when both kinds of animal are using the plant in the late summer or fall. The adverse impact is excessive use of the current years’ leader growth.

The deer mouse is beneficial to this site as it is the principal vector for planting bitterbrush seed.

Watershed:
Decreased infiltration and increased runoff occur with the invasion of juniper (see Influence of Juniper below). Juniper invasion can be triggered by lack of fire, poor grazing management and prolonged drought. The increased runoff also causes sheet and rill erosion. Abnormally short fire frequency also gives the same results, but to a lesser degree. The long-term effect is a transition to a different state.

Influence of juniper invasion:
The following discussion deals with Utah juniper.

In plant communities that are invaded by juniper, the species has a competitive advantage for the following reasons:
• Juniper is very drought tolerant.
• It has the ability to extract soil moisture from a wide range of soil depths.
• Juniper has high evapo-transpiration rates.
• The species intercepts rain and snow before it reaches the soil surface.
• It has the ability to grow as long as there is soil moisture and the temperature is above freezing.
• Juniper has a relatively rapid growth rate and is long-lived. It can readily over-top shade intolerant species which leads to mortality.
• Nutrient cycling is reduced.
• As the canopy closes, juniper gains control of energy capture.

As juniper extracts water, other plants are unable to acquire sufficient water and nutrients to sustain growth and reproduction, thus reducing cover and biomass in the interspaces. After the canopy closes, there is sufficient soil moisture available for shallow-rooted, shade tolerant species to persist directly under the tree.

The following hydrological impacts occur on sites invaded by juniper:
• Infiltration in the interspaces is reduced.
• Run-off increases resulting in increased sheet and rill erosion with elevated sediment loads.
• Soil temperatures increase in the interspaces which results in accelerated drying of the soil surface.
• Increased bare ground in the interspaces.
• Soil moisture storage is reduced.

As bare ground and interconnectiveness of bare ground increases, flow rates are accelerated (reduction of flow sinuosity) and run-off out of the area increases. Degradation of these systems can result in the formation of a feedback cycle in which greater juniper cover and density results in greater plant and soil disturbance between the canopies.

In summary, a closed juniper community takes control of the following ecological processes: (1) hydrology, (2) energy capture and (3) nutrient cycling. The changes are primarily driven by the hydrologic processes. The development of a closed juniper canopy always results in a transition across the threshold to a different state. Generally, when juniper canopy cover nears 20%, the plant community is approaching the threshold.

Plant Community and Sequence:
Transition pathways between common vegetation states and phases:

State 1.
Phase A to B. Develops with improper grazing management and in the absence of fire. There is a Utah juniper seed source present in the vicinity.
Phase A to C. Results from a wildfire, prescribed burning, or brush management.
Phase A to D. Results from improper grazing management and no fire. There is no Utah juniper seed source present in the vicinity.
Phase B to A. Occurs with prescribed grazing and brush management or prescribed burning.
Phase B to C. Results from a wildfire or brush management.
Phase C to A. Results from prescribed grazing and no fire.
Phase D to A. Occurs with prescribed grazing.
Phase C to D. Occurs with no fire and improper grazing management.
Phase D to C. Occurs with fire or prescribed burning and prescribed grazing.

State 1 Phase C or D to State 2. Develops through frequent fire and improper grazing management. This site has crossed the threshold. It is economically impractical to return this state to State 1 with accelerated practices.

State 1, Phase B to State 3. Develops with no fire and improper grazing management from a juniper invaded phase of State 1. This site has crossed the threshold. It is economically impractical to return this state to State 1 with accelerated practices.

State 2 to unknown site. Excessive soil loss and changes in the hydrologic cycle caused by improper grazing management and no fire or frequent fire cause this state to cross the threshold and retrogress to a new site with reduced potential. It is economically impractical to return this state to State 1 with accelerated practices.

State 3 to unknown site. Continued lack of fire or improper grazing management cause this state to cross the threshold and retrogress to a new site with reduced potential due to significant soil loss and changes in hydrology. It is economically impractical to return this state to State 1 with accelerated practices.

Practice Limitations:
There are only slight limitations exist on this site for implementing vegetative management practices. There are slight to moderate limitations for implementing facilitating practices such as fencing or water facilities due to slope. Because of the diversity of resource values provided by this site, careful consideration of the effects of the planned practices on all uses must be considered.