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Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
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Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
Associated sites
R021XY200OR LOAMY 10-14 PZ
R021XY300OR SOUTH SLOPES 10-14 PZ
R021XY302OR NORTH SLOPE 10-14 PZ
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on beach terraces adjacent to lake basins.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Beach terrace
Elevation 4000 – 4500 ft Slope 0 – 30 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 14 inches, most of which occurs in the form of snow during the months of November through April. The soil temperature regime is mesic with the mean annual air temperature of about 48 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 100 to -30 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from 70 to 120 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from mid-April to June.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 120 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 10 in BarLineFigure 2. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils of this site have sandy textures throughout the profile to a depth of 60 inches or more. Permeability is rapid. The available water holding capacity is 6 to 8 inches. Runoff is very slow. Erosion hazard by water is slight. Erosion by wind is moderate to high.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Sand
Family particle size (1) Sandy
Permeability class Rapid Soil depth 60 in Available water capacity
(0-40in)6 – 8 in Ecological dynamics
If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, Idaho fescue, Thurber needlegrass and Indian ricegrass will decrease. Bottlebrush squirreltail and Sandberg bluegrass will increase. Big sagebrush and rabbitbrush may increase at the expense of antelope bitterbrush. Western juniper may invade the site.
Variability in plant production and composition on this site results from changes in soil surface texture. Coarse textured surfaces promote a larger proportion of Indian ricegrass while a finer textured surface will favor basin wildrye and needleandthread.State and transition model
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More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
HCPC, FEID-ACTH7/PUTR2Community 1.1
HCPC, FEID-ACTH7/PUTR2The potential native plant community is dominated by Idaho fescue and Thurber needlegrass. Antelope bitterbrush and big sagebrush often dominate the aspect. Vegetative composition of the community is approximately 70% grasses, 5% forbs, and 25% shrubs.
Figure 4. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 5. Annual production by plant type
Plant type Low
(lb/acre)Representative value
(lb/acre)High
(lb/acre)Grass/Grasslike 485 670 855 Shrub/Vine 181 280 380 Forb 57 81 105 Total 723 1031 1340 Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). OR5511 , D21 Low Elev., NA, Good Condition. RPC Growth Curve.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec J F M A M J J A S O N D 0 0 15 30 50 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 380–570 Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 380–570 – 2 Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 86–238 Thurber's needlegrass ACTH7 Achnatherum thurberianum 48–143 – mountain guava PSAM Psidium amplexicaule 19–48 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 19–48 – 5 Other perennial grasses 19–48 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 0–5 – needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 0–5 – prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 0–5 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 0–5 – bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 0–5 – Forb7 Dominant perennial forbs 38–76 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 10–19 – buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 10–19 – desertparsley LOMAT Lomatium 10–19 – lupine LUPIN Lupinus 10–19 – 9 Other perennial forbs 19–29 pussytoes ANTEN Antennaria 0–5 – common starlily LEMO4 Leucocrinum montanum 0–5 – phacelia PHACE Phacelia 0–5 – phlox PHLOX Phlox 0–5 – Shrub/Vine12 Sub-dominant evergreen shrubs 19–95 Wyoming big sagebrush ARTRW8 Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis 19–95 – 13 Dominant deciduous (or 1/2 shrubs) shrubs 143–238 antelope bitterbrush PUTR2 Purshia tridentata 143–238 – 15 Other shrubs 19–48 rubber rabbitbrush ERNA10 Ericameria nauseosa 0–5 – green rabbitbrush ERTE18 Ericameria teretifolia 0–5 – Interpretations
Animal community
This site offers food and cover for mule deer, burrowing rodents and various bird species and their associated predators.
Hydrological functions
The soils are in hydrologic group A.
Other products
This site is suited to livestock grazing in all seasons of the year under a planned grazing system.
Other information
This site has a high probability as an archeoligical site. Special care must be exercised in designing a seeding plan because the soils are very droughty and subject to wind erosion.
Supporting information
Contributors
Barrett, Carlson
E Ersch
K.KennedyRangeland health reference sheet
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.
Author(s)/participant(s) Jeff Repp Contact for lead author Oregon NRCS State Rangeland Management Specialist Date 08/21/2012 Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
None, slight sheet & rill erosion hazard -
Presence of water flow patterns:
None -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
None -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
10-25% -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None to some, moderate to high wind erosion hazard -
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Fine - limited movement -
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Slightly resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 2-4 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Deep, well drained loamy fine sand and loamy sands: Low OM (<1%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Significant ground cover (70-80%) limits rainfall impact and overland flow (slightly higher hazard on steeper slopes (to 30%)) -
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
None -
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):
Dominant:
Idaho fescue > Antelope bitterbrush > Thurber needlegrass > Wyoming big sagebrush > other grasses = forbs = other shrubsSub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Normal decadence and mortality expected -
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
-
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Favorable: 1200, Normal: 950, Unfavorable: 500 lbs/acre/year at high RSI (HCPC) -
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
Perennial brush species will increase with deterioration of plant community. Western Juniper may invade the site. Cheatgrass and Medusahead invade sites that have lost deep rooted perennial grass functional groups. -
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
All species should be capable of reproducing annually
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PrintThe Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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