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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
R021XY312OR NORTH SLOPES 14-18 PZ
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on north-facing sideslopes.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain slope
Elevation 4700 – 6500 ft Slope 30 – 70 % Aspect N Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches, most of which occurs in the form of snow during the months of October through April. The soil temperature regime is frigid with a mean annual air temperature of about 45 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 90 to -30 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from 50 to 70 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from June through July.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 70 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 2. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils of this site are very shallow to a claypan or subsoil layer containing over 35 percent rock fragments (typically over 50 percent) which restrict root penetration. The surface layer is loamy and typically contains over 35 percent cobbles and stones. Permeability is slow or moderately slow. The soils are shallow to deep over bedrock. Runoff is medium to rapid. Erosion hazard by water is moderate to high.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Cobbly loam
Permeability class Slow to moderately slow Soil depth 10 – 60 in Surface fragment cover >3" 35 – 50 % Ecological dynamics
If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass decrease while Thurber needlegrass and Sandberg bluegrass increase. With further deterioration big sagebrush, shrubby buckwheat, annual grasses and a variety of forbs may dominate the site. Excessive erosion in the bare interspaces markedly reduces the site potential and contributes to downstream sedimentation.
Idaho fescue is the dominant grass on due north aspects. Bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass increase on soils with coarser surface textures and on more easterly or westerly aspects.State and transition model
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More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
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-PSSP6/ARAR8Community 1.1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/ARAR8The potential native plant community is dominated by Idaho fescue and low sagebrush. Bluebunch wheatgrass and a variety of other forbs are present in the stand. Vegetative composition of the community is approximately 75% grasses, 5% forbs, and 20% 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 486 590 693 Shrub/Vine 126 194 261 Forb 45 81 117 Total 657 865 1071 Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). OR5555 , D21 Mid Elev., North, Good Condition. HCPC 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 0 0 25 50 20 5 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 360–450 Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 360–450 – 2 Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 99–153 bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 90–135 – Thurber's needlegrass ACTH7 Achnatherum thurberianum 9–18 – 4 Sub-dominant shallow rooted perennial grasses 18–45 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 18–45 – 5 Other perennial grasses 9–45 sedge CAREX Carex 0–5 – onespike danthonia DAUN Danthonia unispicata 0–5 – squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 0–5 – prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 0–5 – Forb7 Dominant perennial forbs 36–72 Hooker's balsamroot BAHO Balsamorhiza hookeri 9–18 – desertparsley LOMAT Lomatium 9–18 – lupine LUPIN Lupinus 9–18 – phlox PHLOX Phlox 9–18 – 9 Other perennial forbs 9–45 milkvetch ASTRA Astragalus 0–5 – mariposa lily CALOC Calochortus 0–5 – fleabane ERIGE2 Erigeron 0–5 – buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 0–5 – largehead clover TRMA3 Trifolium macrocephalum 0–5 – Shrub/Vine11 Dominant evergreen shrubs 90–180 little sagebrush ARAR8 Artemisia arbuscula 90–180 – 12 Sub-dominant deciduous shrubs 18–36 mountain big sagebrush ARTRV Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana 9–18 – slender buckwheat ERMI4 Eriogonum microthecum 9–18 – 14 Sub-dominant deciduous (or 1/2 shrubs) shrubs 18–45 antelope bitterbrush PUTR2 Purshia tridentata 18–45 – Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides food for mule deer.
Hydrological functions
The soils are in hydrologic groups C and D.
Other products
This site has limited suitability for livestock grazing due to steep slopes and coarse fragments. At slopes greater than 50%, cattle use will be reduced.
Other information
This site has limited suitability for seeding due to steep slopes and coarse fragments.
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 08/22/2012 Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
None to some, moderate to severe sheet & rill erosion hazard -
Presence of water flow patterns:
Some in interspaces -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Some to few; limited by vegetation density -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
5-15% -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None, slight 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):
Moderately resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 4-6 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Very shallow to deep (limited by a claypan or subsurface layer with >50% rock fragments), well drained gravelly or stony loams or cobbly clay loams: Low OM (1-2%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Moderate vegetative cover (55-70%) provides some protection from run off; slopes range from 30-70%; infiltration is slow -
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 > Low sagebrush > Bluebunch wheatgrass > Antelope bitterbrush = Sandberg bluegrass = dominant forbs > other grasses = other 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: 900, 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 and forbs 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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