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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.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on rock benches, plateaus, and tablelands. Slopes range from 1 to 15%. Elevations typically range from 4300 to 5200 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plateau
Elevation 4200 – 5000 ft Slope 0 – 10 % Water table depth 60 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The average annual precipitation is typically 11-14 inches. It occurs mainly between the months of November and june as both rain and snow. The soil temperature regime is drigid. The average annual air temperature is 43-45 degrees F with extreme temperatures ranging from 85 to -30 degrees F. The frost free period is 20 to 50 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from May through July.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 50 days Freeze-free period (average) 80 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 range from moderate to deep, they are well drained and have loamy surface textures and clayey subsoils.They have very cobbly surfaces. Soils are formed by weathering of residual parent materials including tuff, breccia or basalt. Permeability is slow and the available water holding capacity is 3 to 5 inches for the profile. The potential for water erosion is low.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Very stony clay loam
(2) Very cobbly loam
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Slow Soil depth 12 – 30 in Surface fragment cover <=3" Not specified Surface fragment cover >3" Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)3 – 5 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)Not specified Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)Not specified Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)Not specified Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)7 – 7.8 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)Not specified Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)Not specified Ecological dynamics
The potential plant community is dominated by open stands of western juniper (>5 mature juniper/AC). Juniper reproduction is sparse. Low sagebrush is promintent with bitterbrush and buckwheat. Few other shrubs occur except as inclusions. Idaho fescue dominates the understory, but Sandberg bluegrass and blueburnch wheatgrass are important secondary species. Onespike oatgrass is more common in low moist areas of the stand or in light swales. Small amounts of squirreltail and junegrass are present. Some of the common forbs include scab balsamroot, fleabane, phlox, yarrow, lomatium, agoseris, lupine, onion, yampa and pussytoes. The interpretative plant community for this site is the Historic Climax Plant Community (HCPC).
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 2 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 1
State B: Disturbance/overgrazedCommunity 1.1
State B: Disturbance/overgrazedDominated by western juniper, low sagebrush, antelpe bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, bottlebursh squirreltail, and Sandberg bluegrass.
State 2
State C: Disturbance/continued overgrazed:Community 2.1
State C: Disturbance/continued overgrazed:Dominated by western juniper, low sagebrush, and bottlebursh squirreltail.
State 3
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/ARAR8-PUTR2/JUOCCommunity 3.1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/ARAR8-PUTR2/JUOCDominated by western juniper, low sagebrush, antelope bitterbrush, Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and Sandberg bluegrass.
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 392 564 736 Shrub/Vine 96 140 184 Tree 40 60 80 Forb 8 24 40 Total 536 788 1040 Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). OR5621 , D21 Juniper Sites 8-16. D21 Juniper Sites 8-16 pz 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 0 10 30 40 20 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 (%) Table 7. Community 2.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 8. Community 3.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 320–560 Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 240–320 – bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 80–240 – 2 Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 16–64 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 8–24 – Thurber's needlegrass ACTH7 Achnatherum thurberianum 8–16 – 4 Sub-dominant shallow rooted perennial grasses 48–120 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 40–80 – onespike danthonia DAUN Danthonia unispicata 8–40 – 5 Other perennial grasses 8–16 prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 8–16 – Forb9 Other perennial forbs 8–40 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 0–5 – agoseris AGOSE Agoseris 0–5 – milkvetch ASTRA Astragalus 0–5 – serrate balsamroot BASE2 Balsamorhiza serrata 0–5 – Indian paintbrush CASTI2 Castilleja 0–5 – tapertip hawksbeard CRAC2 Crepis acuminata 0–5 – fleabane ERIGE2 Erigeron 0–5 – buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 0–5 – western stoneseed LIRU4 Lithospermum ruderale 0–5 – lupine LUPIN Lupinus 0–5 – yampah PERID Perideridia 0–5 – phacelia PHACE Phacelia 0–5 – Shrub/Vine11 Dominant evergreen shrubs 40–80 little sagebrush ARAR8 Artemisia arbuscula 40–80 – 12 Sub-dominant evergreen shrubs 16–24 slender buckwheat ERMI4 Eriogonum microthecum 16–24 – 13 Dominant deciduous (or 1/2 shrubs) shrubs 40–80 antelope bitterbrush PUTR2 Purshia tridentata 40–80 – Tree16 Dominant evergreen trees 40–80 western juniper JUOC Juniperus occidentalis 40–80 – Interpretations
Animal community
Wildlife-
This site provides nesting and feeding cover to a variety of wildlife species. It is particularly important in fall and winter for deer which feed heavily on the bitterbrush. Use should be managed in such a manner as to maintain or improve conditions for wildlife populations.
Grazing-
This site is suited to use under a planned grazing system by cattle in the late spring, summer or fall. Care should be taken to avoid use until soils are sufficiently dry and stable to reduce the impacts of trampling and root reserves have been established. Excessive early use or season long use, are the primary factors in the deterioration of this site.
Wood products
This site has llimited potential for fence posts and firewood, although collection is generally unfeasible.
Supporting information
Contributors
BLM ESI Team
Kennedy, ReppRangeland 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 09/05/2012 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):
5-10% -
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):
Moderatley resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 3-5 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Shallow to moderately deep, well drained stony to cobbly loams and clay loams; Low OM (1%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Moderate vegetative cover (50-70%) and gentle slopes (1-10%) effectively limit rainfall impact and overland flow; 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 > Bluebunch wheatgrass > Low sagebrush > Western Juniper = Antelope bitterbrush = Sandberg bluegrass > other grasses > shrubby buckwheat > forbsSub-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: 1000, Normal: 800, 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 readily increases on 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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