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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 tablelands, plateaus, ridges and upland slopes. Slopes range from 1-45 percent. Elevations range from 4100 to 5500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plateau
(2) Ridge
Elevation 4100 – 5500 ft Slope 1 – 45 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from about 14 to 16 inches occurring mainly between the months of November and June as both rain and snow. The soil temperature regime is frigid. The average annual air temperature is 44-46 degrees F with extreme temperatures ranging from 90 to -30 degrees F. the frost free period is 20 to 60 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from May through late July.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 60 days Freeze-free period (average) 90 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 moderately deep or shallow, usually but not always stony, and well drained. Textures are loam or sandy loam in the A horizon with loam or clay loam subsoils. they are generally formed in/from tuff, breccia, rhyolite or basalt. Permeability is slow to moderate. The potential for water erosion is low, moderate or high depending on slope.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Stony loam
(2) Stony sandy loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Slow to moderate Soil depth Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)Not specified 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 Ecological dynamics
Pine growth rates are favored by juniper removal. Pine is more resistent to burning than juniper and will survive fires with less damage. Sustained heavy grazing pressure by livestock or poor grazing management may reduce fescue, wheatgrass, needlegrass, bitterbrush, and/or palatable forbs, depending on season of use and growing conditions. Green and gray rabbitbrush invade after major fires nd ground disturbance along with cheatgrass and other weeds.
State and transition model
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Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/PUTR2-CELE3/JUOC-PIPOCommunity 1.1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/PUTR2-CELE3/JUOC-PIPOThe potential native plant community is co-dominated by western juniper and ponderosa pine. The midstory is dominated by pine and juniper reproduction along with an abundance of curlleaf mtn. mahogany. Bitterbrush dominates the understory which also includes Klamath plum, buckwheat, serviceberry, wax currant, desert gooseberry and mountain big sagebrush. Herbaceous species are codominated by Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass, but Canby bluegrass, squirreltail, Ross sedge, Junegrass, and sometimes western needlegrass are also present. Common forbs include fleabane, phlox, yarrow, lomatium, wooly eriophyllum, arrowleaf balsamroot, agoseris, lupine and hawksbeard.
Idaho fescue is most abundant and more common than wheatgrass in the highest precipitation areas and on more northerly aspects. Bluebunch wheatgrass increases as aspect changes to south. Bitterbrush increases in more stony/gravelly areas. Juniper increases in abundance over pine in the more droughty positions and locations.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 350 565 780 Shrub/Vine 120 235 350 Tree 70 135 200 Forb 10 40 70 Total 550 975 1400 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 (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 250–550 Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 150–300 – bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 100–250 – 2 Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 40–100 western needlegrass ACOC3 Achnatherum occidentale 20–50 – Thurber's needlegrass ACTH7 Achnatherum thurberianum 20–50 – 3 Dominant shallow rooted perennial grasses 50–100 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 50–100 – 5 Other perennial grasses 10–30 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 0–5 – prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 0–5 – Forb9 Other perennial forbs 10–70 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 0–5 – agoseris AGOSE Agoseris 0–5 – pussytoes ANTEN Antennaria 0–5 – arrowleaf balsamroot BASA3 Balsamorhiza sagittata 0–5 – blue eyed Mary COLLI Collinsia 0–5 – hawksbeard CREPI Crepis 0–5 – fleabane ERIGE2 Erigeron 0–5 – buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 0–5 – common woolly sunflower ERLA6 Eriophyllum lanatum 0–5 – Lewis flax LILE3 Linum lewisii 0–5 – desertparsley LOMAT Lomatium 0–5 – lupine LUPIN Lupinus 0–5 – beardtongue PENST Penstemon 0–5 – phacelia PHACE Phacelia 0–5 – spreading phlox PHDI3 Phlox diffusa 0–5 – lambstongue ragwort SEIN2 Senecio integerrimus 0–5 – Oregon checkerbloom SIOR Sidalcea oregana 0–5 – Shrub/Vine12 Sub-dominant evergreen shrubs 10–20 mountain big sagebrush ARTRV Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana 10–20 – 13 Dominant deciduous (or 1/2 shrubs) shrubs 100–250 curl-leaf mountain mahogany CELE3 Cercocarpus ledifolius 50–150 – antelope bitterbrush PUTR2 Purshia tridentata 50–150 – 15 Other shrubs 10–80 Saskatoon serviceberry AMAL2 Amelanchier alnifolia 0–5 – rubber rabbitbrush ERNA10 Ericameria nauseosa 0–5 – green rabbitbrush ERTE18 Ericameria teretifolia 0–5 – sulphur-flower buckwheat ERUM Eriogonum umbellatum 0–5 – Klamath plum PRSU2 Prunus subcordata 0–5 – wax currant RICE Ribes cereum 0–5 – desert gooseberry RIVE Ribes velutinum 0–5 – Tree16 Dominant evergreen trees 70–200 western juniper JUOC Juniperus occidentalis 50–100 – ponderosa pine PIPO Pinus ponderosa 20–100 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock grazing- This site is normally suitable for grazing in the late spring, early summer, and/or fall, depending on location. Use may be light under more shaded areas since cattle prefer forage grown in open or semi-open areas.
Wildlife- Primarily spring, winter, fall. Fall range for deer.Hydrological functions
The soils of this site have low to medium infiltration rates and low, medium or high runoff potential, depending on slope. The hydrologic soil group is C for Royst and Fuego and D for Nuss.
Recreational uses
Hiking and hunting.
Wood products
Low quality lumber, poles, firewood, and posts.
Other information
For road stabiliazation, critical area stabilization or range seedings- choices include pubescent wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, hard fescue, sheep fescue, smooth brome and/or crested wheatgrass (all non-natives), or bluebunch wheatgrass (native).
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Klamath County, OR Township/Range/Section T38S R11E S4 General legal description Bly Mountain highway 1-2 miles east of Yonna Valley T38S, R11E, Sec 4 (N half) Location 2: Klamath County, OR Township/Range/Section T38S R13E S23 General legal description Paddock Butte on SW slope north of Gerber Reservoir T38S, R13E, Sec 23 (SE 1/4) Contributors
Hickman, 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 to some, depending on slope (to 45%), slight to moderate sheet & rill erosion hazard -
Presence of water flow patterns:
None to some, depending on slope (to 45%) -
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):
1-3% -
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):
Significantly resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 4-6 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Shallow to deep (usually stony), well drained stony or cobbly loams or ashy coarse sandy loams: Low to Moderate OM (1-2%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Significant vegetative cover of over 110% and gentle to moderate slopes (1-45%) effectively limit rainfall impact and overland flow; infiltration is slow to moderate -
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 > Antelope bitterbrush > Curlleaf mountain mahogany = Western Juniper = Sandberg bluegrass > other grasses > Ponderosa Pine > other shrubs > 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: 1200, Normal: 1000, Unfavorable: 800 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 (and after fire). Ponderosa Pine and Western Juniper readily increase on the site (can be converted to woodland w/out fire). 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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