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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs in gentle depressions on broad plateaus, or on bottoms and terraces as elongated areas along intermittent or permanent streams. Typical slopes are 1 to 2%. Elevations typically range from 4300 to 5500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plateau
(2) Terrace
Elevation 4300 – 5500 ft Slope 1 – 2 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The average annual precipitation is typically 14-20 inches. It occurs 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 43-45 degrees F with extreme temperatures ranging from 85 to -30 degrees F. The frost free period is typically 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 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils of this site are deep or moderately deep and somewhat poorly drained, being wet in the winter and late spring because of runoff from adjacent uplands. They have clay surface textures and clay subsoils, and are vertisols that overlie bedrock or cemented hardpans. Soils here are formed in lacustrine sediments weathered from tuff, basalt, and/or diatomite. Permeability is slow.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Clay
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Somewhat poorly drained Permeability class Slow 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
Sustained heavy, annual (or early) grazing pressure by livestock, especially when the site is wet, or other types of poor grazing management will reduce oatgrass, fescue, Nevada bluegrass and hairgrass. After site deterioration by poor grazing management, the major forage grasses are largely replaced by a wide variety of perennial forbs and a few introduced weeds. After major disturbance by channelization which causes a loss of the seasonal watertable, this site will deteriorate vegetatively to a drier form of meadow.
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, DACA3-CAREXCommunity 1.1
HCPC, DACA3-CAREXThe potential native plant community is dominated by California oatgrass. Other grasses minor in the composition may include slender wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, Nevada bluegrass, Canby bluegrass and sedge. Some of the common forbs include yarrow, agoseris, checkermallow, yampa, cinquefoil, aster, brodiaea, and buttercup.
Tufted harigrass and sedge are only common in wetter locations or transitions to Wet Meadow. Other site variation may occur with soil wetness changes but these differences have not yet been determined.Figure 3. 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 864 1014 1164 Forb 12 78 144 Total 876 1092 1308 Figure 4. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). OR5556 , D21 Mid Elev., NA, Meadow. 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 10 30 40 15 5 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 780–900 onespike danthonia DAUN Danthonia unispicata 780–900 – 2 Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses 48–84 sedge CAREX Carex 36–60 – 4 Sub-dominant shallow rooted perennial grasses 12–60 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 12–60 – 5 Other perennial grasses 24–120 slender wheatgrass ELTR7 Elymus trachycaulus 0–5 – Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 0–5 – rush JUNCU Juncus 0–5 – Forb9 Other perennial forbs 12–144 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 0–5 – agoseris AGOSE Agoseris 0–5 – brodiaea BRODI Brodiaea 0–5 – aster EUCEP2 Eucephalus 0–5 – desertparsley LOMAT Lomatium 0–5 – trefoil LOTUS Lotus 0–5 – owl's-clover ORTHO Orthocarpus 0–5 – yampah PERID Perideridia 0–5 – slender cinquefoil POGR9 Potentilla gracilis 0–5 – buttercup RANUN Ranunculus 0–5 – Oregon checkerbloom SIOR Sidalcea oregana 0–5 – clover TRIFO Trifolium 0–5 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock grazing- This site is normally suitable for grazing after soils dry enough to reduce mechanical damage in the late spring and summer. Key species for cattle use are oatgrass, fescue, Nevada bluegrass and hairgrass. Excessive use for long periods or annual early use when the soils are wet is a primary factor in deterioration of this site, changing the proportions of grasses and forbs, incrasing weed encroachment and reducing forage production.
Wildlife- This site is important in late spring and summer for deer and antelope where grass and forbs are improtant food sources.Hydrological functions
The soils of this site have slow infiltration rates and low runoff potential.
Recreational uses
Hunting and sight seeing.
Wood products
None
Other information
For range seedings: choices are not determined or tested but may include pubescent wheatgrass, smooth brome, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and/or tall wheatgrass (all non-natives).
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Klamath County, OR Township/Range/Section T39S R14E S12 General legal description East of Gerber Reservoir 3-1/2 miles along main road in narrow valley: T39S, R14E, Sec 12 (south half of SW) Location 2: Klamath County, OR Township/Range/Section T39S R13E S4, 9 General legal description Adjacent to SE corner of Goodlow Mountain Natural Area on a broad flat near a drainage: T39S, R13E, Sec 4 (SE) or 9 (NE). 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, 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):
5-25% -
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 = 5-6 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Moderately deep to deep, poorly to somewhat poorly drained (saturated in winter to late spring) clays and gravelly clays: Low to moderate OM (1-3%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Moderate vegetative cover (40-50%) and gentle slopes (0-2%) 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:
California oatgrass > other grasses > Sandberg bluegrass > Tufted hairgrass > 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: 1500, Normal: 1200, Unfavorable: 1000 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:
Weedy forb and shallow rooted grass species will increase with deterioration of plant community. Loss of seasonal water table will significantly alter 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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