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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 (1) Pinus contorta
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous (1) Carex
(2) PoaPhysiographic features
This site characteristically lies above 8000 feet. Aspects are typically southeast and southwest but occasionally northwest facing slopes are also encountered. Slopes are between 2 and 50 percent.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain slope
Elevation 8000 – 10000 ft Slope 2 – 50 % Aspect SE, SW, NW Climatic features
">Influencing water features
There are no influencing water features associated with this site.
Soil features
Table 3. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Very gravelly coarse sandy loam
(2) Gravelly loamy coarse sand
(3) Very gravelly sandy loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained to excessively drained Permeability class Moderate to rapid Soil depth 8 – 80 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 20 – 40 % Surface fragment cover >3" 9 – 29 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)0.6 – 3.6 in Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)Not specified Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)Not specified Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)4.5 – 6.5 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)17 – 41 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)2 – 26 % Ecological dynamics
This is a lodgepole pine forest site. Sierra lodgepole pine is a dominant or codominant species in upper montane and subalpine forests. Sierra lodgepole pine is a native conifer from 90 to 100 feet (28-30 m)
in height and averaging 16.5 inches (42 cm) in d.b.h..
Fire Ecology:
Sierra lodgepole pine is fire sensitive. Fire prepares an ideal seedbed, and Sierra lodgepole pine is an early postfire colonizer. Following stand-replacing fire, it initially establishes in even-aged stands.State and transition model
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
Reference Plant CommunityCommunity 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe reference plant community is characterized by an overstory canopy of about 20 percent. This site is dominated by lodgpole pine. Western white pine and white fir often occur in the overstory. Snowberry, and currant are the principal understory shrubs. Bluegrasses, needlegrasses, and sedges are the most prevalent understory grasses and grass-like plants. Rockcress and lousewort are common understory forbs.
Forest overstory.Overstory tree canopy composition is about 90-100 percent lodgepole pine with less than 5 percen western hemlock, limber pine, whitebark pine, white fir or western white bark.<br /> <br /> Major Successional Stages of Woodland Development<br /> <br /> HERBACEOUS: Vegetation is dominated by grasses and forbs under full sunlight. This stage is experienced for a short period after major disturbance such as crown fire or tree harvest. Skeleton forest (dead trees) remaining after fire or residual trees left following harvest have little or no affect on the composition and production of the herbaceous vegetation.<br /> <br /> SHRUB-HERBACEOUS: Herbaceous vegetation and woody shrubs dominate the site. This stage is experienced within two to three years after fire or harvest. Various amounts of tree seedlings (less than 20 inches in height) may be present up to the point where they are obviously a major component of the vegetal structure.<br /> <br /> SAPLING: In the absence of disturbance the tree seedlings develop into saplings (20 inches to 4.5 feet in height) with a range in canopy cover of about 5 to 10 percent. Vegetation consists of grasses, forbs and shrubs in association with tree saplings. Understory shrubs dominate the plant community.<br /> <br /> IMMATURE WOODLAND: The visual aspect and vegetal structure are dominated by lodgepole pine greater than 4.5 feet in height. At this stage of woodland development, the tree canopy has successfully broken through the suppression of early successional shrub communities. The young pines are still very susceptible to fire at this stage. The upper crown of dominant and co-dominant lodgepole pine are cone or pyramidal shaped. Seedlings and saplings of pines are common in the understory. Dominants are the tallest trees on the site; co-dominants are 65 to 85 percent of the highest of dominant trees. Understory vegetation is moderately influenced by a tree overstory canopy of about 10 to 20 percent.<br /> <br /> MATURE WOODLAND: The visual aspect and vegetal structure are dominated by lodgepole pine that have reached or are near maximal heights for the site. Tree canopy cover ranges from 15 to 25 percent. This stage of community development is assumed to be representative of this woodland site in the pristine environment.<br /> <br /> OVER-MATURE WOODLAND: This stage is dominated by lodgepole pine that have reached maximal heights for the site. Understory vegetation is sparse due to tree competition, overstory shading, duff accumulation, etc. Tree canopy cover is commonly greater than 50 percent.<br /> <br />
Forest understory. Understory vegetative composition is about 55 percent grasses, 25 percent forbs, less than 5 percent shrubs and about 15 percent young trees when the average overstory canopy is medium. Average understory production ranges from 75 to 175 pounds per acre.
Additional community tables
Table 4. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site has low value for livestock grazing due to low forage production. When livestock use occurs, it is primarily the result of grazing animals transiting this site to access more productive communities.
Initial Stocking Rates
Stocking rates vary with such factors as kind and class of grazing animal, season of use and fluctuations in climate. Actual use records for individual sites, a determination of the degree to which the sites have been grazed and an evaluation of trend in site condition offer the most reliable basis for developing initial stocking rates.
Selection of initial stocking rates for given grazing units is a planning decision. This decision should be made only after careful consideration of the total resources available, evaluation of alternatives for use and treatment and establishment of objectives by the decision maker.
Example: Sample Calculations using Favorable Year production amounts:
500 lbs of available forage/ac x. 25 (Harvest Efficiency) = 125 lbs forage consumed
125 lbs/790 lbs = .16 AUMs/ac or 6.32 ac/AUM
NOTE: 790 lbs/month for one Animal Unit is used as the baseline for maintenance requirements. This equates to 30 lbs/day of air-dry forage (1000 lb cow at 2.6% of body weight). See NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook.
Forage Value Rating
The forage value rating is not an ecological evaluation of the understory as is the range condition rating for rangeland. The forage value rating is a utilitarian rating of the existing understory plants for use by specific kinds of grazing animals.
Wildlife Interpretations:
This site is used by deer in the summer and fall.
Thirty-one mammals and almost 50 bird species use Sierra lodgepole pine forests for food, cover, or habitat. Spruce grouse feed on Sierra lodgepole pine needles during the winter and the seeds are a food source for squirrels, chipmunks, birds, and mice.Hydrological functions
NONE
Recreational uses
The main recreation in this area would be hiking and limited camping.
Wood products
The wood is suited for common lumber grades, and used for light framing materials, interior paneling, exterior trim, posts, railroad ties, pulp and paper, and has potential for structural particle board.
PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY
Low quality site for tree production.
Site index for lodgepole pine ranges from about 76 to 90. (Table 25, SCS, 190-V-NFM Amend.3; from Dahms, 1964. USDA PNW Research paper No. 8.)
Productivity Class : 5
CMAI*:<65 to 79 cu ft/ac/yr;
<4.6 to 5.5 cu m/ha/yr.
*CMAI: is the culmination of mean annual increment highest average growth rate of the stand in the units specified.
Basal Area (Lodgepole Pine): 331+ sq. ft./acre with average D.B.H=18.6" and average age 112 years (AB21).
MANAGEMENT GUIDES AND INTERPRETATIONS
1. LIMITATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
a. Significant restrictions or limitations for forest land use or management due to steep slopes.
2. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
a. Protect soils from accelerated erosion.
b. Apply proper grazing management
3. SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES
a. Harvest cut selectively or in small patches (size dependent upon site conditions) to enhance forage production.
1) Thinning and improvement cutting- Removal of poorly formed, diseased and low vigor trees for firewood.
2) Harvest cutting- Selectively harvest surplus trees to achieve desired spacing. Do not select only "high grade" trees for harvest.
3) Slash disposal- broadcasting slash improves reestablishment of native understory species and establishment of seeded grasses and forbs after tree harvest.
b. Prescription burning program to maintain desired canopy cover and manage site reproduction.
c. Mechanical tree removal on suitable sites to enhance forage production and manage site reproduction.
d. Pest control-porcupines can cause extensive damage and populations should be controlled.
e. Fire hazard- Fire usually not a problem in well-managed, mature stands.
Other information
Lodgepole pine has fascicles of two short needles. The Sierra lodgepole pine small cones are symmetrical and open at maturity and fall from the tree within a year. This characteristic differs from the Rocky mountain lodgepole pine in that the cones are serotinous remaining tightly closed and attached to the tree for many years. The cones remain tightly closed until released by wildfire when enormous numbers of tiny winged seeds fall into the ashes below.
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Mono County, CA Latitude 38° 18′ 40″ Longitude 119° 35′ 55″ General legal description Toiyabe National Forest. Other references
Fire Effects Information System[Online], http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis
Plants Database [Online], http://www.plants.usda.gov
Lanner, Ronald M.. 1984. Trees of the Great Basin, A Natural History. Reno University of Nevada Press.
Dahms, W..G. 1964. Data From Grass And Net Yield Table For Lodgepole Pine. USDA PNW Res. Paper No. 8.
USDA-NRCS. 1980. National Forestry Manual - Part 537. Washington, D.C.
Potter, D. A. 1998. Forested Communities of the Upper Montane in the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada. USDA FA PSW GTR 169.
Contributors
Angela Mushrush
Rangeland 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) Contact for lead author Date Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
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Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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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:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
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Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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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:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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