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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Associated sites
R022AY015NV STREAMBANK
R022AY016NV WET MEADOW
R022AY017NV SEMI-WET MEADOW
R022AY018NV DRY MEADOW
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) SALIX
Herbaceous (1) Leymus triticoides
Physiographic features
This site occurs along perennial stream channels. Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent, but slope gradients of 2 to 8 are most typical. Elevations are 7000 to 9000 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Flood plain
Flooding duration Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to brief (2 to 7 days) Flooding frequency Occasional to rare Ponding frequency None Elevation 7000 – 9000 ft Slope 0 – 8 % Ponding depth 0 in Water table depth 5 – 72 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate on this site is subhumid-continental, characterized by cold, moist winters, and cool dry summers. The average annual precipitation is over 20 inches, mostly occurring as snow. The mean annual air temperature ranges from 36 to 39 degrees F. The average frost free growing season is 30 to 60 days.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 60 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 50 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
There are perennial streams associated with this site.
Soil features
The soils associated with this site are very deep, poorly drained and very stratified. Surface layers are coarse textured, have more than 35 percent rock fragments and low organic matter content. Subsurface layers are coarse textured and have more than 35 percent rock framents. The coarse texture, water table and unstable tendencies of this soil exert a strong influence on the vegetative community that this soil supports. The soil family associated with this site are Typic Cryaquents inclusion.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Extremely gravelly coarse sand
Family particle size (1) Sandy
Drainage class Poorly drained Permeability class Very rapid Soil depth 60 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 35 – 80 % Surface fragment cover >3" 5 – 15 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)1.6 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)5.6 – 6.5 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)35 – 80 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 15 % Ecological dynamics
Fire Ecology:
Fires are uncommon in riparian communities. Most fires kill only aboveground plant parts of willows. Willow will generally sprout from its root crown or stem base following fire. However, severe fires can completely remove organic soil layers, leaving willow roots exposed and charred, thus eliminating basal sprouting
Kentucky bluegrass rhizomes survive and initiate new growth after aboveground plant portions are consumed by fire. Although the plant survives because of soil-insulated rhizomes, post fire plant vigor and density are greatly affected by phenological stage at time of burning. Creeping wildrye is top-killed by fire. Creeping wildrye is generally tolerant of fire but may be damaged by early season fire combined with dry soil conditions.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 StateCommunity 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe reference plant community is characterized by willows and dense perennial grasses and forbs. The representative plant community is dominated by willows. Potential vegetative composition is about 30% grasses, 5% forbs, and 65% shrubs. Approximate ground cover (basal and crown) is 35 to 70 percent.
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)Shrub/Vine 650 1170 1625 Grass/Grasslike 300 540 750 Forb 50 90 125 Total 1000 1800 2500 Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Primary Perennial Grasses/Grasslikes 216–594 beardless wildrye LETR5 Leymus triticoides 8–70 – Kentucky bluegrass POPR Poa pratensis 1–15 – 2 Secondary Perennial Grasses/Grasslikes 90–270 rough bentgrass AGSC5 Agrostis scabra 9–54 – slenderbeak sedge CAAT3 Carex athrostachya 9–54 – Douglas' sedge CADO2 Carex douglasii 9–54 – Nebraska sedge CANE2 Carex nebrascensis 9–54 – woolly sedge CAPE42 Carex pellita 9–54 – fewflower spikerush ELQU2 Eleocharis quinqueflora 9–54 – slender wheatgrass ELTRT Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus 9–54 – meadow barley HOBR2 Hordeum brachyantherum 9–54 – foxtail barley HOJU Hordeum jubatum 9–54 – mat muhly MURI Muhlenbergia richardsonis 9–54 – Forb3 Perennial Forbs 36–180 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 9–18 – Chamisso arnica ARCHF Arnica chamissonis ssp. foliosa 9–18 – fringed willowherb EPCI Epilobium ciliatum 9–18 – Rocky Mountain iris IRMI Iris missouriensis 9–18 – dwarf mountain lupine LULYS Lupinus lyallii ssp. subpandens 9–18 – sticky cinquefoil POGL9 Potentilla glandulosa 9–18 – Oregon checkerbloom SIOR Sidalcea oregana 9–18 – western mountain aster SYSPS Symphyotrichum spathulatum var. spathulatum 9–18 – cows clover TRWO Trifolium wormskioldii 9–18 – Shrub/Vine4 Primary Shrubs 900–1440 narrowleaf willow SAEX Salix exigua 720–1080 – Geyer willow SAGE2 Salix geyeriana 90–180 – yellow willow SALU2 Salix lutea 90–180 – 5 Secondary Shrubs 60–150 silver sagebrush ARCA13 Artemisia cana 9–36 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited to livestock grazing. Grazing management should be keyed to Kentucky bluegrass. In the West, all classes of livestock eat willows, but cattle consume more than others because they tend to frequent riparian areas. Kentucky bluegrass is highly palatable in early growth stages and provides nutritious forage for all classes of livestock. Creeping wildrye can be used for forage and is very palatable to all livestock. Once established it is very rhizomatous and maintains stands for many years.
Stocking rates vary over time depending upon season of use, climate variations, site, and previous and current management goals. A safe starting stocking rate is an estimated stocking rate that is fine tuned by the client by adaptive management through the year and from year to year.
Wildlife Interpretations:
Bighorn sheep and mule deer will browse willows. Willows in general are preferred food and building material of beaver. Willow shoots; catkins, buds, and leaves are eaten by ducks and grouse, other birds, and small mammals.
Kentucky bluegrass can be an important part of the diets of mule deer. Kentucky bluegrass meadows found along mountain streams are often preferred foraging areas of wild ungulates. Kentucky bluegrass is highly palatable to most large grazers during the spring when it is green and succulent. Creeping wildrye is used for forage for many wildlife species and is often used for cover.Hydrological functions
Runoff is medium and permeability is very rapid.
Other products
Willows produce salacin, which is closely related chemically to aspirin. Native Americans used various preparations from willows to treat tooth ache, stomach ache, diarrhea, dysentery, and dandruff. Native Americans also used flexible willow stems for making baskets, bows, arrows, scoops, fish traps, and other items.
Kentucky bluegrass is one of America's most popular lawn grasses. It withstands considerable abuse, and it is often used as a sod-grass at campgrounds, golf courses, and ski slopes.Other information
Willows are recommended for use in revegetating disturbed riparian areas. It is especially useful for streambank stabilization. It is usually planted as rooted or unrooted stem cuttings.
Kentucky bluegrass's value in rehabilitation work is limited because it is slow to establish cover, is not drought tolerant, and has high soil fertility requirements. When planted in seed mixtures, it often takes 2 or 3 years to become established. Once established, however, it is persistent and forms a dense sod which promotes soil stability. Creeping wildrye is primarily used for reclamation of wet, saline soils.Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Alpine County, CA Township/Range/Section T10N R19E S6 Latitude 38° 44′ 12″ Longitude 119° 55′ 54″ General legal description Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, approximately 0.25 miles from the mouth of Hawkins Creek. Other references
Fire Effects Information System (Online; http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/).
USDA-NRCS Plant Database (Online; http://plants.usda.gov/).Contributors
ALC/GKB
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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