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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
R022AY022NV LOAMY SLOPE 14-16 P.Z.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Prunus emarginata
(2) Ceanothus cordulatusHerbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on sideslopes of dissected piedmont slopes. Slopes range from 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 6500 to over 10000 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain slope
(2) Moraine
Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Elevation 6500 – 10000 ft Slope 15 – 50 % Ponding depth 0 in Water table depth 0 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate on this site is subhumid-continental, characterized by cool, moist winters, and cool dry summers.Average annual precipitation is 20 inches to over 40 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 36 to 45 degrees F. The average growing season is about 30 to 70 days.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 70 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 60 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
There are no influencing water features associated with this site.
Soil features
The soils that support this site are typically moderately deep to very deep, well to somewhat excessively drained and have high organic matter content in the upper part. They formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic or granitic rocks and from mixed glacial till. Surface layers are coarse to moderately coarse textured with a high percentage of rock fragments. Subsoil layers range from moderatley coarse to moderately fine textured and are modified by 35 to over 80 percent rock fragments. These soils have a mollic epipedon that is more than 24 inches thick. The additional available soil moisture received via wind deposition of snow is the main soil related feature influencing the vegetation that this soil supports. The soil families associated with this site are Pachic Argicryolls and Pachic Haplocryolls inclusions.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Parent material (1) Residuum – granite
Surface texture (1) Very stony sandy loam
(2) Very bouldery coarse sand
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained to somewhat excessively drained Permeability class Moderately rapid Soil depth 20 – 60 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 25 – 45 % Surface fragment cover >3" 5 – 25 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)2.9 – 3.8 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)6.1 – 7.3 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)25 – 60 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 25 % Ecological dynamics
As ecological condition declines, big sagebrush, snowberry and other woody plants increase in prevalence as Letterman's needlegrass, mountain brome and other perennial grasses and forbs decline in the understory.
Fire Ecology:
Bittercherry is top-killed or killed by severe fires. Bitter cherry sprouts vigorously following fire. Postfire regeneration also includes germination from on-site seed and off-site seed dispersed by birds and mammals.
Chokecherry is well adapted to disturbance by fire. Although susceptible to top-kill by fire, it resprouts rapidly and prolifically from surviving root crowns and rhizomes.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 dense stand of perennial grasses and shrubs. The representative plant community is dominated by western needlegrass, mountain brome, bittercherry, chokecherry, whitethorn ceanothus and Currant. Potential vegetative composition is about 10% grasses, 5% forbs and 85% shrubs. Approximate ground cover (basal and crown) is 50 to 65 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 2550 3825 4250 Grass/Grasslike 300 450 500 Forb 150 225 250 Total 3000 4500 5000 Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Secondary Perennial Grasses/Grasslikes 675–1125 western needlegrass ACOCO Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale 23–135 – mountain brome BRMA4 Bromus marginatus 23–135 – muttongrass POFE Poa fendleriana 23–135 – Forb2 Perennial Forbs 225–675 Shrub/Vine3 Primary Shrubs 3465–5310 bitter cherry PREM Prunus emarginata 1575–2025 – whitethorn ceanothus CECO Ceanothus cordulatus 900–1350 – chokecherry PRVI Prunus virginiana 225–450 – 4 Secondary Shrubs 45–225 mountain big sagebrush ARTRV Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana 23–90 – currant RIBES Ribes 23–90 – roundleaf snowberry SYRO Symphoricarpos rotundifolius 23–90 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited to livestock grazing grazing should be keyed to western needlegrass, mountain brome and muttongrass production. Bittercherry is highly palatable to sheep and is also eaten by cattle. Cattle and domestic sheep also eat chokecherry, and because of its toxicity, poisoning sometimes occurs when large quanities are consumed. Livestock normally do not eat fatal quantities except when other forage is scarce. Chokecherry is browsed more by domestic sheep than cattle.
Wildlife Interpretations:
Bittercherry is a valuable forage species for mule deer, elk, and black bear. Bittercherry fruits are eaten by birds, rodents, and small mammals. In the Sierra Nevada bittercherry is utilized by mountain beaver. Chokecherry is widely regarded as an important wildlife food plant and provides habitat, watershed protection, and species diversity. Fruits, leaves, and twigs are utilized. Large mammals including bears, coyotes, and deer use chokecherry as browse. Chokecherry is also a food source for small mammals. The fruits are important food for many birds.Hydrological functions
Runoff is low to high and permeability is impermeable to moderately rapid.
Wood products
Chokecherry wood is heavy, hard and close-grained, but rarely develops a trunk large enough to be commercially useful.
Other products
American Indians used bittercherry medicinally and for making tools. Fruits were used as laxatives, and the roots and inner bark were boiled and ingested to prevent heart trouble. The bark of bitter cherry peels off in long fibrous strips which were used to make baskets and other implements.
Chokecherry plants are widely used as ornamentals. Chokecherry produces an abundance of attractive white flowers characterized by a strong, sweet, almond like fragrance. This species is also valued for its fruit. Plantings increase habitat and natural food supplies for birds frequenting residential areas. Chokecherry is extensively planted for windbreaks in the prairie, plains, and western mountains. Chokecherries are edible and, although somewhat astringent, are relatively sweet when fully ripe. Fruits are used to make wines, syrups, jellies, and jams. Indigenous peoples gathered chokecherries and used them to make pemmican and treat cold sores. The Paiutes made a medicinal tea from the leaves and twigs to treat colds and rheumatism.Other information
Bittercherry adapts well to disturbed or degraded sites. It is used for land reclamation and erosion control. Nursery-grown stock readily establishes on disturbed sites and once established, bittercherry is a good soil stabilizer. In California and Nevada bitter cherry is used for rehabilitating acid mine spoils.
Chokecherry has been selected as a revegetation species for wildlife habitat, shelterbelts, mine spoils, and soil stabilization.Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Alpine County, CA Township/Range/Section T10N R18E S11 Latitude 38° 43′ 40″ Longitude 119° 58′ 7″ General legal description Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, approximately 0.22 miles from the Alhambra Mine. 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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