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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.
Associated sites
R023XY115OR WET MARSH
Wet Marsh
R023XY116OR SEMI-WET MARSH
Semi-Wet Marsh
R023XY118OR BASIN DRY MEADOW
Basin Dry Meadow
Similar sites
R023XY116OR SEMI-WET MARSH
Semi-Wet Marsh (ponding depth and duration longer)
R023XY118OR BASIN DRY MEADOW
Basin Dry Meadow (ponding depth and duration longer)
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous (1) Carex nebrascensis
(2) Juncus balticusPhysiographic features
This site occurs in basins and valleys on the floodplains of perennial drainage systems. Slopes range from 0 to 1 percent. Elevation varies from 4000 to 4600 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Flood plain
(2) Basin floor
(3) Valley
Ponding frequency Frequent Elevation 4000 – 4600 ft Slope 0 – 1 % Ponding depth 6 – 30 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 8 to 12 inches, most of which occurs between the months of December through March. The mean annual air temperature is 48 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 110 to -30 degrees F. The period of optimum plant growth is from the first of April through June.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 0 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 10 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 medium textured, very deep and poorly drained. Ponding to depths of .5 to 2.5 feet above the soil surface is frequent from March to June. The surface texture is a silt loam over a silt loam to silty clay loam subsoil. Permeability is moderate. The water table is seasonal.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Silt loam
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Poorly drained Permeability class Moderate Ecological dynamics
Range in Characteristics:
Variation in plant composition and production results from duration of surface ponding. Nebraska sedge increases in areas that are ponded for long durations. Baltic rush with a wider ecologic amplitude, increases in both dry and wet areas. Spikerush appears to occupy a narrow ponded ecologic nitch. The three species, Nebraska sedge, baltic rush, and spikerush forming monotypic stands, are very resilient against invasion of other species in undisturbed conditions.
Response to Disturbance:
If the site is disturbed and/or the extent and duration of ponding is reduced to critical levels through water regulation or drainage, extensive changes to dry site conditions will result. Under initial drying conditions or disturbance, Nebraska sedge will decrease, baltic rush will increase and reed canarygrass will strongly invade. Reed canarygrass is very competitive on this site, increasing rapidly with minor disturbance. With continued disturbance, reed canarygrass will increase along with an invasion of meadow foxtail, rhizamatous wheatgrasses, and bluegrasses. Perennial pepperweed, Canadian thistle, and foxtail barley may also invade under deteriorating conditions.
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
Reference StateCommunity 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe potential native plant community is dominated by Nebraska sedge, baltic rush, and spikerush. These occur in a three member mosaic pattern as monotypic stands. Other sedges, forbs, and grasses are minor. The potential vegetative composition is approximately 50 percent sedge, 30 percent baltic rush, and 15 percent spikerush. Approximate ground cover is 90-110 percent (basal and crown).
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 1425 1900 2850 Forb 75 100 150 Total 1500 2000 3000 Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Perennial, rhizomatous, grass-like 1400–2000 Nebraska sedge CANE2 Carex nebrascensis 800–1200 – spikerush ELEOC Eleocharis 200–400 – 5 Other perennial grasses and grass-likes 100–300 shortawn foxtail ALAE Alopecurus aequalis 0–80 – American sloughgrass BESY Beckmannia syzigachne 0–80 – sedge CAREX Carex 0–80 – annual hairgrass DEDA Deschampsia danthonioides 0–80 – teal lovegrass ERHY Eragrostis hypnoides 0–80 – Forb9 Other perennial forbs 40–160 silverweed cinquefoil ARAN7 Argentina anserina 0–40 – sea milkwort GLMA Glaux maritima 0–40 – biennial cinquefoil POBI7 Potentilla biennis 0–40 – alkali buttercup RACY Ranunculus cymbalaria 0–40 – ragwort SENEC Senecio 0–40 – short-rayed alkali aster SYFR2 Symphyotrichum frondosum 0–40 – water speedwell VEAN2 Veronica anagallis-aquatica 0–40 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Grazing:
This site is suitable for late summer and fall livestock use after it drys and the surface is firm. Ponding precluded use for the remainder of the year.
Native Wildlife Associated with the Potential Climax Community:
This site provides good nesting areas along with food and cover for a variety of waterfowl and upland songbirds. Rails and common snipes nest in sedge. Areas that are partially burned or hayed in a mosaic pattern provide excellent, high protein spring feed for cranes and geese. The value of the site for waterfowl increases when it is near wet marshes and open water areas.Hydrological functions
The hydrologic cover condition is good when the ecological condition is high.
Other information
This site may be periodically burned (prescribed) to improve the vigor of the stand. As this site may occur with a perched water table, care should be taken in constructing ponds to avoid seasonal water loss in the subsurface sand layers. An on-site soil investigation is needed prior to construction. This site is a Type 2 Wetland (Inland Fresh Meadow).
Supporting information
Contributors
A V Bahn
Bob Gillaspy
M. Parks (OSU)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) Jeff Repp Contact for lead author Oregon NRCS State Rangeland Management Specialist Date 08/09/2012 Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
None -
Presence of water flow patterns:
None to some -
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):
0-5% -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None, moderate wind erosion hazard -
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Fine to moderately coarse - limited movement -
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Moderate to significant resistance to erosion: aggregate stability = 4-6` -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Very deep poorly drained medium textured soils: Moderate to high OM (3-6%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Significant ground cover (90-120%) and gentle slopes (0-1%) significantly limit rainfall impact and overland flow -
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:
Nebraska sedge > Baltic rush > Spikerush > other grasses & grass-likes > 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: 3000, Normal: 2000, Unfavorable: 1500 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:
Rush species will increase with deterioration of plant community. Reed canarygrass, Meadow foxtail, Kentucky bluegrass, thistles, perennial pepperweed, and foxtail barley 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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