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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
R023XY212OR LOAMY 10-12 PZ
Loamy 10-12" PZ
R023XY300OR SOUTH SLOPES 10-12 PZ
South Slopes 8-12" PZ
R023XY308OR NORTH SLOPES 10-12 PZ
North Slopes 10-12" PZ
Similar sites
R023XY212OR LOAMY 10-12 PZ
Loamy 10-12" PZ (deeper soil, higher production)
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on plateaus and tablelands. Slopes range from 2 to 12 percent. Elevation varies from 5500 to 6500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plateau
Elevation 500 – 6500 ft Slope 2 – 12 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 12 inches, most of which occurs in the form of snow during the months of December through March. Spring rains are common. Localized convection storms occasionally occur during the summer. The soil temperature regime is frigid with a mean annual air temperature of 44 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 90 to -30 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from less than 30 to 60 days. The optimum period for native plants is from April through June.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 60 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 shallow over bedrock. The surface layer is a gravelly loam to gravelly clay loam, 6 to 8 inches thick. The subsoil is a silty clay or silty clay loam 6 to 10 inches thick. Depth to bedrock or an indurated pan is 10 to 20 inches. Permeability is moderate. The available water holding capacity (AWC) is about 2 to 4 inches for the profile. The potential for water erosion is moderate to severe.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Gravelly loam
(2) Clay loam
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Moderate Soil depth 10 – 20 in Available water capacity
(0-40in)2 – 4 in Ecological dynamics
Range in Characteristics:
This site shows little variation in composition and production. Thurber needlegrass and bluebunch wheatgrass will increase as the soils become deeper. Sandberg bluegrass will increase as the soil becomes shallower.
Response to Disturbance:
If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, Thurber needlegrass will decrease while low sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Sandberg bluegrass will increase. Thurber needlegrass is the preferred species during all seasons. With further deterioration, a small percentage of annuals will invade and bareground will markedly increase. Excessive erosion in the bare soil interspaces reduces the site productivity and contributes to downstream sedimentation.State and transition model
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More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
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
Historic Climax Plant CommunityCommunity 1.1
Historic Climax Plant CommunityThe potential native plant community is dominated by low sagebrush and Thurber needlegrass. Sandberg bluegrass is prominent. The vegetative composition of the community is approximately 85 percent grass, 5 percent forbs, and 10 percent shrubs.
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 232 322 412 Shrub/Vine 20 40 60 Forb 16 28 40 Total 268 390 512 Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Perennial, deep-rooted, dominant 200–320 Thurber's needlegrass ACTH7 Achnatherum thurberianum 160–240 – bluebunch wheatgrass PSSP6 Pseudoroegneria spicata 40–80 – 4 Perennial, shallow-rooted, sub-dominant 12–32 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 12–32 – 5 Other perennial grasses, all 20–60 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 0–20 – Idaho fescue FEID Festuca idahoensis 0–20 – prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 0–20 – Forb7 Perennial, all, dominant 12–24 buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 4–8 – lupine LUPIN Lupinus 4–8 – phlox PHLOX Phlox 4–8 – 9 Other perennial forbs, all 4–16 common yarrow ACMI2 Achillea millefolium 0–2 – agoseris AGOSE Agoseris 0–2 – balsamroot BALSA Balsamorhiza 0–2 – tapertip hawksbeard CRAC2 Crepis acuminata 0–2 – fleabane ERIGE2 Erigeron 0–2 – aster EUCEP2 Eucephalus 0–2 – stoneseed LITHO3 Lithospermum 0–2 – desertparsley LOMAT Lomatium 0–2 – deathcamas ZIGAD Zigadenus 0–2 – Shrub/Vine11 Perennial, evergreen, dominant 20–60 little sagebrush ARAR8 Artemisia arbuscula 20–60 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Grazing:
This site is suited to use by cattle, sheep, and horses in late spring, summer, and fall under a planned grazing system. Use should be postponed until the soils are firm enough to avoid trampling damage and soil compaction.
Native Wildlife Associated with the Potential Climax Community:
Deer
Antelope
Hawks
Songbirds
Rodents
This site will offer food and cover for antelope, mule deer, rodents, and a variety of birds. It is an important wintering area for antelope and mule deer.Hydrological functions
The soils are in hydrologic group D. The soils of this site have high runoff potential.
Supporting information
Contributors
M. Parks (OSU)
SCS/BLM Team - Hines, ORRangeland 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 08/16/2012 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 -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
None to very few pedestals -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
15-30% -
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):
Moderately to significantly resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 3-6 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Shallow well drained gravelly clay loam (6-8 inches thick): Low OM (1-2%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Low ground cover (20-35%) and gentle slopes (2-12%) slightly to moderately 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:
Thurber needlegrass > Bluebunch wheatgrass > Low sagebrush > other grasses > 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: 500, Normal: 400, Unfavorable: 300 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:
Perennial brush species will increase with deterioration of plant community. Western Juniper readily invades 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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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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