Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Upland Loam (Bonneville Big Sagebrush) North
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1a More details
- Transition T2a More details
- Transition T2b More details
- Transition T3b More details
- Transition T3a More details
- Transition T4a More details
- Restoration pathway R5a More details
- Transition T5a More details
- Transition T5b More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
The Reference State includes the plant communities that were best adapted to the unique combination of factors associated with this ecological site prior to European settlement. It was in a natural dynamic equilibrium with the historic biotic, abiotic, climatic factors on its ecological site in North America at the time of European immigration and settlement. There are three community phases: grass and sagebrush dominated, sagebrush dominated, and grass dominated. Plant community phase changes are driven by fire, drought, and/or insect or disease.
Characteristics and indicators
This state will not contain any non-native species in the plant community.
Submodel
Description
The Current Potential State (CPS) includes the biotic communities that would become established on the ecological site if all successional sequences were completed without interferences by humans under the present environmental conditions. Natural disturbances are inherent in its development. The CPS state may include acclimatized, naturalized or invasive nonnative species. There is no known way to effectively remove these plants from the site once they have become established. The level of occurrence of these plants in the CPS is such that careful management can prevent their domination of the site. This site is irreversibly changed. Plant communities within the CPS state may be managed and used for various purposes by man without significant alteration in plant community composition or production. It includes all the plant communities that exist in the Reference State with the inclusion of species that are non-native.
Characteristics and indicators
This state will be similar to the Reference State, except it will have non-native species in the plant community.
Submodel
Description
The Tree State has only two described plant community phases, but many variations of the represented ones are present. The site will move to this state when there is a lack of fire (over exuberant fire control) and there is a source of Utah Juniper and/or pinyon seed. Movement from community phase to community phase can and often is accelerated by overgrazing. Cheatgrass will often be the dominant understory plant in this state. This state can persist for a long time until extreme conditions needed for a wildfire occur or some other management treatment is implemented.
Characteristics and indicators
This state will have noticeable cover of Utah junipers or pinyon.
Submodel
Description
This state occurs when this site is overgrazed for an extended time. This state may also occur with the combination of drought and over grazing or drought and fire with either no seeding following the fire or a failed seeding. The dominant aspect of the plant community is cheatgrass brome, yellow rabbitbrush, and a small amount of Bonneville big sagebrush.
Characteristics and indicators
This state is dominated by shrubs other than big sagebrush and annual grasses.
Submodel
Description
The Seede State exists when the site is cultivated and/or burned and planted to Introduced perennial plants and/or in some situations a mix of native grasses and forbs.
Characteristics and indicators
This state will be dominated by seeded grass and forbs in the plant community.
Submodel
Mechanism
Prolonged drought, overgrazing, extreme lengthening of the fire interval frequency. This takes place when the sagebrush canopy gets so dense that it destroys the perennial grass and forb understory and the fire frequency is increased from 20 to 40 years to 60 to 90 years and there is an introduction of Utah Juniper.
Mechanism
Prolonged drought and/or prolonged overgrazing. Most often it is a combination of the two conditions that bring this condition into existence. Continued overgrazing and increase of the fire frequency over a very prolonged period of time i.e. 3 to 5 year fire frequency interval.
Mechanism
Continued overgrazing and increase of fire frequency over a very prolonged period of time i.e. 3 to 5 year fire frequency interval.
Mechanism
Human caused disturbance i.e. mechanical treatment and seeding; chemical treatment and seeding etc.
Mechanism
Human caused disturbance i.e. mechanical treatment and seeding; chemical treatment and seeding etc.
Mechanism
Time with proper management that favors the native plants as they move back onto the site.
Mechanism
Prolonged drought, overgrazing, extreme lengthening of the fire interval frequency. This takes place when the sagebrush canopy gets so heavy that it destroys the perennial grass and forb understory and the fire frequency is increased from 20 to 40 years to 60 to 90 years and there is an introduction of Utah Juniper.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The 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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