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Ecological site F029XY071NV
Shallow Rocky Loam 10-12" P.Z
Last updated: 2/20/2025
Accessed: 09/23/2026
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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.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 029X–Southern Nevada Basin and Range
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 029X–Southern Nevada Basin and Range
The Southern Nevada Basin and Range MLRA (29) represents the transition from the Mojave Desert to the Great Basin. It is cooler and wetter than the Mojave. It is warmer and typically receives more summer precipitation than the Great Basin. This area is in Nevada (73 percent), California (25 percent), and Utah (2 percent). It makes up about 26,295 square miles (68,140 square kilometers). Numerous national forests occur in the area, including the San Bernardino, Angeles, Sequoia, Inyo, Humboldt-Toiyabe, and Dixie National Forests. Portions of Death Valley National Monument, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Nevada Test Site, the Hawthorne Ammunition Depot, and the Nellis Air Force Range in Nevada and the China Lake Naval Weapons Center in California also are in this MLRA. The northeast part of the Paiute Indian Reservation and the southern third of the Walker River Indian Reservation are in the part of this MLRA in Nevada, and the Lone Pine, Fort Independence, and Big Pine Indian Reservations are in the part in California.
Physiography:
The entire area is in the Great Basin Section of the Basin and Range Province of the Intermontane Plateaus. The area of broad, nearly level, aggraded desert basins and valleys between a series of mountain ranges trending north to south. The basins are bordered by sloping fans and pluvial lake terraces. The mountains are uplifted fault blocks with steep side slopes and not well dissected due to limited annual precipitation. Most of the valleys in this MLRA are closed basins or bolsons containing sinks or playa lakes.
Geology:
The mountains are dominated by Pliocene and Miocene andesite and basalt rocks, Paleozoic and Precambrian carbonate rocks prominent in some areas. Scattered outcrops of older Tertiary intrusives and very young tuffaceous sediments (Pliocene and Miocene) are in the western and eastern thirds of this MLRA. The valleys consist mostly of alluvial fill and playa deposits at the lowest elevations in the closed basins.
Climate:
The average annual precipitation is 3 to 12 inches (75 to 305 millimeters) in most of this area. It may be as high as 29 inches (735 millimeters), on the higher mountain slopes. Most of the rainfall occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms during the growing season. Summers are dry, but sporadic storms are common in July and August.
Water Resources:
Water resources are scarce. Ground water and surface water sources are limited. Streams are small and intermittent. Quality of surface water in naturally degraded as streams cross area of valley fill effected by dissolved salts. Irrigation water may raise the levels of dissolved salts and suspended sediments causing contamination.
Soils:
Dominant soil orders include Entisols and Aridisols.Ecological site concept
The Shallow Rocky Loam 10-12" P.Z. is found on shallow soils on mountains and hills at greater than 15 percent slopes. The dominant vegetation is typically Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), black sagebrush (Artemisia nova), and Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides).
The Shallow Rocky Loam 10-12" P.Z. was previously known as JUOS WSG 0D0404 10 to 12.Associated sites
F029XY069NV PIMO-JUOS WSG 0R0504 12 to 16
The soils associated with this site are typically very shallow to very deep and are well drained. These soils are skeletal with 35 to 50 percent gravels, cobbles or stones, by volume, distributed throughout their profile. Available water capacity is very low, but trees and shrubs extend their roots into fractures in the bedrock allowing them to utilize deep moisture.
F029XY065NV PIMO-JUOS/ARTRW8
The soils associated with this site are shallow and well drained. They are formed in residuum and colluvium derived from volcanic rocks. These soils are skeletal with 35 to over 50 percent gravels, cobbles or stones, by volume, distributed throughout their profile. Available water capacity is very low to low, but trees and shrubs extend their roots into fractures in the bedrock allowing them to utilize deep moisture.
Similar sites
F029XY068NV PIMO-JUOS/ARAR8
Pinyon pine included in plant community.
F029XY069NV PIMO-JUOS WSG 0R0504 12 to 16
Pinyon pine included in plant community.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Juniperus osteosperma
Shrub (1) Artemisia nova
(2) Purshia stansburianaHerbaceous (1) Achnatherum hymenoides
Physiographic features
The Shallow Rocky Loam 10-12" P.Z. occurs on lower mountain, hill and rock pediment sideslopes on all aspects. Slopes range from 15 to over 75 percent. Elevations are 5800 to 7500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain
(2) Hill
Runoff class Very high Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Elevation 5800 – 7500 ft Slope 15 – 75 % Water table depth 72 – 0 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate associated with this site is arid, characterized by cool, moist winters and hot, dry summers. Average annual precipitation is 10 to 12 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 45 to 49 degrees F. The average frost-free period is 90 to 120 days.
No climate station is available.Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 120 days Freeze-free period (average) Precipitation total (average) 10 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
There are no influencing water features.
Soil features
Soils are typically very shallow to shallow and well drained. The soils are skeletal with 35 to 50 percent gravels, cobbles or stones, by volume, distributed throughout their profile. Soil reaction is moderate to strongly alkaline and the soils are highly calcareous. Available water capacity is very low. There are high amounts of rock fragments at the soil surface which occupy plant growing space, yet help to reduce evaporation and conserve soil moisture. Runoff is medium to rapid and potential for sheet and rill erosion is moderate to severe depending on slope. Soil series associated with this site include: Bellehelen and Nuhelen.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Parent material (1) Colluvium – volcanic rock
(2) Residuum – volcanic rock
(3) Volcanic ash – tuff
Surface texture (1) Very stony loam
(2) Very gravelly loam
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Moderately slow Soil depth 7 – 14 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 20 – 35 % Surface fragment cover >3" 10 – 25 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)1.1 – 1.3 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)6.6 – 8.4 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)22 – 40 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 31 % Ecological dynamics
Utah juniper is not shade tolerant. It is a climax species in harsh areas where stands are open and regeneration can occur without competition for light.
Across the West, junipers have expanded their historical range in the years since European settlement, especially into sagebrush-grass communities below areas of traditional pinyon-juniper. Overgrazing, fire suppression, and climatic change have been identified as potential causes of juniper invasion. In the absence of fire or other disturbances, trees eventually dominate the site and crowd out herbaceous and shrub species.
Juniper litter has an allelopathic effect on some understory species, especially blue grama. This effect is particularly evident on heavy, poorly drained clay soils.
Fire Ecology:
The historical fire return interval for Utah juniper stands range from 20 to over 100 years. Utah juniper is usually killed by fire, especially when trees are small. Utah juniper habitat types rarely have sufficient fine fuels to produce severe or continuous fires. Black sagebrush is highly susceptible to fire-caused mortality; plants are readily killed by all fire intensities. Following burning, reestablishment occurs through off-site sources. Fire effects on Stansbury cliffrose are variable. Fire may kill or severely damage plants. Late-season fire also increases the risk of mortality. Stansbury cliffrose is a weak sprouter that is generally killed by severe fire. Desert bitterbrush is considered fire tolerant. Desert bitterbrush recovers from fire by sprouting from undamaged root crowns below the soil surface and by establishing from seeds cached by rodents. Desert bitterbrush often sprouts vigorously following fire, even in dry conditions. Indian ricegrass can be killed by fire, depending on severity and season of burn. Indian ricegrass reestablishes on burned sites through seed dispersed from adjacent unburned areas.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 2 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference StateThe Reference State contains 4 Community Phases, each influenced by time since disturbance. The Community Phases range from mature juniper forest to herbaceous dominated.
Community 1.1
Mature WoodlandThe Mature Woodland is dominated by Utah juniper. Black sagebrush and Stansbury's cliffrose are the principal understory shrubs. Indian ricegrass, galleta and Sandberg's bluegrass are the most prevalent understory grasses. Overstory tree canopy composition is typically 100 percent Utah juniper. Singleleaf pinyon occurs on this site at the higher elevations but is less than 5 percent of the overstory canopy. An overstory canopy cover of 25 percent is assumed to be representative of tree dominance on this site in the pristine environment.
Forest overstory.MATURE WOODLAND: The visual aspect and vegetal structure are dominated by Utah juniper that have reached or are near maximal heights for the site. Dominant trees average greater than five inches in diameter at one-foot stump height. Upper crowns of Utah juniper are typically either irregularly or smoothly flat-topped or rounded. Tree canopy cover ranges from 20 to 35 percent. Understory vegetation is strongly influenced by tree competition, overstory shading, duff accumulation, etc. Few tree seedlings and/or saplings occur in the understory. Infrequent, yet periodic, wildfire is presumed to be a natural factor influencing the understory of mature juniper woodlands. This stage of community development is assumed to be representative of this woodland site in the pristine environment.
Forest understory. Understory vegetation is strongly influenced by tree competition, overstory shading, duff accumulation, etc. Few tree seedlings and/or saplings occur in the understory. Infrequent, yet periodic, wildfire is presumed to be a natural factor influencing the understory of mature juniper forestlands. This stage of community development is assumed to be representative of this woodland site in the pristine environment.
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 80 133 212 Grass/Grasslike 45 75 120 Forb 15 25 40 Tree 10 17 28 Total 150 250 400 Community 1.2
Herbaceous/ShrubHerbaceous vegetation and woody shrubs dominate the site. Various amounts of tree seedlings (less than 20 inches in height) may be present up to the point where they are obviously a major component of the vegetal structure.
Community 1.3
Shrubs/grasses/tree saplingsIn the absence of disturbance the tree seedlings develop into saplings (20 inches to 4.5 feet in height) with a range in canopy cover of about 5 to 10 percent. Vegetation consists of grasses, forbs and shrubs in association with tree saplings.
Community 1.4
Immature WoodlandThe visual aspect and vegetal structure are dominated by Utah juniper trees greater than 4.5 feet in height. The upper crown of dominant and co-dominant trees are cone or pyramidal shaped. Seedlings and saplings of Utah juniper are present in the understory. Dominants are the tallest trees on the site; co-dominants are 65 to 85 percent of the highest of dominant trees. Understory vegetation is moderately influenced by a tree overstory canopy of about 10 to 20 percent.
Pathway 1.1a
Community 1.1 to 1.2Fire
Pathway 1.2a
Community 1.2 to 1.3Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 1.3a
Community 1.3 to 1.2Fire
Pathway 1.3b
Community 1.3 to 1.4Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 1.4a
Community 1.4 to 1.1Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 1.4b
Community 1.4 to 1.2Fire
State 2
Current Potential StateThe Current Potential State is similar to the Reference State with the exception of including non-native plant species in the plant community.
Community 2.1
Mature Woodland-Juniper overstory
-Shrub-perennial grass understory
-Few tree seedlings and saplings in understory
-Annual non-native species presentCommunity 2.2
Herbaceous/Shrub- Perennial bunchgrasses and sprouting shrubs dominate
- Non-sprouting shrubs present
- Tree seedlings are present
- Burned tree skeletons may be present
- Annual non-native species present and may be increasingCommunity 2.3
Shrub/perennial grass/annual species- Shrubs and perennial bunchgrasses dominant
- Tree saplings present
- Annual non-native species present and may be increasingCommunity 2.4
Immature Woodland- Utah juniper over 4.5 feet in height
- Tree seedlings and saplings present in the understory
- Shrub and perennial grass dominate the understory
- Annual non-native species present and may be increasingPathway 2.1a
Community 2.1 to 2.2Fire
Pathway 2.2a
Community 2.2 to 2.3Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 2.3a
Community 2.3 to 2.2Fire
Pathway 2.3b
Community 2.3 to 2.4Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 2.4a
Community 2.4 to 2.1Time and lack of disturbance.
Pathway 2.4b
Community 2.4 to 2.2Fire
State 3
Infilled StateJuniper has increased in the Infilled State and out-competed understory species.
Community 3.1
Over-Mature WoodlandIn the absence of wildfire or other naturally occurring disturbances, the tree canopy on this site can become very dense. This stage is dominated by Utah juniper that have reached maximal heights for the site. Dominant and co-dominant trees average greater than five inches in diameter at one-foot stump height. Upper crowns are typically irregularly flat-topped or rounded. Understory vegetation is sparse or absent due to tree competition, overstory shading, duff accumulation, etc. Tree canopy cover is commonly greater than 40 percent.
Transition T1A
State 1 to 2Introduction of non-native annual species.
Transition T1B
State 1 to 3Time and lack of disturbance.
Transition T2
State 2 to 3Time and lack of disturbance.
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 12–22 Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 12–22 – 2 Secondary Perennial Grasses 11–42 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 3–12 – needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 3–12 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 3–12 – James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 1–3 – purple threeawn ARPU9 Aristida purpurea 1–3 – Forb3 Perennial 9–36 buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 3–12 – phlox PHLOX Phlox 3–12 – goldenweed PYRRO Pyrrocoma 3–12 – Shrub/Vine4 Primary Shrubs 62–142 desert bitterbrush PUGL2 Purshia glandulosa 25–60 – Stansbury cliffrose PUST Purshia stansburiana 25–60 – black sagebrush ARNO4 Artemisia nova 13–22 – 5 Secondary Shrubs 6–24 mormon tea EPVI Ephedra viridis 3–12 – banana yucca YUBA Yucca baccata 3–12 – Tree6 Evergreen 12–22 Utah juniper JUOS Juniperus osteosperma 12–22 – Table 7. Community 1.2 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 8. Community 1.3 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 9. Community 1.4 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 10. Community 2.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 11. Community 2.2 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 12. Community 2.3 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 13. Community 2.4 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 14. Community 3.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited to cattle and sheep grazing where terrain permits. Grazing management should be keyed to Indian ricegrass production. Indian ricegrass is highly nutritious and remains palatable throughout the grazing season. Indian ricegrass and other desirable forage grasses on this site provide palatable, nutritious feed during the spring. New plants of all these grasses are established entirely from seed and grazing practices should allow for ample seed production and seedling establishment.
Livestock will often concentrate on this site taking advantage of the shade and shelter offered by the tree overstory. Many areas are not used because of steep slopes and lack of adequate water. Attentive grazing management is required due to steep slopes and associated erosion hazards. Harvesting trees under a sound management program for fuelwood, posts or other products can open the tree canopy to allow increased production of understory species desirable for grazing.
Stocking rates vary with such factors as kind and class of grazing animal, season of use and fluctuations in climate. Actual use records for individual sites, a determination of the degree to which the sites have been grazed, and an evaluation of trend in site condition offer the most reliable basis for developing initial stocking rates.
Selection of initial stocking rates for given grazing units is a planning decision. This decision should be made ONLY after careful consideration of the total resources available, evaluation of alternatives for use and treatment, and establishment of objectives by the decisionmaker. The forage value rating is not an ecological evaluation of the understory as is the range condition rating for rangeland. The forage value rating is a utilitarian rating of the existing understory plants for use by specific kinds of grazing animals.
Wildlife interpretations:
This site has high value for mule deer during the winter. Juniper trees provide shelter from winter storms and juniper foliage is also browsed during the winter. Sites where water is available offer good quail habitat and are visited seasonally by mourning dove. It is also used by various song birds, rodents, reptiles and associated predators natural to the area.Hydrological functions
Runoff is very high. Permeability is moderately slow.
Recreational uses
This site has high value for mule deer during the winter. Juniper trees provide shelter from winter storms and juniper foliage is also browsed during the winter. Sites where water is available offer good quail habitat and are visited seasonally by mourning dove. It is also used by various song birds, rodents, reptiles and associated predators natural to the area.
Wood products
This forestland community is of very low site quality for tree production. Site index ranges from about 20 to 35 (Howell, 1940) and about 10 to 20 (Chojnacky, 1986).
Productivity Class: 0.1 to 0.2
CMAI*: 1.3 to 2.7 ft3/ac/yr;
0.1 to 0.2 m3/ha/yr.
Culmination is estimated to be at 100 years.
*CMAI: is the culmination of mean annual increment or highest average growth rate of the stand in the units specified.
Fuelwood Production: 1 to 4 cords per acre for stands averaging 5 inches in diameter at 1 foot height with a medium canopy cover. There are about 274,000 gross BTUs heat content per cubic foot of Utah juniper. Solid wood volume in a cord varies but usually ranges from 65 to 90 cubic feet. Assuming an average of 75 cubic feet of solid wood per cord, there are about 20.6 million BTUs of heat value in a cord of Utah juniper fire wood.
Posts (7 foot): About 15 to 25 posts per acre in stands of medium canopy.
MANAGEMENT GUIDES AND INTERPRETATIONS
1. LIMITATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
a. Potential for sheet and rill erosion is moderate to severe depending on slope.
b. Moderate equipment limitations on steeper slopes and moderate to severe equipment limitations on sites having extreme surface stoniness.
c. Proper spacing is the key to a well managed, multiple use and multi-product juniper forestland.
2. ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
a. Adequately protect from wildfire.
b. Protect soils from accelerated erosion.
c. Apply proper grazing management.
3. SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES
Silvicultural treatments are not reasonably applied on this site due to poor site quality and severe limitations for equipment and tree harvest. Utah juniper wood is very durable. Its primary uses have been for posts and fuelwood. It probably has considerable potential in the charcoal industry and in wood fiber products.Other products
The berries of Utah juniper have been used by Native Americans for food.
Table 15. Representative site productivity
Common name Symbol Site index low Site index high CMAI low CMAI high Age of CMAI Site index curve code Site index curve basis Citation Utah juniper JUOS 20 35 1 3 – – – Supporting information
Inventory data references
NASIS data used for abiotic narratives and tables.
Type locality
Location 1: Lincoln County, NV Township/Range/Section T3S R66E S13 General legal description Section 13, T3S. R66E. MDBM. About 4 air miles north of Caliente, Chief Mountain area, Lincoln County, Nevada. This site also occurs in Clark and Nye Counties, Nevada. Other references
Chojnacky, D.C., 1987. Volume and Growth Prediction for Pinyon-juniper; In "Proceedings: P/J Conference" (1986), Reno, NV. General Tech Report INT-215, Ogden, UT. USDA-USFS, Intermtn Res Sta, 1987. pp 207-215.
Fire Effects Information System (Online; http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/).
Howell, J., 1940. Pinyon and juniper: a preliminary study of volume, growth, and yield. Regional Bulletin 71. Albuquerque, NM: USDA, SCS; 90p.
Jordan, M., 1974. An Inventory of Two Selected Woodland Sites in the Pine Nut Hills of Western Nevada.
United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2022. Land resource regions and major land resource areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 296.
USDA-NRCS. 1980. National Forestry Manual - Part 537. Washington, D.C.
USDA-NRCS. 2004 National Forestry Handbook, Title 190. Washington, D.C.
USDA-NRCS Plants Database (Online; http://www.plants.usda.gov).Contributors
HA/GED/RRK
Approval
Kendra Moseley, 2/20/2025
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 09/23/2026 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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