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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
F029XY065NV PIMO-JUOS/ARTRW8
R029XY029NV LOAMY 10-12 P.Z.
Similar sites
R029XY053NV MOUNTAIN RIDGE 16+ P.Z.
Less productive site; ACLE9 dominant grass
R029XY128NV GRAVELLY CLAY 8-10 P.Z.
ACHY dominant grass; ACSP12 minor grass, if present; GRSP major shrub
R029XY056NV MOUNTAIN RIDGE 12-16 P.Z.
Less productive site; ACTH7-POFE codominant grasses
R029XY052NV CLAYPAN 16+ P.Z.
ACLE9 dominant grass
R029XY055NV CLAYPAN 12-16 P.Z.
ACTH7 dominant grass
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Artemisia arbuscula ssp. arbuscula
Herbaceous (1) Achnatherum speciosum
(2) Achnatherum hymenoidesPhysiographic features
This site occurs on summits and sideslopes of hills and upper piedmont slopes on all exposures. Slopes range from 2 to over 30 percent, but slope gradients of 2 to 15 percent are typical. Elevations are 6000 to about 7500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Hill
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 8 to 12 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 49 to 55 degrees F. The average growing season is about 120 to 170 days.
">Influencing water features
There are no influencing water features associated with this site.
Soil features
The soils associated with this site are shallow to moderately deep and are formed in residuum of weathered volcanic rock. These soils are well drained with slow or medium runoff. Permeability is very slow and available water capacity is low. The surface soil often has a high cover of stones, rocks and cobbles. These soils have a fine textured subsoil within 10 inches of the soil surface. The subsoil swells on wetting and shrinks and cracks upon drying and interferes with deep root development.
Ecological dynamics
Where management results in abusive grazing use by livestock and/or feral horses, low sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush, horsebrush, galleta and Sandberg bluegrass increase as Indian ricegrass and desert needlegrass decrease. Species likely to invade this site are annuals such as cheatgrass. Singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper invade this site where it occurs adjacent to these woodlands.
Fire Ecology:
Prior to 1897, mean fire return intervals for low sagebrush communities have been estimated to be from 35 to over 100 years. Fire most often occurs during wet years with high forage production. Low sagebrush is very susceptible to fire damage. Low sagebrush is usually killed by fire and does not re-sprout. The recovery in burned areas is usually via small, light, wind-dispersed seed for all low sagebrush subspecies. Partially injured low sagebrush may re-grow from living branches, but sprouting does not occur. Budsage is killed by fire. Winterfat is either killed or top-killed by fire, depending on fire severity. Severe fire can kill the perennating buds located several inches above the ground surface and thus kills the plant. In addition, severe fire usually destroys seed on the plant. Low-severity fire scorches or only partially consumes the aboveground portions of winterfat and thus does not cause high mortality. Desert needlegrass has persistent dead leaf bases, which make it susceptible to burning. Fire removes the accumulation; a rapid, cool fire will not burn deep into the root crown. 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. Galleta is a rhizomatous perennial which can resprout after top-kill by fire.State and transition model
Custom diagramStandard diagram
Figure 1. DRAFT STM
Figure 2. DRAFT STM LEGEND
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
Reference StateRepresentative of the reference conditions prior to Euro-American settlement in the west.
Community 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe reference plant community is dominated by low sagebrush, Indian ricegrass and desert needlegrass. Potential vegetative composition is about 45% grasses, 5% forbs and 50% shrubs. Approximate ground cover (basal and crown) is 15 to 25 percent.
Figure 3. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 3. Annual production by plant type
Plant type Low
(lb/acre)Representative value
(lb/acre)High
(lb/acre)Shrub/Vine 75 150 250 Grass/Grasslike 67 35 225 Forb 8 15 25 Total 150 200 500 State 2
Current Potential StateRepresentative of the current potential with the presence of non-native annuals. Non-native annuals have the ability to significantly change disturbance regimes and nutrient cycling dynamics.
State 3
Annual StateDominated by non-native annuals. Changes in disturbance return interval and nutrient cycling dynamics create a positive feedback loop preventing recovery of long-lived native perennials.
Additional community tables
Table 4. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Primary Perennial Grasses 66–144 desert needlegrass ACSP12 Achnatherum speciosum 45–75 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 15–45 – James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 6–24 – 2 Secondary Perennial Grasses 6–24 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 2–9 – needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 2–9 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 2–9 – Forb3 Perennial 6–24 lupine LUPIN Lupinus 2–9 – phlox PHLOX Phlox 2–9 – globemallow SPHAE Sphaeralcea 2–9 – 4 Annual 3–9 yellow rabbitbrush CHVI8 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 3–9 – Shrub/Vine5 Primary Shrubs 102–206 little sagebrush ARAR8 Artemisia arbuscula 90–158 – winterfat KRLA2 Krascheninnikovia lanata 6–24 – bud sagebrush PIDE4 Picrothamnus desertorum 6–24 – 6 Secondary Shrubs 15–45 fourwing saltbush ATCA2 Atriplex canescens 3–9 – yellow rabbitbrush CHVI8 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 3–9 – Nevada jointfir EPNE Ephedra nevadensis 3–9 – spiny hopsage GRSP Grayia spinosa 3–9 – pricklypear OPUNT Opuntia 3–9 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited to livestock grazing. Grazing management should be keyed to perennial grass and winterfat production. Desert needlegrass produces considerable basal foliage and is good forage while young. Young desert needlegrass is palatable to all classes of livestock. Mature herbage is moderately grazed by horses and cattle but rarely grazed by sheep. Indian ricegrass has good forage value for domestic sheep, cattle and horses. It supplies a source of green feed before most other native grasses have produced much new growth. When actively growing, galleta provides good to excellent forage for cattle and horses and fair forage for domestic sheep. Although not preferred, all classes of livestock may use galleta when it is dry. Domestic sheep show greater use in winter than summer months and typically feed upon central portions of galleta tufts, leaving coarser growth around the edges. Galleta may prove somewhat coarse to domestic sheep. Domestic sheep and to a much lesser degree cattle consume low sagebrush, particularly during the spring, fall and winter. Budsage is palatable and nutritious forage for domestic sheep in the winter and spring although it is known to cause mouth sores in lambs. Budsage can be poisonous or fatal to calves when eaten in quantity. Budsage, while desired by cattle in spring, is poisonous to cattle when consumed alone. Winterfat is an important forage plant for livestock, especially during winter when forage is scarce. Abusive grazing practices have reduced or eliminated winterfat on some areas even though it is fairly resistant to browsing. Effects depend on severity and season of grazing.
Stocking rates vary over time depending upon season of use, climate variations, site, and previous and current management goals. A safe starting stocking rate is an estimated stocking rate that is fine tuned by the client by adaptive management through the year and from year to year.
Wildlife Interpretations:
Low sagebrush is considered a valuable browse plant during the spring, fall and winter months. In some areas it is of little value in winter due to heavy snow. Mule deer utilize and sometimes prefer low sagebrush, particularly in winter and early spring. Sagebrush-grassland communities provide critical sage-grouse breeding and nesting habitats. Meadows surrounded by sagebrush may be used as feeding and strutting grounds. Sagebrush is a crucial component of their diet year-round, and sage-grouse select sagebrush almost exclusively for cover. Leks are often located on low sagebrush sites, grassy openings, dry meadows, ridgetops, and disturbed sites. Budsage is palatable, nutritious forage for upland game birds, small game and big game in winter. Budsage is browsed by mule deer in Nevada in winter and is utilized by bighorn sheep in summer, but the importance of budsage in the diet of bighorns is not known. Bud sage comprises 18 – 35% of a pronghorn’s diet during the spring where it is available. Chukar will utilize the leaves and seeds of bud sage. Budsage is highly susceptible to effects of browsing. It decreases under browsing due to year-long palatability of its buds and is particularly susceptible to browsing in the spring when it is physiologically most active. Winterfat is an important forage plant for wildlife, especially during winter when forage is scarce. Winterfat seeds are eaten by rodents and are a staple food for black-tailed jackrabbits. Mule deer and pronghorn antelope browse winterfat. Winterfat is used for cover by rodents. It is potential nesting cover for upland game birds, especially when grasses grow up through its crown. Young desert needlegrass is palatable to many species of wildlife. Desert needlegrass produces considerable basal foliage and is good forage while young. Desert bighorn sheep graze desert needlegrass. Indian ricegrass is eaten by pronghorn in moderate amounts whenever available. A number of heteromyid rodents inhabiting desert rangelands show preference for seed of Indian ricegrass. Indian ricegrass is an important component of jackrabbit diets in spring and summer. Indian ricegrass seed provides food for many species of birds. Doves, for example, eat large amounts of shattered Indian ricegrass seed lying on the ground. Galleta provides moderately palatable forage when actively growing and relatively unpalatable forage during dormant periods. Galleta provides poor cover for most wildlife species.Hydrological functions
Runoff is slow or medium.
Recreational uses
Aesthetic value is derived from the diverse floral and faunal composition and the colorful flowering of wild flowers and shrubs during the spring and early summer. This site offers rewarding opportunities to photographers and for nature study. This site is used for camping and hiking and has potential for upland and big game hunting.
Other products
Indian ricegrass was traditionally eaten by some Native American peoples. The Paiutes used seed as a reserve food source.
Other information
Low sagebrush can be successfully transplanted or seeded in restoration. Winterfat adapts well to most site conditions, and its extensive root system stabilizes soil. However, winterfat is intolerant of flooding, excess water, and acidic soils. Desert needlegrass seeds are easily germinated and have potential for commercial use. Desert needlegrass may be used for groundcover in areas of light disturbance, but it is susceptible to excessive trampling. Indian ricegrass is well-suited for surface erosion control and desert revegetation although it is not highly effective in controlling sand movement.
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Nye County, NV Township/Range/Section T7N R47E S13 Latitude 38° 27′ 19″ Longitude 116° 38′ 37″ General legal description Section 13, T7N. R47E. MDBM. McCann Canyon, West Stone Cabin Valley, Nye County, Nevada. Other references
Fire Effects Information System (Online; http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/).
USDA-NRCS Plants Database (Online; http://www.plants.usda.gov)
Contributors
H. Arnold
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 State Rangeland Management Specialist. Date 04/01/1982 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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