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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.
Ecological site concept
This site occurs on alluvial flats and fan remnants. Slopes range from 4 to 15 percent. Elevations are 2300 to 4000 feet. The soils associated with this site are very deep, and have formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Runoff is low, available water capacity is moderate and water intake rates are moderate. The soil series associated with this site include: Typic Haplocalcids.
Please refer to group concept R030XA022CA to view the provisional STM.Similar sites
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Atriplex confertifolia
Herbaceous (1) Achnatherum speciosum
(2) Achnatherum hymenoidesPhysiographic features
This site occurs on alluvial flats and fan remnants. Slopes range from 4 to 15 percent. Elevations are 2300 to 4000 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Alluvial flat
(2) Fan remnant
Flooding duration Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to extremely brief (0.1 to 4 hours) Flooding frequency Very rare to rare Ponding frequency None Elevation 2300 – 4000 ft Slope 4 – 15 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate is hot and arid, with mild winters and very hot summers. Precipitation is greatest in the winter with a lesser secondary peak in summer, typical of the Mojave Desert. Average annual precipitation is 3 to about 5 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 59 to 70 degrees F. The average growing season is about 180 to 250 days.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 250 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 associated with this site.
Soil features
The soils associated with this site are very deep, and have formed in alluvium from mixed rock sources. Runoff is low, available water capacity is moderate and water intake rates are moderate. The soil series associated with this site include: Typic Haplocalcids.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Gravelly loamy sand
(2) Fine sandy loam
(3) Loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Moderate Soil depth 72 – 84 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 2 – 22 % Surface fragment cover >3" Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)5.1 – 5.2 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)1 – 40 % Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)2 – 8 mmhos/cm Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)1 – 13 Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)7.9 – 9 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)2 – 22 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)Not specified Ecological dynamics
Please refer to group concept R030XA022CA to view the provisional STM.
Following surface disturbance, white burrobrush increases. Following wildfire, introduced annual grasses and forbs readily invade or increase on this site.
Fire Ecology:
The mean fire return interval for shadscale communities range from 35 to 100 years. Shadscale communities are usually unaffected by fire because of low fuel loads, although a year of exceptionally heavy winter rains can generate fuels by producing a heavy stand of annual forbs and grasses. Increased presence of non-native annual grasses, such as cheatgrass, can alter fire regimes by increasing fire frequency under wet to near-normal summer moisture conditions. Shadscale is fire intolerant and it does not readily recover from fire, except for establishment through seed. Fire typically destroys aboveground parts of Anderson wolfberry, but the degree of damage to the plant depends on fire severity. White burrobrush establishes after fire via off-site seeds and sprouting. Because it seeds prolifically, white burrobrush can quickly colonize burned sites. 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 and surviving tufts will resprout. 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 1
Reference StateCommunity 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe reference plant community is dominated by shadscale.
Potential vegetative composition is about 15% grasses, 5% forbs and 80% shrubs. Approximate ground cover (basal and crown) is 3 to 8 percent.
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 40 80 160 Grass/Grasslike 8 15 30 Forb 2 5 10 Total 50 100 200 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 7–18 desert needlegrass ACSP12 Achnatherum speciosum 5–10 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 2–8 – 2 Secondary Perennial Grasses 2–8 low woollygrass DAPU7 Dasyochloa pulchella 1–3 – squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 1–3 – Forb3 Perennial forbs 1–8 4 Annual forbs 1–10 Shrub/Vine5 Primary shrubs 39–60 shadscale saltbush ATCO Atriplex confertifolia 35–50 – burrobrush HYSA Hymenoclea salsola 2–5 – water jacket LYAN Lycium andersonii 1–3 – peach thorn LYCO2 Lycium cooperi 1–3 – 6 Secondary shrubs 5–15 burrobush AMDU2 Ambrosia dumosa 1–3 – desertholly ATHY Atriplex hymenelytra 1–3 – brittlebush ENCEL Encelia 1–3 – creosote bush LATR2 Larrea tridentata 1–3 – spiny menodora MESP2 Menodora spinescens 1–3 – pricklypear OPUNT Opuntia 1–3 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site has limited value for livestock grazing, due to the low forage 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 is highly palatable to all classes of livestock in both green and cured condition. It supplies a source of green feed before most other native grasses have produced much new growth. Shadscale provides good browse for domestic sheep and goats. Shadscale leaves and seeds are an important component of domestic sheep and cattle winter diets. Shadscale tends to be browse tolerant. Heavy grazing during the winter and/or spring reduces shadscale. Die-off can also occur during extended periods of high precipitation. Shadscale is tolerant of early spring light-intensity browsing. Anderson wolfberry is sometimes used as forage by livestock and feral burros.
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:
Shadscale is a valuable browse species providing a source of palatable, nutritious forage for a wide variety of wildlife. The fruits and leaves are a food source for deer, desert bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope. Desert bighorn sheep and feral horses and burros will graze desert needlegrass. Indian ricegrass is eaten by pronghorn in moderate amounts whenever available. In Nevada it is consumed by desert bighorns. 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. In Nevada, Indian ricegrass may even dominate jackrabbit diets during the spring through early summer months. 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.Hydrological functions
Runoff is low. Permeability is moderate.
Other products
Indian ricegrass was traditionally eaten by some Native Americans. The Paiutes used seed as a reserve food source. Seeds of shadscale were used by Native Americans for bread and mush. Native Americans used the fleshy berries of Anderson wolfberry either fresh or boiled and then dried them for later use.
Other information
Desert needlegrass may be used for groundcover in areas of light disturbance, but it is susceptible to excessive trampling. Anderson wolfberry is also used as an ornamental valued chiefly for its showy red berries. Native Americans used white burrobrush twigs and stems in several remedies. The twigs or leaves are mixed with all-thorn twigs, boiled, and the tea taken to treat skin rashes. The tea was used to relieve pain in the lungs and trachea, and to reduce swelling. Additionally, they use white burrobrush as a remedy for rheumatism.
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Nye County, NV Township/Range/Section T10S R45E S10 General legal description Erosional fan remnants lying in center portion of Sarcobatus Valley, Nye County, Nevada. This site also occurs in Southern 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
HA
Approval
Kendra Moseley, 2/18/2025
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 09/02/2026 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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