Ecological site R030XC001CA

R030XC002CA	Shallow Loamy-Skeletal Ustic Low Slopes This site occurs on adjacent rock pediments and low hills with shallow loamy-skeletal soils.

R030XC002CA	Shallow Loamy-Skeletal Ustic Low Slopes Occurs on very shallow to shallow soils on pediments and hills. Desert bitterbrush is a co-dominant species with big sagebrush. Production is lower and perennial grasses are not a significant component of this ecological site.
R030XC035NV	LOAMY 9-11 P.Z. Occurs on inset fans on relatively undeveloped soils derived from limestone. Needleandthread is the dominant grass, fourwing saltbush is an important species, and production is higher.

Tree	(1) Juniperus osteosperma
Shrub	(1) Artemisia tridentata
Herbaceous	(1) Bouteloua eriopoda (2) Bouteloua gracilis

Landforms	(1) Fan remnant
Flooding frequency	Very rare to rare
Elevation	4900 – 5300 ft
Slope	2 – 10 %
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Frost-free period (average)	250 days
Freeze-free period (average)	310 days
Precipitation total (average)	10 in

Parent material	(1) Alluvium – granite
Surface texture	(1) Gravelly sandy loam (2) Fine sandy loam
Family particle size	(1) Loamy
Drainage class	Well drained
Soil depth	60 – 0 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	10 – 65 %

Ecological dynamics

State and transition model

Custom diagram

Standard diagram

Figure 5. Granitic loamy ustic fan remnants

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 text

State 1
Historic State

State 1 represents the historic range of variability for this ecological site. This state no longer exists due to the ubiquitous naturalization of non-native species in the Mojave Desert. Periodic drought and infrequent fire were the natural disturbances influencing this ecological site.

Data for this State does not exist, but it would have been similar to State 2, except with only native species present. See State 2 narrative for more detailed information.

State 2
Reference State

State 2 represents the current range of variability for this site. Non-native annuals, including red-stem stork’s bill (Erodium cicutarium) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) are naturalized in this plant community. Their abundance varies with precipitation, but they are at least sparsely present (as current years growth or present in the soil seedbank).

Community 2.1
Utah juniper - Big sagebrush - grama

We do not yet have data for this phase.

Community 2.2
Utah juniper - Big sagebrush - galleta

Figure 6. Community Phase 2.2

This community phase develops with sustained moderate to heavy grazing. Big sagebrush and secondary shrub cover increases, and the perennial grass component decreases. Galleta (Pleuraphis jamesii) and squirreltail grass (Elymus elymoides) increase in importance, while black grama and blue grama decline or are lost completely. Forb cover and production increases; rose heath (Chaetopappa ericoides) often increases with grazing.

This plant community has a greater amount of bare ground, less stable soils, and increased likelihood of soil erosion from wind and water. These factors are made worse by continued grazing and drought.

Figure 7. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Community 2.3
Black grama - blue grama - galleta

Figure 8. Community Phase 2.3

This community phase develops after fire. Big sagebrush and Utah juniper are killed by fire, and are absent. The community is strongly dominated by perennial grasses, and black grama, blue grama, big galleta, galleta and mesa dropseed are dominant species. Forb and shrub presence is minimal.

The composition of this plant community depends on grass vigor and composition at time of burning, the amount and timing of precipitation in the first two seasons after fire, and the timing and severity of the fire. Black grama will respond quickly after fire if it was in good condition prior to burning, and if adequate summer precipitation falls during the first two seasons after fire. Big galleta and galleta are more drought tolerant, and may be favored over black grama if precipitation is less optimal, or cool season dominated. Blue grama is fire tolerant and recovers quickly.

Frequent fires (< 5 year interval) will sustain a grassland community, but may shift dominance to galleta, big galleta or blue grama while black grama declines in importance.

If drought follows fire, recovery of grass species will occur much more slowly. Grazing should be light, and should be restricted to the non-growing season (winter). Heavy grazing of the recent post-burn community, especially during drought and in the growing season (spring and summer), will put this community at risk.

Only cover data is available for this community phase (as of 08/22/13). These data, which represent the community 8 years post-fire with grazing are given in the below table:

Group Code Scientific Name Common Name Cover
Perennial grasses BOER4 Bouteloua eriopoda black grama 10-35
Perennial grasses BOGR5 Bouteloua gracilis blue grama 0-10
Perennial grasses PLRI3 Pleruaphis rigida big galleta 5
Perennial grasses SPFL Sporabilis flexuosa mesa dropseed 0-trace
Perennial grasses MUPO2 Muhlenbergia porteri bush muhly 0-trace
Perennial grasses DAPU7 Dasyochloa pulchella low woollygrass 2
Trees JUOS Juniperus osteosperma Utah juniper 0-trace
Shrubs ARTR2 Artemisia tridentata big sagebrush 0-trace
Shrubs EPNE Ephedra nevadensis Nevada jointfir 1-2
Shrubs GUMI Gutierrezia microcephala threadleaf snakeweed trace-6
Shrubs LYCO2 Lycium cooperi peachthorn 0-trace
Shrubs CYAC Cylindropuntia acanthicarpa buckhorn cholla 0-trace
Shrubs YUBA Yucca baccata banana yucca trace
Shrubs OPPOE Opuntia polyacantha var. erinacea grizzlybear pricklypear 0-trace
Shrubs ERCO23 Ericameria cooperi Cooper''''''''s goldenbush 0-15
Shrubs KRLA2 Krascheninnikovia lanata winterfat 0-trace
Native Perennial Forbs SPAM2 Sphaeralcea ambigua desert globemallow 0-trace
Native Annual Grasses BOBA2 Bouteloua barbata sixweeks grama 0-1
Non-native Annual Forbs ERCI6 Erodium cicutarium red stem stork''''''''s bill 10-30
Non-Native Annual Grasses POAN Poan annua annual bluegrass 0-trace

Figure 9. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Pathway 2.2a
Community 2.2 to 2.1

This pathway occurs with adequate rest from grazing, allowing for recovery of palatable perennial grasses such as black grama, blue grama, and big galleta.

Pathway 2.2b
Community 2.2 to 2.3

Utah juniper - Big sagebrush - galleta

Black grama - blue grama - galleta

This pathway occurs with fire.

Pathway 2.3a
Community 2.3 to 2.1

This pathway occurs with time without fire, adequate precipitation, and appropriate grazing management. Big sagebrush and Utah juniper will colonize the site with off-site seed dispersal, provided seed sources remain close by. The time to recovery depends on initial severity of the fire, post-fire climatic conditions, distance to off-site seed sources, and management.

Transition 1
State 1 to 2

This transition occurred with the naturalization of non-native species in the Mojave desert, occurring with the Spanish explorers in the late 18th century. This transition is irreversible.

Additional community tables

Table 5. Community 2.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 6. Community 2.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)
Tree
1	Trees			0–2
	Utah juniper	JUOS	Juniperus osteosperma	0–2	0–2
Shrub/Vine
2	Shrubs			250–500
	big sagebrush	ARTR2	Artemisia tridentata	150–450	20–45
	bastardsage	ERWR	Eriogonum wrightii	0–50	0–5
	purple sage	SADO4	Salvia dorrii	0–35	0–3
	threadleaf snakeweed	GUMI	Gutierrezia microcephala	0–30	0–3
	Nevada jointfir	EPNE	Ephedra nevadensis	0–20	0–1
	Cooper's goldenbush	ERCO23	Ericameria cooperi	0–5	0–1
	Eastern Mojave buckwheat	ERFA2	Eriogonum fasciculatum	0–5	0–1
	narrowleaf goldenbush	ERLI6	Ericameria linearifolia	0–5	0–1
	grizzlybear pricklypear	OPPOE	Opuntia polyacantha var. erinacea	0–5	0–1
	fourwing saltbush	ATCA2	Atriplex canescens	0–5	0–1
	buck-horn cholla	CYAC8	Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa	0–5	0–1
	turpentinebroom	THMO	Thamnosma montana	0–5	0–1
	banana yucca	YUBA	Yucca baccata	0–5	0–1
Grass/Grasslike
3	Native Perennial Grasses			20–140
	James' galleta	PLJA	Pleuraphis jamesii	10–130	1–6
	squirreltail	ELEL5	Elymus elymoides	0–10	2–10
	big galleta	PLRI3	Pleuraphis rigida	0–10	0–2
	floating bur-reed	SPFL	Sparganium fluctuans	0–10	0–1
	mesa dropseed	SPFL2	Sporobolus flexuosus	0–10	0–1
	desert needlegrass	ACSP12	Achnatherum speciosum	0–5	0–1
	black grama	BOER4	Bouteloua eriopoda	0–5	0–1
	low woollygrass	DAPU7	Dasyochloa pulchella	0–1	0–1
5	Native Annual Grasses			0–10
	sixweeks grama	BOBA2	Bouteloua barbata	0–10	0–5
Forb
4	Native Perennial Forbs			1–40
	rose heath	CHER2	Chaetopappa ericoides	0–40	0–3
	threadstem sandmat	CHRE4	Chamaesyce revoluta	0–1	0–1
	wishbone-bush	MILAV	Mirabilis laevis var. villosa	0–1	0–1
	desert globemallow	SPAM2	Sphaeralcea ambigua	0–1	0–1
	whitemargin sandmat	CHAL11	Chamaesyce albomarginata	0–1	0–1
6	Native Annual Forbs			0–2
	silkcotton purslane	POHA5	Portulaca halimoides	0–2	0–1
7	Non-native Annual Forbs			0–5
	redstem stork's bill	ERCI6	Erodium cicutarium	0–5	0–1

Table 7. Community 2.3 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1	Native Perennial Grasses			700–1000

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	04/19/2026
Approved by
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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 plant reproductive capability:

Download reference sheet

Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site R030XC001CA

Granitic Loamy Ustic Fan Remnants 8-10 inches

Last updated: 2/25/2025 Accessed: 04/19/2026

Search

General information

MLRA notes

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 2/25/2025
Accessed: 04/19/2026