Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R030XC010NV
SHALLOW SANDSTONE HILL 7-11 P.Z.
Last updated: 2/25/2025
Accessed: 08/10/2026
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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.
Ecological site concept
This site occurs on summits and sideslopes of mountains. Slopes typically range from 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 3500 to about 5600 feet. The soils associated with this site are very shallow to sandstone bedrock and have formed in residuum or colluvium from sandstone.
Please refer to group concept R030XB094CA to view the provisional STM.Associated sites
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Coleogyne ramosissima
Herbaceous (1) Achnatherum parishii var. depauperatum
(2) Achnatherum hymenoidesPhysiographic features
This site occurs on summits and sideslopes of mountains. Slopes typically range from 15 to 50 percent. Elevations are 3500 to about 5600 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mountain
Elevation 3500 – 5600 ft Slope 15 – 50 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The primary air masses affecting the Spring Mountains are cold maritime polar air from the Gulf of Alaska and warmer, moist maritime subtropical air from lower latitudes. Occasionally there are invasions of cold continental polar air from northern Canada or the Rocky Mountains. Precipitation in the area results primarily from the passage of cyclones with associated fronts during fall, winter and spring; from closed cyclones in late winter and spring; and from the flow of moist tropical air from the southeast to the southwest quadrant in the summer.
Average annual precipitation is 8 to about 12 inches. Mean annual air temperature is 50 to 56 degrees F. The average growing season is about 140 to 200 days.Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 200 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 shallow to sandstone bedrock and have formed in residuum or colluvium from sandstone. Available water capacity is very low. Infiltration is rapid and permeability is moderate. The surface has very high amounts of cobbles and gravels. These soils are dry most of the year but are moist for short periods during the winter and early spring months and occasionally for short intermittent periods following summer convection storms. The soils are classified as Lithic Torriorthents.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Extremely gravelly loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Moderate Soil depth 14 – 20 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 40 – 50 % Surface fragment cover >3" 5 – 12 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)1.4 – 1.5 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)15 – 60 % Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)0 – 4 mmhos/cm Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)0 – 5 Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)7.9 – 9 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)41 – 52 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)8 – 12 % Ecological dynamics
Please refer to group concept R030XB094CA to view the provisional STM.
As ecological condition declines, cool-season perennial grasses decrease as blackbrush becomes more dominant. Following fire blackbrush decreases or is removed from the community, while species such as buckwheat and ephedra increase in density. Singleleaf pinyon and Utah juniper will also increase on this site.
Fire Ecology:
Low amounts of fine fuels in interspaces probably limited fire spread in blackbrush communities to only extreme fire conditions, during which high winds, low relative humidity, and low fuel moisture led to high intensity stand-replacing fires. Historical fire return intervals appear to have been on the order of centuries, allowing late seral blackbrush stands to reestablish. Blackbrush stands are subject to fire, and fire will start and spread easily due to the dense, close spacing nature and resinous foliage of blackbrush. Blackbrush is slow to reestablish. It is generally removed from the site. 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. Following fire, Virgin River encelia depends on off-site seed rather than on-site sprouts for regeneration. Green ephedra generally sprouts vigorously from the roots or woody root crown after fire and rapidly produces aboveground biomass from surviving meristematic tissue. Needlegrasses are damaged by burning due to the dense plant material that can burn slowly and long, charring to the growing points. Late summer and early fall fires are the least harmful. 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. Muttongrass is unharmed to slightly harmed by light-severity fall fire. Muttongrass appears to be harmed by and slow to recover from severe fire.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 Plant CommunityCommunity 1.1
Reference Plant CommunityThe reference plant community is dominated by blackbrush. Crested needlegrass, Indian ricegrass and muttongrass are other important species associated with this site. Potential vegetative composition is about 20% grasses, 5% perennial and annual forbs and 75% shrubs. Approximate ground cover (basal and crown) is 25 to 40 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 225 375 525 Grass/Grasslike 60 100 140 Forb 15 25 35 Total 300 500 700 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 45–155 little Parish's needlegrass ACPAD Achnatherum parishii var. depauperatum 25–75 – muttongrass POFE Poa fendleriana 10–40 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 10–40 – 2 Secondary Perennial Grasses 1–25 desert needlegrass ACSP12 Achnatherum speciosum 3–10 – sideoats grama BOCU Bouteloua curtipendula 3–10 – James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 3–10 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 3–10 – sand dropseed SPCR Sporobolus cryptandrus 3–10 – Forb3 Perennial Forbs 1–25 globemallow SPHAE Sphaeralcea 3–15 – 4 Annual Forbs 1–25 Shrub/Vine5 Primary Shrubs 295–400 blackbrush CORA Coleogyne ramosissima 250–300 – Stansbury cliffrose PUST Purshia stansburiana 25–50 – Virgin River brittlebush ENVI Encelia virginensis 10–25 – mormon tea EPVI Ephedra viridis 10–25 – 6 Secondary Shrubs 19–30 Utah agave AGUT Agave utahensis 5–10 – slender buckwheat ERMI4 Eriogonum microthecum 5–10 – sulphur-flower buckwheat ERUM Eriogonum umbellatum 5–10 – Joshua tree YUBR Yucca brevifolia 5–10 – Tree7 Trees 6–20 Utah juniper JUOS Juniperus osteosperma 3–10 – singleleaf pinyon PIMO Pinus monophylla 3–10 – Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Interpretations:
This site is suited to grazing by livestock during the late spring, summer and early fall. Grazing management should be keyed to perennial grass production. Attentive grazing management is required due to steep slopes and erosive soil surface condition. Blackbrush is not preferred as forage by domestic livestock, but does provide some forage during the spring, summer and fall. Stansbury cliffrose is an important browse species for livestock, especially in the winter. Encelia has no forage value for domestic livestock. Green ephedra is heavily browsed by livestock on winter range but only moderately or lightly browsed during other seasons. Little Parish's needlegrass provides a palatable, nutritious feed during the spring and early summer for livestock. 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. Muttongrass is excellent forage for domestic livestock especially in the early spring. Muttongrass begins growth in late winter and early spring, which makes it available before many other forage plants.
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:
Blackbrush is a valuable browse species for bighorn sheep. It may also comprise up to 25% of the mule deer winter diet. Blackbrush provides cover for upland game birds, nongame birds and small mammals. Stansbury cliffrose is an important browse species for mule deer, pronghorn, game birds, and songbirds. Wild ungulates use it heavily in winter. Virgin River encelia is important to the desert tortoise as a source of succulent forage in periods of low moisture. Encelia is a browse species of desert mule deer and desert bighorn sheep. Green ephedra is an important browse species for big game animals. Green ephedra is heavily used by wildlife on winter ranges. Little Parish's needlegrass provides a palatable, nutritious feed during the spring and early summer for wildlife. 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. Deer and elk make heavy use of muttongrass, especially in early spring when other green forage is scarce. Depending upon availability of other nutritious forage, deer may use muttongrass in all seasons. Muttongrass cures well and is an important fall and winter deer food in some areas.Hydrological functions
Runoff is very high. Permeability is moderate.
Other products
Indian ricegrass was traditionally eaten by some Native American peoples. The Paiutes used seed as a reserve food source.
Other information
Blackbrush contributes to desert fertility by 1) protecting the soil against wind erosion through retarding the movement of soil and increasing the accumulation of fine soil particles around its base; 2) protecting understory vegetation from the effects of high temperatures, thereby helping to retain surface nitrogen and adding organic matter to the soil; and 3) serving as a nitrogen reservoir through the storage of nitrogen in roots, leaves, and stems.
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: Clark County, NV Township/Range/Section T23S R58E S28 General legal description About 6 miles northwest of Goodsprings, Spring Mountains, Clark 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
TJ WOLFE
Approval
Sarah Quistberg, 2/25/2025
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 08/10/2026 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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