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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.
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Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
Ecological site concept
This site occurs on benches, hills, ridges, and dipslopes of cuestas. Slopes vary from 1 to 15 percent.
The soils are shallow over a petrocalcic horizon (caliche), limestone, or shale. Surface textures are typically medium and the soils are usually gravelly, cobbly, or stony
throughout the profile.Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous (1) Bouteloua gracilis
(2) Hesperostipa neomexicanaPhysiographic features
This site occurs on benches, hills, ridges, and dipslopes of cuestas. This site occurs on gently sloping to undulating terrain. Slopes vary from 1 to 15 percent. Elevations range from 6,000 to 7,300 feet above sea level.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plain
(2) Cuesta
(3) Ridge
Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Elevation 6000 – 7300 ft Slope 1 – 15 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
Average annual precipitation varies from about 10 inches to just over 16 inches. Fluctuations ranging from about 5 inches to 25 inches are not uncommon. The overall climate is characterized by cold dry winters in which winter moisture is less than summer. As much as half or more of the annual precipitation can be expected to come during the period of July through September. Thus, fall conditions are often more favorable for good growth of cool-season perennial grasses, shrubs, and forbs than are those of spring.
The average frost-free season is about 120 days and extends from approximately mid May too early or mid September. Average annual air temperatures are 50 degrees F or lower and summer maximums rarely exceed 100 degrees F. Winter minimums typically approach or go below zero. Monthly mean temperatures exceed 70 degrees F for the period of July and August.
Rainfall patterns generally favor warm-season perennial vegetation, while the temperature regime tends to favor cool-season vegetation. This creates a somewhat complex community of plants on a given ecological site, which is quite susceptible to disturbance and is at or near its productive potential only when both the natural warm/cool-season dominants are present.
Climate data was obtained from http://www.wrcc.sage.dri.edu/summary/climsmnm.html web site using 50% probability for freeze-free and frost-free seasons using 28.5 degrees F and 32.5 degrees F respectively.Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 150 days Freeze-free period (average) 170 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 2. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
This is an upland site, and is not associated with water features or wetlands. During heavy rain events, this site may receive run-on moisture from landforms above and contribute runoff to landforms below.
Soil features
Surface textures are typically medium and the soils are usually gravelly, cobbly, or stony
throughout the profile. They are shallow to very shallow over an indurate layer such as caliche or unweathered limestone bedrock. Permeability is moderate to rapid, but the available waterholding capacity is usually low.Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Gravelly loam
(2) Cobbly fine sandy loam
(3) Stony clay loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained to somewhat excessively drained Permeability class Very slow to moderately rapid Soil depth 5 – 20 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 5 – 60 % Surface fragment cover >3" 5 – 15 % Available water capacity
(0-40in)3 – 6 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)1 – 25 % Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)0 – 4 mmhos/cm Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)0 – 13 Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)6.6 – 9 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 60 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 15 % Ecological dynamics
Overview
This site occurs on benches, hills, ridges, and dipslopes of cuestas. The soils are shallow over a petrocalcic horizon (caliche), limestone, or shale. Loamy and Savannah sites often occur as areas of deeper soils interspersed or adjacent to the Shallow site. This is a grassland site characterized by a mixture of warm and cool-season grasses, scattered shrubs, and a few trees. Blue grama, New Mexico feathergrass, and sideoats grama are the dominant grasses. Winterfat and Bigelow sagebrush are characteristic shrubs. Juniper and piñon are the tree species that occur on this site. This site appears to be highly resistant to state change, as no alternate states were identified during our inventory. This may be due in part to the petrocalcic horizon1 or bedrock that helps to keep water perched and available, favoring shallow rooted grasses.State and transition model
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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 CommunityState Containing Historic Climax Plant Community
Grassland: Blue grama, New Mexico feathergrass, and sideoats grama are the dominant grasses. Other characteristic species include needle and thread, black grama, Indian ricegrass, western wheatgrass, little bluestem, galleta, bottlebrush squirreltail, sand dropseed, and spike muhly. Shrubs characteristic of this site are winterfat, Bigelow sagebrush, and broom snakeweed. One seed juniper is often the most common tree at lower to mid elevations, with piñon increasing on those sites that occur at higher elevations. Winterfat may naturally occur at increased densities on highly calcareous soils; 3 the increase in winterfat may result in a blue grama/winterfat community. Changes in composition to the historic plant community may occur in response to continuous heavy grazing. This is typified by a decrease in cool-season grasses such as New Mexico feathergrass, followed by a decrease in the more palatable warm-season grasses. A less productive sod-like blue grama dominated community may result. Broom snakeweed may increase in response to overgrazing, or as a result of late fall/early spring moisture following drought.2 This increase in snakeweed may result in a blue grama/snakeweed community.
Diagnosis: Grasses are dominant and cover is fairly uniform with few large bare areas present. Shrubs and a few trees are present on the site with a combined canopy cover averaging seven percent. Evidence of erosion such as pedestalling of grasses, rills and gullies is infrequent.Dominant plant species
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blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), grass
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New Mexico feathergrass (Hesperostipa neomexicana), grass
Figure 4. 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)Grass/Grasslike 250 490 720 Forb 20 40 60 Total 270 530 780 Table 6. Ground cover
Tree foliar cover 10-10% Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover 10-10% Grass/grasslike foliar cover 10-20% Forb foliar cover 0-10% Non-vascular plants 0% Biological crusts 0% Litter 10-20% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 10-60% Surface fragments >3" 10-20% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 30-40% Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM0307 , R035XG116NM-Shallow-HCPC. Mixed warm/cool-season grassland w/shrubs and half-shrubs and forb components. Additional States: None identified at this time..
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec J F M A M J J A S O N D 0 0 5 7 10 15 25 25 8 5 0 0 Community 1.2
Blue grama-ring muhly-threeawns-broom snakeweedThis community is dominated by blue grama, ring muhly, threeawns, and broom snakeweed.
Dominant plant species
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broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), shrub
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blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), grass
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ring muhly (Muhlenbergia torreyi), grass
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threeawn (Aristida), grass
Community 1.3
Low vigor, sod-bound blue gramaThis phase is dominated by sod-bound blue grama.
Pathway P1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2Season-long grazing providing little rest and recovery for preferred grazed plants during critical growing periods, coupled with high utilization.
Key drivers
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Wildlife grazing or browsing
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Livestock grazing or browsing
Pathway P1.1B
Community 1.1 to 1.3Prolonged continuous grazing.
Key drivers
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Wildlife grazing or browsing
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Livestock grazing or browsing
Pathway P1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1Prescribed/deferred grazing.
Key drivers
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Wildlife grazing or browsing
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Livestock grazing or browsing
Pathway P1.3A
Community 1.3 to 1.1Prescribed/deferred grazing.
Key drivers
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Wildlife grazing or browsing
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Livestock grazing or browsing
Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 90–110 blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 86–115 – 2 60–110 needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 58–115 – New Mexico feathergrass HENE5 Hesperostipa neomexicana 58–115 – 3 60–110 sideoats grama BOCU Bouteloua curtipendula 58–115 – 4 10–20 hairy grama BOHI2 Bouteloua hirsuta 6–17 – 5 30–58 little bluestem SCSC Schizachyrium scoparium 29–58 – 6 30–58 common wolfstail LYPH Lycurus phleoides 29–58 – spike muhly MUWR Muhlenbergia wrightii 29–58 – common wolfstail LYPH Lycurus phleoides 29–58 – spike muhly MUWR Muhlenbergia wrightii 29–58 – 7 30–58 Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 29–58 – squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 29–58 – western wheatgrass PASM Pascopyrum smithii 29–58 – 8 10–30 James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 6–29 – 9 10–30 sand dropseed SPCR Sporobolus cryptandrus 6–29 – 10 10–20 black grama BOER4 Bouteloua eriopoda 6–17 – 11 10–30 threeawn ARIST Aristida 6–29 – ring muhly MUTO2 Muhlenbergia torreyi 6–29 – Forb12 10–30 Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 6–29 – 13 10–20 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 6–17 – Tree14 10–30 juniper JUNIP Juniperus 6–29 – twoneedle pinyon PIED Pinus edulis 6–29 – Shrub/Vine15 10–20 pale desert-thorn LYPA Lycium pallidum 6–17 – oak QUERC Quercus 6–17 – skunkbush sumac RHTR Rhus trilobata 6–17 – 16 10–30 Bigelow sage ARBI3 Artemisia bigelovii 6–29 – broom snakeweed GUSA2 Gutierrezia sarothrae 6–29 – winterfat KRLA2 Krascheninnikovia lanata 6–29 – Table 8. Community 1.2 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 9. Community 1.3 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Interpretations
Animal community
Habitat for Wildlife:
This ecological site provides habitats which support a resident animal community that is characterized by pronghorn antelope, coyote, black-tailed jackrabbit, Merriam’s kangaroo rat, white-throated woodrat, silky pocket mouse, sparrow hawk, Cassin’s kingbird, chipping sparrow, plateau whiptail, short-horned lizard and prairie rattlesnake. Where pinyon pine and juniper increase under conditions of site retrogression, mule deer, gray fox, pinyon mouse, and scrub jay utilize the site. Mourning dove and black-chinned sparrow use it to nest. The chestnut-collared longspur winters here and the common raven and prairie falcon hunt over this site.
Hydrological functions
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover
conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series----------------Hydrologic Group
Churipa----------------------------C
Lavodnas---------------------------C
Menefee----------------------------D
Persayo----------------------------D
Sandoval---------------------------D
Shadilto---------------------------D
Winona-----------------------------D
Recreational uses
This site offers fair to good potential for hiking, horseback riding, nature observation,
photography, camping, and picnicking. It offers good potential for pronghorn antelope hunting, and poor to fair opportunities for hunting mule deer.
A generally open landscape, dotted by shrubs and half-shrubs, provides natural beauty on this site.
Wood products
This site at its potential has little or no significant value for wood products.
Other products
Grazing:
This site is suitable for grazing by most kinds and classes of livestock in all seasons of the year, but is poorly suited for continuous yearlong use if the natural potential vegetation is to be maintained. Occasional spring or fall deferment is especially critical for continued production of such grasses as New Mexico feathergrass and needleandthread. Summer rest is important if the production of sideoats grama and blue grama is to be sustained. Heavy prolonged use on a continuous basis will most likely result in a rapid decrease in cool-season grasses and a more gradual but eventually just as certain decrease in sideoats grama, winterfat, little bluestem, spike muhly, and blue grama. Advanced site deterioration may be typified by an increase of such plants as broom snakeweed, ring muhly, and threeawn spp. The site is also subject to invasion by woody plants such as rabbitbrush.
Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity---------------Index Ac/AUM
100 - 76-------------------3.6 – 4.7
75 – 51-------------------4.5 – 6.7
50 – 26-------------------6.5 – 11.5
25 – 0--------------------11.5+
Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Catron County, NM Location 2: Socorro County, NM Other references
Data collection for this site was done in conjunction with the progressive soil surveys within the New Mexico and Arizona Plateaus and Mesas 36 Major Land Resource Area of New Mexico. This site has been mapped and correlated with soils in the following soil surveys: McKinley, Socorro, Cibola, Sandoval Catron.
1. Hennessy, J.T., R.P. Gibbens, J.M. Tromble, and M. Cardenas. 1983. Water properties of caliche. J. Range Manage. 36: 723-726.
2. McDaniel, K. C., L. A. Torell, and J.W. Bain. 1993. Overstory-understory relationships for broom snakeweed-blue grama grasslands. Journal of Range Management. 46: 506-511.
3. Stubbendieck, J., S. L.Hatch, and C. H. Butterfield, 1992. North American range plants. 4th ed. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. 493 p.Contributors
Christine Bishop
David Trujillo
Don Sylvester
John TunbergApproval
Kendra Moseley, 5/19/2025
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 04/28/2026 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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PrintThe Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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