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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Classification relationships
Modal Soil: Leanto FSL, 2 to 6% — loamy, mixed, mesic Lithic Camborthids
Associated sites
R035XY306UT Upland Loam (Basin Big Sagebrush)
R035XY315UT Upland Shallow Loam (Pinyon-Utah Juniper) AWC <3
Similar sites
R035XY315UT Upland Shallow Loam (Pinyon-Utah Juniper) AWC <3
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub (1) Artemisia nova
Herbaceous (1) Poa sandbergii
Physiographic features
This site occurs on structural benches and cuestas.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Structural bench
(2) Cuesta
Elevation 5800 – 6800 ft Slope 2 – 6 % Climatic features
About 45 percent of the precipitation comes as snow from November through March. On the average May-June are the driest months and August-October are the wettest months. The soil temperatures are in the mesic regime. In average years, plants begin growth around March 10 and end growth around October 10.
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 0 days Freeze-free period (average) 130 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
The soil is 10 to 20 inches deep over sandstone and well drained. It formed in eolian deposits derived mainly from sandstone parent materials. The soil is a fine sandy loam throughout this soil profile. It is noncalcareous to moderately calcareous and mildly to moderately alkaline. The water supplying capacity is 2 to 3 inches. The average annual soil loss in potential is approximately 1 ton per acre.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Fine sandy loam
Soil depth 10 – 20 in Ecological dynamics
As ecological condition deteriorates due to grazing pressure, the grasses decrease while broom snakeweed, low rabbitbrush, Gambel oak, and pricklypear increase. When the potential natural plant community is burned, many grass species and low rabbitbrush increase while most other shrubs decrease.
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 StateThe dominant aspect of the plant community is black sagebrush and grass. The composition by air-dry weight is approximately 50 percent perennial grasses, 10 percent forbs and 40 percent shrubs.
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)Grass/Grasslike 238 363 488 Shrub/Vine 95 290 390 Forb 48 73 98 Total 381 726 976 Table 6. Ground cover
Tree foliar cover 0% Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover 30-30% Grass/grasslike foliar cover 40-40% Forb foliar cover 0-10% Non-vascular plants 0% Biological crusts 0% Litter 0% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 0% Surface fragments >3" 0% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 0% Table 7. Canopy structure (% cover)
Height Above Ground (ft) Tree Shrub/Vine Grass/
GrasslikeForb <0.5 – – – – >0.5 <= 1 – – – 4-6% >1 <= 2 – 29-31% 39-41% – >2 <= 4.5 – – – – >4.5 <= 13 – – – – >13 <= 40 – – – – >40 <= 80 – – – – >80 <= 120 – – – – >120 – – – – Additional community tables
Table 8. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Shrub/Vine0 Dominant Shrubs 197–301 black sagebrush ARNO4 Artemisia nova 113–150 – alderleaf mountain mahogany CEMO2 Cercocarpus montanus 38–75 – yellow rabbitbrush CHVI8 Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus 23–38 – mormon tea EPVI Ephedra viridis 23–38 – 3 Sub-Dominant Shrubs 87–222 Shrub (>.5m) 2SHRUB Shrub (>.5m) 23–38 – fourwing saltbush ATCA2 Atriplex canescens 8–23 – sulphur-flower buckwheat ERUM Eriogonum umbellatum 8–23 – broom snakeweed GUSA2 Gutierrezia sarothrae 8–23 – winterfat KRLA2 Krascheninnikovia lanata 8–23 – plains pricklypear OPPO Opuntia polyacantha 8–23 – rock goldenrod PEPU7 Petradoria pumila 8–23 – Mexican cliffrose PUME Purshia mexicana 8–23 – Gambel oak QUGA Quercus gambelii 8–23 – Spanish bayonet YUHA Yucca harrimaniae 8–23 – Grass/Grasslike0 Dominant Grasses 234–377 muttongrass POFE Poa fendleriana 75–113 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 75–113 – blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 38–75 – needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 23–38 – western wheatgrass PASM Pascopyrum smithii 23–38 – 1 Sub-Dominant Grasses 94–214 Grass, annual 2GA Grass, annual 23–38 – Grass, perennial 2GP Grass, perennial 23–38 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 8–23 – purple threeawn ARPU9 Aristida purpurea 8–23 – squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 8–23 – Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 8–23 – sand dropseed SPCR Sporobolus cryptandrus 8–23 – Forb0 Dominant Forbs 23–38 scarlet globemallow SPCO Sphaeralcea coccinea 23–38 – 2 Sub-Dominant Forbs 172–426 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 38–75 – Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 38–75 – woolly locoweed ASMO7 Astragalus mollissimus 8–23 – Fendler's sandmat CHFE3 Chamaesyce fendleri 8–23 – Brenda's yellow cryptantha CRFL5 Cryptantha flava 8–23 – cushion buckwheat EROV Eriogonum ovalifolium 8–23 – dwarf hesperochiron HEPU6 Hesperochiron pumilus 8–23 – flatspine stickseed LAOC3 Lappula occidentalis 8–23 – Utah desertparsley LOPA Lomatium parryi 8–23 – Utah penstemon PEUT Penstemon utahensis 8–23 – longleaf phlox PHLO2 Phlox longifolia 8–23 – tall tumblemustard SIAL2 Sisymbrium altissimum 8–23 – Pacific aster SYCHC Symphyotrichum chilense var. chilense 8–23 – stemless four-nerve daisy TEACA2 Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis 8–23 – Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides fair to good grazing for cattle, sheep, and horses during the spring, summer, and fall. This site is poor to very poor for openland habitat, fair to poor for woodland habitat, and fair to poor for rangeland habitat. This site is fair to poor habitat for deer, antelope, rabbits, cottontail, coyote, hawks, owls, songbirds, and small mammals.
Hydrological functions
The soil series is in hydrologic group d. The hydrologic curve number is 80 when the vegetation is in good condition
Recreational uses
This site has fair to good aesthetic appeal and natural beauty. It has a relatively large number of forbs and shrubs which bloom from early spring to fall. It has little value for screening because of relatively low growing vegetation. It has poor to fair values for camping and picnicking from a vegetative viewpoint. Hunting is fair for upland game birds and rabbits but poor for deer.
Wood products
None
Supporting information
Contributors
George Cook
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) Robert Stager (BLM), Randy Beckstrand (BLM), Dana Truman (NRCS), Paul Curtis (BLM), Shane A. Green (NRCS) Contact for lead author shane.green@ut.usda.gov Date 01/30/2007 Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
None to very few. Rills may be short, up to 5 feet in length. Rills are most likely to form below adjacent exposed bedrock or water flow patterns where sufficient water accumulates to cause erosion. Rills may increase immediately following episodic storm events, and they heal rapidly due to the coarse soil textures. -
Presence of water flow patterns:
None to few. Flow patterns wind around perennial plant bases and should show little to no evidence of erosion. They are short (less than 3 feet long) and stable, not connected. -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Plants should show little or no pedestalling. Terracettes should be absent or few. -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
20 – 30 %. Surface fragments cover 0-5%. Areas with well developed biological soil crusts should not be counted as bare ground. Poorly developed biological soil crusts that are interpreted as functioning as bare ground (therefore they would be susceptible to raindrop splash erosion) should be recorded as bare ground. Ground cover is based on first raindrop impact, and bare ground is the opposite of ground cover. Ground cover + Bare ground = 100%. -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None to few. Some gullies may be present in landscape settings where increased runoff may accumulate (such as areas below exposed bedrock). Such gully development is expected to be limited to slopes exceeding 20% and adjacent to sites where runoff accumulation occurs. Any gullies present should show little sign of accelerated erosion and should be stabilized with perennial vegetation. -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Minor evidence of wind generated soil movement, slight deposition at the base of shrubs. Wind caused blowouts and depositions are not present. -
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Most litter resides in place with some redistribution caused by water movement. Minor litter removal may occur in flow patterns and rills with deposition occurring at points of obstruction. The majority of litter accumulates at the base of plants. Some grass leaves and small twigs (grass stems) may accumulate in soil depressions adjacent to plants. Woody stems are not likely to move. -
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
This site should have a soil stability rating of 4 or 5 under the plant canopies, and a rating of 3 to 4 in the interspaces. The average should be a 4. Surface texture is fine sandy loam. Vegetation cover, litter, biological soil crusts and surface rock reduce erosion. -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Soil surface is typically 1 inch deep. Structure is typically single grain. Color is typically yellowish red (5YR5/6). There is little if any difference under canopy or in interspaces and a recognizable A horizon is expected to be present throughout. Use the specific information for the soil you are assessing found in the published soil survey to supplement this description. -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Distribution of vascular plants and/or biological soil crusts (where present) intercept raindrops reducing splash erosion. Plants and/or biological soil crusts are usually distributed in sufficient density to slow runoff allowing time for infiltration. When perennial grasses decrease, reducing ground cover and increasing bare ground, runoff can increase and infiltration would be reduced. -
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
None. There may be layers of calcium carbonate or other naturally occurring hard layers found in the soil subsurface. These should not be considered to be compaction layers. -
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:
Cool season perennial grasses > Non-sprouting shrubsSub-dominant:
Warm season perennial grasses = Sprouting shrubs > forbsOther:
Functional/structural groups may appropriately contain non-native species if their ecological function is the same as the native species in the reference state (e.g. Crested wheatgrass, Intermediate wheatgrass, etc.) Biological soil crust is variable in it’s expression where present on this site and is measured as a component of ground cover.Additional:
Disturbance regime includes drought, fire, and insects. Following a recent disturbance such as fire, drought, or insects that removes the woody vegetation, forbs and perennial grasses (herbaceous species) may dominate the community. These conditions could reflect a functional community phase within the reference state. Dominants — Nevada bluegrass, Black sagebrush, Muttongrass. Sub Dominants — Mormontea, Blue grama, Birchleaf mountainmahogany. Perennial and annual forbs can be expected to vary widely in their expression in the plant community based upon departures from average growing conditions. -
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
All age classes of perennial grasses should be present under average growing conditions with age class expression likely subdued during below average years, or on sites with high (usually greater than 65%) similarity index (late seral to historic climax). Reference state includes mix of plants of various ages with some plants being dead or showing characteristics of decadence. -
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):
700-750 -
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:
Cheatgrass and introduced annual forbs are most likely to invade this site. -
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
All perennial plants should have the ability to reproduce sexually or asexually in most years, except in drought years.
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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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