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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site is on level to gently rolling deepsand, and wide valleys. In Colorado it is usually on slopes less than 6 percent. This site occurs on all exposures. Elevation ranges from 5000 to 6000 feet (1524 to 1829 meters). Commonly this site is located on wind blown deposits from the surrounding sandstone areas.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Valley
Elevation 5000 – 6000 ft Slope 0 – 6 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
a. The climate is arid, with wide yearly and seasonal variations in moisture patterns. There are occasionally gully washers. The annual precipitation is 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters), of which about 40 percent falls during November through March.
b. Major native plants make their main growth from late summer rains. The mean annual temperature is about 52 degrees F (11 degrees C), averaging about 34 degrees F (1 degree C) for the winter, and 59 degrees F (15 degrees C) through the growing season, March through October. Summer temperatures occassionally reach 100 degrees F (38 degrees C) or more. April and May are usually windy. The average annual moisture deficit is high-- more than 51 inches (127 cm).Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 0 days Freeze-free period (average) 0 days Precipitation total (average) 10 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
None
Soil features
The soils in this site are deep and excessively drained on dunes, fans and terraces. Typically, the soils are light brown to brown fine sand or loamy fine sand to a depth of 60 inches. They formed in calcareous sandy material derived from eolian material and locally reworked alluvium. Reaction is neutral to moderately alkaline. Permeability is rapid and available water capacity is low. Effective rooting depth is 60 inches or more. Rock fragments commonly are less than 5 percent but ranges from 0 to 15 percent. Surface runoff is slow, and the hazard of water erosion is slight.
Major soils associated with this site are:
Sheppard fine sand 1-6% slopesEcological dynamics
The plant community is about 60-70 percent grasses, 5-15 percent forbs, and 25-35 percent shrubs, air-dry weight. Sand dropseed and four-wing saltbush dominate the plant species making up 30 to 40 percent of the total annual production on this site. Alkali sacaton, Indian ricegrass, and galleta are subdominant grass species. Rubber rabbitbrush, sand sagebrush, and numerous other shrubs and forbs enhance this site, and add a variety to the diet for grazing animals and wildlife species.
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 textState 1
HCPCThe plant community is about 60-70 percent grasses, 5-15 percent forbs, and 25-35 percent shrubs, air-dry weight. Sand dropseed and four-wing saltbush dominate the plant species making up 30 to 40 percent of the total annual production on this site. Alkali sacaton, Indian ricegrass, and galleta are subdominant grass species. Rubber rabbitbrush, sand sagebrush, and numerous other shrubs and forbs enhance this site, and add a variety to the diet for grazing animals and wildlife species.
Community 1.1
HCPCIf ecological retrogression is cattle-induced, the desirable grasses will decrease. However, if retrogression is sheep-induced, desirable forbs, shrubs and grasses may be reduced. Deterioration of the site will decrease alkali sacaton, sand dropseed, Indian ricegrass, galleta. Deterioration of the site will increase three-awn, broom snakeweed, prickly pear cactus, pale wolfberry and rubber rabbitbrush. Plant species likely to invade this site and become part of the plant community when the range is in a deteriorated condition are: cheatgrass, six-week fescue, Russian thistle, and other plants ecologically undesirable to the site.
Vegetation is approximately 10 to 15 percent.
Vegetation density = basal area. This is the area of ground surface covered by the perennial stem or stems. Usually, this is measured 1 inch (2.54 cm)above the soil in contact with the full spread of perennial foliage.
Annual Production:
If the range site is in excellent condition, the approximate annual production (air-dry) ranges are:
Favorable years 700 lbs/ac 787 kg/ha
Normal years 500 lbs/ac 562 kg/ha
Unfavorable years 350 lbs/ac 393 kg/ha
Of this production, 15 to 20 percent will likely be unpalatable to grazing animals.Figure 3. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Additional community tables
Table 4. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Grasses 228–455 sand dropseed SPCR Sporobolus cryptandrus 34–91 – alkali sacaton SPAI Sporobolus airoides 23–68 – Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 23–68 – spike dropseed SPCO4 Sporobolus contractus 11–46 – needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 11–46 – New Mexico feathergrass HENE5 Hesperostipa neomexicana 11–46 – purple threeawn ARPU9 Aristida purpurea 0–14 – Fendler's threeawn ARPUF Aristida purpurea var. fendleriana 0–14 – blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 0–14 – thickspike wheatgrass ELLA3 Elymus lanceolatus 0–14 – Forb2 Forbs 35–70 Fendler's sandmat CHFE3 Chamaesyce fendleri 0–2 – common sunflower HEAN3 Helianthus annuus 0–2 – dwarfflower heartleaf HENA3 Hexastylis naniflora 0–2 – hairy false goldenaster HEVI4 Heterotheca villosa 0–2 – white heath aster SYER Symphyotrichum ericoides 0–2 – tufted evening primrose OECA10 Oenothera caespitosa 0–1 – Shrub/Vine3 Shrubs 105–210 fourwing saltbush ATCA2 Atriplex canescens 16–42 – sand sagebrush ARFI2 Artemisia filifolia 0–11 – rubber rabbitbrush ERNA10 Ericameria nauseosa 0–11 – holywood GUSA Guaiacum sanctum 0–11 – broom snakeweed GUSA2 Gutierrezia sarothrae 0–11 – pale desert-thorn LYPA Lycium pallidum 0–6 – plains pricklypear OPPO Opuntia polyacantha 0–6 – basin big sagebrush ARTRT Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata 0–4 – Greene's rabbitbrush CHGR6 Chrysothamnus greenei 0–4 – Interpretations
Animal community
Grazing:
This site produces excellent spring and early summer forage for sheep, cattle and horses.
The animal forage preference will change as the spring season progresses into summer, fall and winter. Indian ricegrass and thickspike wheatgrass are most desirable in the early and late spring. Alkali sacaton, galleta and sand dropseed are most desirable in the late spring and summer. New Mexico feathergrass and needle-and-thread are most desirable in the spring and fall. Vegetative palatability will influence proper use considerations. The season, kind of grazing animal, past grazing use, and associated plant species will directly influence the variation in animal preference for forages under various range conditions.
Wildlife:
This site has a low potential for wildlife habitat because of the poor water facilities available. This site provides habitat part of the year for jack rabbits, non-game birds, small mammals, and reptiles.Supporting information
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 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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