State 1
Reference

Mature timber stand of timber with an under story of shrubs and herbaceous species. As the stand matures, the canopy closes and the under story decreases in composition. There is a successional process that this community proceeds through. however, in this state, the two most dominant stages will be captured.

Characteristics and indicators. This state is prominently mature stands of Douglas-fir and limber pine. The under story is a mixture of bunchgrass species, shrubs and a variety of forb species.

Resilience management. Fire plays a role in the health and successional pattern of this state. Fire can also play a part in the transition to other states in this ecological site. Frequency, intensity, and site conditions at the time of the burn will determine the direction this site will move.

Community 1.1
PSME/PIFL2 Dominant

Figure 8. PSME/PIFL2 timber stand with a healthy understory

Community Phase 1.1 is the mature timber stand of Douglas-fir and limber pine. The under story is still a component of this community and is comprised of currant, mountain big sagebrush in open pockets, and in some locations bitterbrush. Forbs common in this area are arrowleaf balsamroot, milkvetch, and asters. Bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, king spike fescue and in some areas rough fescue are a major component of the under story.

Resilience management. Under story management by low intensity/low burning fires or by other tools is key to maintaining the under story health. Canopy management with selective harvest, stand thinning, and natural selection will help maintain timber stand health. If left unmanaged, fires controlled, this stand will persist until age or disease/insects thin the stand out.

Community 1.2
PIFL2 Dominant

Figure 9. Limber pine community on the Upland Warm Woodland ecological site.

With stand management or natural seral movement of this state, limber pine will be the dominant species within a community with only a small scattering of Douglas-fir, and sometimes juniper will be present in the community. Grasses, shrubs and forbs can be significant in this community.

Resilience management. This community is resilient in that it can persist following low intensity fires. However, without management, over time this community will natural transition to an old growth stand. Conditions and tree composition will determine what direction this community will go.

Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2

PSME/PIFL2 Dominant

PIFL2 Dominant

Low intensity under story fire will help to reduce fuel loads, keep canopy and tree density more open, and keep a healthy stand of trees. These fires tend to thin the Douglas-fir, with limber pine maintaining or recovering in the community first.

Context dependence.Frequency and intensity of these under story fires may shift this past the stand rejuvenation stage and

Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1

PIFL2 Dominant

PSME/PIFL2 Dominant

With lack of fire and with the extended recovery times, Douglas-fir will increase when seed/nursery stock sources are available. Rest from grazing pressure may be needed to allow under story species to recover as well; however, in some instances the hoof action and dispersal action may be a helpful tool in the process.

State 2
Degraded Overstory

The stand has matured, maintaining only a dense stand of Douglas-fir as the dominant species and can be the only species in the community. The soil surface has a significant duff layer or moss layer that has developed over time, reducing the native grasses and forbs in the area and leaves the site prone to evasion.

Characteristics and indicators. The charactorisitic is dog hair stands of Douglas-fir with only a small portion of native bunchgrasses, generally bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue and king spike fescue. The site is susceptable to cheatgrass and invasive forb.

Resilience management. Fire, disease/insects, or blow down are common events within these aging stands of timber. These stands are resilient and resistant to change until a significant impact to the stand occurs. When disturbances impact these communities, it is generally catastrophic locally (significant wildfire, tornado or microburts, disease/insect outbreak).

Community 2.1
Dog-hair Stand PSME

Figure 10. Dog Hair stands of Douglas-fir dominant this site.

This community phase is characterized by the dense monoculture (or near so) stands of Douglas-fir. These stands tend to have very little under story vegetation, and are difficult to move through due to litter, loose soils, and generally downed timber in the under story.

Resilience management. Maintenance of these stand to prevent catastrophic fires or other major natural disturbances and to maintain stand health is a needed management tool. Selective thinning, small path fires, and other fuels management tools can be used to protect this community.

State 3
Degraded Understory

This community has shifted in over story to a limber pine community, with a degraded under story that is susceptible to invasive species.

Characteristics and indicators. This community is primarily herbaceous species of declining quality including sandberg bluegrass, prairie junegrass, and a few forbs, and then the remaining community is comprised of invasive or weedy species. There are a few shrubs in the community and limber pine is the main over story species. The major species of concern are thistles, cheatgrass, and a variety of local species varying by location.

Resilience management. The difficulty to manage weedy species due their aggressive growth patterns, ability to spread easily, and competitive nature with natives, make this site difficult to change with general management.

Community 3.1
PIFL2/Invaded

Figure 11. Limber pine is dying in this community leaving Rocky mountain juniper, bluegrasses and cheatgrass the dominant species.

The limber pine canopy is dominant on the site, but is generally threatened by Rocky mountain juniper in many areas. While there is competition in the over story, the under story is degraded to low-stature grasses such as sandberg bluegrass and prairie junegrass. The other challenge in this community is the threat of invasive species. Cheatgrass and thistles are the major threats with various others across the extent of this ecological site.

Resilience management. Management of the invader species, including the control of Rocky mountain juniper is the major management needed to maintain this community and to prevent further degradation.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Fire suppression has led to aging, dense stands of timber across much of the forested lands. In this community, the lack of fire has led to the existence of dog-haired, maturing stands of Douglas-fir. With shading from maturing Douglas-fir, and minus the propagating fires for limber pine, limber pine is pushed out leaving a Douglas-fir community.

Constraints to recovery.Slope, location, and surrounding sites are the limits to recovery. Lack of viable seed or nursery stock or the presence of invasive species such as cheatgrass are also vulnerabilities or threats to the recovery of this community.

Context dependence.Pre-existing community composition is key. Fire suppression in a high juniper area may lead this community to a juniper dominated condition.

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

Within the Limber Pine dominated community, understory burns or other disturbances can impact the vegetative cover leaving the community vulnerable to invasive species. Heavy grazing pressure, insects, drought and other disturbances can both impact the community making it susceptible as well as introduce the undesirable species.

Constraints to recovery.The ability to control some invasive species limits the ability to recover a community. Access to do integrated pest management or weed control as well as limitations in reseeding the community can make it difficult as well.

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

The use of prescribed fire or selective harvest to thin the timber stand and allow succession of other woody species in the canopy helps to improve this site. Litter or under story management will help to encourage more under story growth on the site. Proper grazing management will help prevent community degradation and will aid in the site recovery following treatments.