Ecological site R044AP804MT

R044AP803MT	Saline-Sodic Grassland Group This associated ecological site resides in areas with slightly drier or rockier soils than the ecological site.

R044AP803MT	Saline-Sodic Grassland Group This ecological site is similar in its saline and/or sodic soil conditions to this ecological site.

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	(1) Sarcobatus vermiculatus (2) Atriplex gardneri
Herbaceous	(1) Leymus cinereus (2) Distichlis spicata

Landforms	(1) Valley > Lake plain (2) Valley > Stream terrace (3) Valley > Alluvial fan
Elevation	2500 – 3000 ft
Slope	2 – 15 %
Water table depth	60 – 0 in
Aspect	W, NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	70-100 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	110-140 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	10-30 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	30-120 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	80-140 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	10-30 in
Frost-free period (average)	80 days
Freeze-free period (average)	120 days
Precipitation total (average)	20 in

Parent material	(1) Alluvium (2) Lacustrine deposits
Surface texture	(1) Silty clay loam (2) Silt loam
Drainage class	Well drained
Soil depth	20 – 60 in
Surface fragment cover >3"	0 – 15 %
Electrical conductivity (Depth not specified)	Not specified
Sodium adsorption ratio (Depth not specified)	Not specified

Drainage class	Not specified
Soil depth	0 in
Surface fragment cover >3"	0 %
Electrical conductivity (Depth not specified)	7 – 0 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio (Depth not specified)	12 – 0

Ecological dynamics

1.1 Western wheatgrass, thickspike wheatgrass, needle and thread, Basin wildrye dominant plants. Inland saltgrass and blue grama present as subordinate plants. Forbs are very low cover. Black greasewood dominant with Big sagebrush, Gardner’s saltbush, yellow rabbitbrush less dominant shrubs. Saltbush and winterfat present. Bare ground is typically naturally high.
1.1a Fire disturbance
1.2a Recovery from fire disturbance with time
1.2 Grasses recover from quick moving and low severity fire more quickly than shrubs and there may be a flush of forbs initially. Black greasewood recovers faster than big sagebrush and maybe more dominant early in recovery. A slow moving and/or more severe fire will cause a longer recovery time.
1.1b Extended drought, improper grazing, climate change
1.3 Western wheatgrass and Alakali sacaton remain dominant, Mid-statured decreaser bunchgrasses will be rare. Saltgrass and other shortgrasses increasing. Large shrub production remains similar to 1.1 however subshrubs like broom snakeweed and fringed sagewort increase. Bare ground remains high
1.3a Proper grazing management, favorable growing conditions, time

2.1 Shortgrass dominated (Saltgrass, Alkali (Sandberg) bluegrass). Forbs remain a small component of community. Saltbush takes on a prostrate growing form. Large gaps between sagebrush and greasewood bases. Possible salt crusting on soil surface. Waterflow patterns and pedestalling frequent.

T1A poor grazing, drought with improper grazing, multiple spring grazing events,
R1A proper grazing management, favorable growing conditions, time, tree/shrub establishment

3.1 Subshrubs and shortgrasses share dominance. Forbs particularly Chenopods (namely sumpweed) common, Cheatgrass invades. Cactus common. Big sagebrush and Black greasewood are less dominant large shrub component.

T1B Introduction of invasive plants, multiple/frequent overgrazing events, drought
T2A Overgrazing, introduction of weeds, drought, heavy human disturbance, conversion to introduced species
R2A Fire, range seeding, timely moisture, proper grazing management, IPM
R3A IPM, range seeding, timely moisture, grazing management, brush management, range seeding, tree/shrub establishment

State and transition model

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Additional community tables

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	06/19/2026
Approved by
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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:
Perennial plant reproductive capability:

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Ecological site R044AP804MT

Saline-Sodic Shrubland Group

Last updated: 9/07/2023 Accessed: 06/19/2026

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Table 1. Dominant plant species

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Conservation Service

Last updated: 9/07/2023
Accessed: 06/19/2026