State 1
Tall and Medium Grasses, Forbs

Community 1.1
Tall and Medium Grasses, Forbs

This is the interpretive plant community and is considered to be the Historic Climax Plant Community for this site. This plant community contains a high diversity of tall and medium height, cool season grasses (bluebunch wheatgrass, little bluestem, Idaho fescue, green/Columbia needlegrass, mountain brome) and short grasses (Cusick and Sandberg bluegrass, Parry danthonia, and prairie junegrass). There are abundant forbs (geraniums, mountain dandelion) which occur in smaller percentages.

This plant community is well adapted to the Northern Rocky Mountain Foothills climatic conditions. The diversity in plant species allows for drought tolerance. Individual species can vary greatly in production depending on growing conditions (i.e., timing and amount of precipitation, and temperature). It is well suited to managed livestock grazing and provides diverse habitat for many wildlife species.

Plants on this site have strong, healthy root systems that allow production to increase significantly with favorable moisture conditions. This plant community provides for soil stability and a properly functioning hydrologic cycle. Abundant plant litter is available for soil building and moisture retention. Plant litter is properly distributed with very little movement off-site and natural plant mortality is very low. The soils associated with this site provide a favorable soil-water-plant relationship.

State 2
Medium and Short Grasses, Sedge, and Increaser Forbs

Community 2.1
Medium and Short Grasses, Sedge, and Increaser Forbs

Early stages of degradation, including non-prescribed grazing, will tend to change the HCPC to a community dominated by medium and short grasses and sedges such as Idaho fescue, needleandthread (mainly 15 inches MAP or less), thickspike / western wheatgrass, threadleaf sedge, prairie junegrass Cusick and Sandberg bluegrass, and spike oatgrass. Most of the taller and more palatable plants (bluebunch wheatgrass, little bluestem, tall needlegrasses) will still be present but in smaller amounts. There may be an increase in the amount of some shrubs, such as shrubby cinquefoil. Palatable and nutritious forbs will be replaced by less desirable and more aggressive species such as lupine and stoneseed.

State 3
Medium and Short Grasses, Forbs, Non-Native Grasses

Community 3.1
Medium and Short Grasses, Forbs, Non-Native Grasses

Given the right circumstances and opportunity, non-native grasses such as Kentucky/Canada bluegrass or common timothy will become established on this ecological site. In this situation, slight degradation in the historical climax plant community results in a plant community similar to #2, except that it will also have these non native plants as minor components. If further degradation continues, these species will continue to increase and replace other, more desirable native species.

Biomass production and litter become slightly reduced on the site with Communities 2 and 3, as the taller grasses become replaced by shorter ones, especially the non-native grasses. Evapotranspiration tends to increase, moisture retention is reduced, and soil surface temperatures increase. Some natural ecological processes will be altered. These plant communities provide for moderate soil stability. Increased amounts of bare ground can result in undesirable species invading. Common invaders can include spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, dalmation toadflax, and sulphur cinquefoil.

These plant communities (2 & 3) will readily respond to improved grazing management, but a significant amount of time can be necessary to move them toward a higher successional stage and a more productive plant community similar to community 1.

The following plant communities are the result of long-term, heavy, continuous season long grazing and/or heavy, annual, early spring grazing. Repeated spring grazing depletes stored carbohydrates, resulting in weakening and eventual death of the cool season tall and medium grasses. They can occur throughout the pasture, on spot grazed areas, and near water sources where season-long grazing patterns occur.

It is critical at this point to consider implementing a change in grazing management to prevent further degradation to any of the following plant communities and minimize the increase of less desirable and non native species. Once any of the following communities become established, the potential to return to communities 1, 2, or 3 is reduced and often requires a significant amount of time along with economic inputs.

State 4
Idaho Fescue, Short Grasses, Sageworts, Forbs

Community 4.1
Idaho Fescue, Short Grasses, Sageworts, Forbs

With continued heavy disturbance on community 2, the site will become dominated by short increaser species such as Idaho fescue, thickspike or western wheatgrass, Parry danthonia, prairie junegrass, sedges, needleandthread (15 inches MAP or less), fringed and/or cudweed sagewort, and perennial forbs such as lupine, western yarrow, prairie smoke and ballhead sandwort. There may still be remnant amounts of some of the late-seral species such as bluebunch wheatgrass and green/Columbia needlegrass present. The taller grasses will occur only occasionally, often within horizontal juniper plants. Palatable forbs will be mostly absent. Shrubby cinquefoil can become a significant component, particularly in the higher moisture areas (> 17 inches precipitation) of this MLRA/RRU.

This plant community is the result of long-term, heavy, continuous grazing and/or annual, early spring seasonal grazing. Repeated spring grazing depletes stored carbohydrates, resulting in weakening and eventual death of the cool season tall and medium grasses. This plant community can occur throughout the pasture, on spot grazed areas, and around water sources where season-long grazing patterns occur.

This community will respond positively to improved grazing management, but significant economic inputs and a signinicant amount of time are usually required to move this plant community toward a higher successional stage and a more productive plant community.

State 5
Mid and Short Grasses, Sedges, Non-Native Grasses

Community 5.1
Mid and Short Grasses, Sedges, Non-Native Grasses

As heavy disturbance continues, plant community 3 deteriorates to one similar to community number 4, except that non-native bluegrasses (Kentucky/Canada) and/or common timothy become more abundant, often comprising up to about 25 percent of the composition.

These last 2 plant communities (4 & 5) are often less productive than Plant Communities 1, 2, or 3. The lack of litter and short plant heights result in higher soil temperatures, poor water infiltration rates, and higher evapotranspiration rates, thus eventually favoring species that are more adapted to drier conditions. These communities have lost many of the attributes of a healthy rangeland, including good infiltration, minimal erosion and runoff, nutrient cycling and energy flow.

Plant Communities 4 and 5 have a high percentage of aggressive, less-desirable species, including Kentucky or Canada bluegrass or timothy. Once these have become established, it is significantly more difficult using grazing management alone to restore the site to one that resembles the HCPC. It becomes critical at this point to implement a grazing strategy that will restore the stability and health of the site. Rest, usually for a number of years, can sometimes help with re-establishment of the desired species, depending on the amount of desirable species remaining. There are limitations to using seeding and/or mechanical treatment on this site due to the abundance of stones on these soils.

State 6
Weedy Forbs, Sageworts, Short Grasses, Creeping Juniper

Community 6.1
Weedy Forbs, Sageworts, Short Grasses, Creeping Juniper

If community 4 deteriorates further due to non-prescribed grazing or other disturbance, it becomes dominated by weedy forbs (pussytoes, cudweed sagewort, western yarrow, prairie smoke, field chickweed, northern bedstraw and ballhead sandwort), short grasses (Sandberg bluegrass, and prairie junegrass), and half shrubs such as fringed sagewort. There is often a remnant amount of some of the mid-seral grasses such as thickspike wheatgrass and Idaho fescue, usually widely spaced. Creeping juniper can become abundant in the northern part of this MLRU. Frequently, a remnant population of climax species such as bluebunch wheatgrass, tall needlegrasses, and little bluestem will occur within the creeping juniper.

State 7
Non-Native Grasses, Weedy Forbs, Clubmoss

Community 7.1
Non-Native Grasses, Weedy Forbs, Clubmoss

Further deterioration of community 5 due to non-prescribed grazing or other disturbance leads to a plant community dominated by Kentucky/Canada bluegrass and/or common timothy, often comprising up to 80 % of the community. Weedy forbs including field chickweed, cudweed sagewort, and pussytoes are abundant and typically comprise the rest of the plant composition. A thick cover of dense clubmoss often completes this community. Occasionally, in places receiving 17 inches or greater precipitation, some short lived native species such as mountain brome can become dominant after major disturbance from grazing or rodent (pocket gopher mainly) activity.

Plant communities 6 and 7 produce less usable forage for wildlife and livestock than the others described. The continuation of the downward trend and degradation of this site has resulted in higher soil surface temperatures, reduced water infiltration, and higher evapotranspiration. This has resulted in plant species that are more adapted to drier conditions. A thick canopy cover of creeping juniper often results in precipitation being intercepted, thus not reaching the soil. Most of the attributes of a healthy rangeland, including good infiltration, minimal erosion and runoff, nutrient cycling and energy flow, have been lost.

These communities can respond positively to improved grazing management. Significant economic inputs are needed, along with extended rest and prescribed grazing management, to restore them to a higher successional stage. However, because of the stoniness associated with this ecological site, practices such as mechanical treatment or seeding are generally not feasible nor recommended.