Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Loamy Bottom (basin wildrye)
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
-
Transition T1a
Improper grazing and drought
More details -
Transition T2a
Long-term improper grazing and prolonged drought; lengthened fire return interval
More details -
Transition T2b
Sustained, long-term improper grazing and prolonged drought; shortened fire frequency
More details -
Restoration pathway R3a
mechanical or chemical brush treatments
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Submodel
Description
Plant communities in this state can include native, acclimatized, naturalized and invasive non-native species. This state is irreversibly changed from the Reference State because these non-native species will now remain a permanent part of the community.
Submodel
Submodel
Submodel
Submodel
Description
This state occurs when the Loamy Bottom ecological site is altered and permanently replaced with agricultural crops such as alfalfa and grain. This State is identified here to recognize that a very large portion of this ecological site has been converted to a cropland land use.
Submodel
Mechanism
Improper grazing (i.e. season long, overstocking, wrong season, etc.) and drought remove fine fuels from the site lessening the potential for fire to occur. This allows both sprouting and non-sprouting shrubs such as basin big sagebrush, rubber rabbitbrush and black greasewood to increase in the community. Shrubs may become decadent due to age. Great basin wildrye and other native bunchgrasses lose vigor and decrease in the community due to shrub competition and grazing pressure; western wheatgrass may increase. Utah juniper seedlings and saplings may begin to invade the community if a seed source is available. The threshold is crossed when there is an introduction of non-native species, primarily cheatgrass and various annual mustards, that become established on the site. Prior to crossing the threshold, if this site is properly grazed over an extended period of time native perennial vegetation may recover. Fire frequency can return to within the normal range for the site. These events could set the site back into the normal range of variability.
Transition T2a
Long-term improper grazing and prolonged drought; lengthened fire return interval
Mechanism
Long-term improper grazing (including, season long, overstocking, wrong season, etc.); and prolonged drought; lengthened fire return interval resulting in a dense non-sprouting tree and shrub overstory, reduction of native perennial understory vegetation and increasing invading annuals. Utah junipers may increase to occupy a significant portion of the overstory, if a seed source is present. Basin big sagebrush dominates the shrub layer and may be decadent due to age. Rubber rabbitbrush and Greasewood may also be present. Great basin wildrye and other native bunchgrasses are significantly reduced due to increased shrub competition and heavy grazing pressure; Western wheatgrass may increase. The threshold is crossed when invasive annuals including cheatgrass, annual mustards, redstem storksbill, etc. dominate the understory. The occurrence of fire extends well beyond the normal period for the site.
Transition T2b
Sustained, long-term improper grazing and prolonged drought; shortened fire frequency
Mechanism
Disturbance: Sustained, long-term improper grazing (including, season long, overstocking, wrong season, etc.) and prolonged drought; shortened fire frequency allows site to be dominated by sprouting shrubs including Yellow rabbitbrush, Black greasewood and Smooth horsebrush; significant reduction of perennial bunchgrass species. There is an invasion of annual grasses and weedy forb species primarily cheatgrass and various annual mustards.
Model keys
Briefcase
Add { ecological sites } and { Major Land Resource Areas } to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase
(
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The 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.
Accessibility statement