Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Interdunal Lowland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Long-term (> 10 years) heavy grazing, or haying with inadequate growing season recovery periods.
More details -
Transition T1B
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
More details -
Transition T1C
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Transition T2A
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
More details -
Transition T2B
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Transition T3A
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R4A
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R4B
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R4C
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Reference State (1) describes the range of vegetative communities that occur on the Interdunal Lowland ecological site where the range of natural variability under historic conditions and disturbance regimes is mostly intact. The Reference State developed under the combined influences of climatic conditions, periodic fire activity, grazing by large herbivores, and impacts from small mammals and insects. High perennial grass cover and production allows for increased soil moisture retention, vegetative production and overall soil quality.
The Reference State includes three plant community phases which are the Reference Community (1.1), the At-Risk Community (1.2), and the Excessive Litter Community (1.3). The Reference Community serves as a description of the native plant community that naturally occurs on the site when the natural disturbance regimes are intact or closely mimicked by management practices. The At-Risk Community results from management decisions that are unfavorable for a healthy Reference Community. The Excessive Litter Community occurs when herbivory and fire are eliminated from the landscape.
Dominant plant species
sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii), grass
prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa longifolia), grass
switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), grass
needle and thread (Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata), grass
little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), grass
Submodel
Description
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) has been degraded from the Reference State (1) and much of the native, warm-season, tall- and midgrass components have been replaced by native, warm-season shortgrasses and non-native, cool-season grasses. The loss of warm-season, tall- and midgrasses has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. Water infiltration is reduced due to the shallow root system and rapid runoff characteristics of the shortgrass dominated communities. The Native/Invaded Grass State includes the Shortgrass Sod Community (2.1).
Dominant plant species
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), grass
blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), grass
needle and thread (Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata), grass
Submodel
Description
The threshold to the Sodbusted State (3) is crossed as a result of mechanical disturbance to facilitate production agriculture. If farming operations are suspended, the site can seeded to native grasses and forms resulting in the Reseeded Native Grass Community (3.1), be seeded to a tame pasture forage mixture resulting in the Seeded Pasture Community (3.2), or be abandoned with no seeding which will result in the Natural Reclamation Community (3.3). Permanent alterations of the soil, plant community, and hydrologic cycle make restoration to the Reference State (1) extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Dominant plant species
sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii), grass
prairie sandreed (Calamovilfa longifolia), grass
smooth brome (Bromus inermis), grass
crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), grass
orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), grass
timothy (Phleum pratense), grass
tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), grass
Submodel
Description
The Invaded Woody State (4) is the result of woody encroachment. Once the tree canopy cover reaches 15 percent with an average tree height exceeding five feet, the threshold is crossed. Woody species are encroaching due to lack of prescribed fire and other brush management practices. Typical ecological impacts are a loss of native grasses, degraded forage productivity, and reduced soil quality.
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest and brush management will move this state toward a grass dominated state. If the Invaded Woody State transitioned from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sodbusted State (3), the land cannot transition to the Reference State (1) as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function had been too severely impacted prior to the woody encroachment to allow restoration to the Reference State. This Woody Invaded State includes one community, the Invaded Woody Community (4.1)
Dominant plant species
eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), tree
Submodel
Transition T1A
Long-term (> 10 years) heavy grazing, or haying with inadequate growing season recovery periods.
Mechanism
Heavy, season-long, long-term (more than ten years) grazing or heavy rotational grazing with inadequate recovery periods will cause the Reference State (1) to lose a significant proportion of warm-season, tall-and midgrass species and cross a threshold to the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). This transition will also occur with repetitive haying with inadequate recovery periods. Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root-matting presence of sod-forming grasses. With the decline and loss of deeper-penetrating root systems, soil structure and biological integrity are catastrophically degraded to the point that recovery is unlikely. Once this occurs, it is highly unlikely that grazing management alone will return the community to the Reference State.
Mechanism
The Reference State (1) is significantly altered by tillage to facilitate production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil, and the hydrology of the system make restoration to a true reference state unlikely.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and the encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Reference State (1) to shift to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Mechanism
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) is significantly altered by tillage to facilitate production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil and the hydrology of the system make restoration unlikely.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and the encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) to shift to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and the encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Sodbusted State (3) to shift to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Restoration pathway R4A
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Reference State (1). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment. Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sodbusted State (3), cannot transition to the Reference State through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Restoration pathway R4B
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment. Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State or the Sodbusted State (3), cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Restoration pathway R4C
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, and brush management.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Sodbusted State (3). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment. Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sodbusted State (3), cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Model keys
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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.
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