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Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
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Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
Classification relationships
Characteristic Soils Are:
La Brier Swastika
VermejoTable 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site is on gently sloping to moderately steep canyon walls, hillsides and mesa tops at elevations of 5,500 to 7,500 feet above sea level. The landscape is typically a complex of small pockets of soil and sandstone outcrop in the form of ledges and escarpments.
Slopes are usually 5 to 15 percent but may range 0 to 25 percent with inclusions of short, steeper slopes.Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Mesa
(2) Headwall
Elevation 5500 – 7500 ft Slope 5 – 15 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate of this area is classified as “semi-arid continental”.
Precipitation averages 14 to 16 inches. Seventy seven percent of the year’s moisture normally falls during the period of May through October. Practically all of it is brought by brief afternoon and evening thunderstorms. In July and August, normally the wettest months of the year, one can expect about on day in five when rainfall exceeds one-tenth inch. Early spring precipitation in May benefits the cool-season plants. Winter precipitation, supplying 24 percent of the year’s moisture, normally has no more than two days a month with as much as one-tenth inch of moisture. Much of the winter precipitation falls as snow.
Air temperatures vary from a monthly mean of 20 degrees F in January to 69 degrees F in July. Daily high temperatures average in the 80’s and low 90’s during the summer. Winter low temperatures fall below the freezing mark much of the time from November through March with minimum temperatures approaching 25 degrees F below zero. Dates of the last killing frost may vary from May 9th through May 17th, and the first killing frost from September 27th to October 8th. The frost-free season ranges from 141 days to 153 days from early May to early October.
Wind velocities for the area average 10 to 12 miles per hour and prevail from the south and southwest. Generally, March is the windiest month. Strong winds during the spring cause rapid drying of the soil surface.
Nearby mountains to the west intercept much of the precipitation from the Pacific storms coming through this area during the winter. About 70 percent of the 14 to 16 inches of annual precipitation falls in the form of rainfall during the frost-free season. About 40 percent of the annual precipitation benefits cool-season plants, 50 percent benefits warm-season plants, and 10 percent falls during the season of plant dormancy. Relative humidity is moderately low. The sun shines approximately 75 percent of the time.
Climate data was obtained from http://www.wrcc.sage.dri.edu/summary/climsmnm.html web site using 50% probability for freeze-free and frost-free seasons using 28.5 degrees F and 32.5 degrees F respectively.Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 150 days Freeze-free period (average) 170 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 2. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
This site is not influenced by water from a wetland or stream.
Soil features
The soils in this site are deep. They are moderately well drained to well drained and have medium to slow runoff. The surface textures range from silty clay loam and saline silty clay loam. The substratum is clay loam and clay. These soils have slow to very slow permeability.
The available water-holding capacity is high. The hazard of soil erosion is moderate to high and hazard of soil blowing is moderate. These soils are affected by salt. Where adequate plant residue is lacking, the soils of this site usually develop a dispersed surface condition, which decreases their low infiltration rate.
Characteristic Soils Are:
La Brier Swastika
Vermejo
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Silty clay loam
(2) Silty clay loam
Family particle size (1) Clayey
Drainage class Moderately well drained to well drained Permeability class Very slow to slow Soil depth 60 – 72 in Surface fragment cover <=3" Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)3 – 6 in Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)Not specified Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)6.6 – 8.4 Ecological dynamics
State and transition model
More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective textEcosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Historic Climax Plant CommunityCommunity 1.1
Historic Climax Plant CommunityThe site is a grassland characterized by warm-season mid-grasses with an occasional shrub.
Shrubs and half-shrubs are sparsely scattered throughout the site. Cool-season species make up a minor component of the plant community. Vegetation that is tolerant to saline or alkaline factors dominates this site.
Other grasses that could appear on this site include: bottlebrush squirreltail, plains bristlegrass,
nuttail alkaligrass, threeawn spp., dropseed spp., windmill grass, silver bluestem, creeping muhly and sedges.
Other shrubs include: rabbitbrush, greasewood and fringed sagewort.
Figure 4. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 5. Annual production by plant type
Plant type Low
(lb/acre)Representative value
(lb/acre)High
(lb/acre)Grass/Grasslike 415 789 1162 Shrub/Vine 40 76 112 Forb 20 38 56 Total 475 903 1330 Table 6. Ground cover
Tree foliar cover 0% Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover 0-10% Grass/grasslike foliar cover 30-40% Forb foliar cover 0-10% Non-vascular plants 0% Biological crusts 0% Litter 10-20% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 0% Surface fragments >3" 0% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 30-40% Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM4719 , R077BY019NM Salt Flats Reference State. R077BY019NM Salt Flats Reference State.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec J F M A M J J A S O N D 0 2 3 4 6 10 25 30 15 5 0 0 Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Alkali Sacaton 190–238 alkali sacaton SPAI Sporobolus airoides 190–238 – 2 Western wheatgrass 95–143 western wheatgrass PASM Pascopyrum smithii 95–143 – 3 Blue Grama 95–143 blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 95–143 – 4 Inland saltgrass 48–95 saltgrass DISP Distichlis spicata 48–95 – 5 Vine-mesquite 48–95 vine mesquite PAOB Panicum obtusum 48–95 – 6 Alkali and Mat Muhly 29–48 scratchgrass MUAS Muhlenbergia asperifolia 29–48 – mat muhly MURI Muhlenbergia richardsonis 29–48 – 7 Galleta grass 29–48 James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 29–48 – 8 Switchgrass 29–48 switchgrass PAVI2 Panicum virgatum 29–48 – 9 Other grasses 29–48 Graminoid (grass or grass-like) 2GRAM Graminoid (grass or grass-like) 29–48 – Forb10 wild buckwheat 29–48 buckwheat ERIOG Eriogonum 29–48 – 11 Globemallow spp. 29–48 globemallow SPHAE Sphaeralcea 29–48 – 12 Annual and Perennial forbs 29–48 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 29–48 – Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 29–48 – Shrub/Vine13 Fourwing saltbush 48–95 fourwing saltbush ATCA2 Atriplex canescens 48–95 – Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 21–51 – 14 Winterfat 29–48 winterfat KRLA2 Krascheninnikovia lanata 29–48 – 15 Other shrubs 29–48 oak QUERC Quercus 21–51 – Shrub, deciduous 2SD Shrub, deciduous 29–48 – Interpretations
Animal community
Habitat for Wildlife:
This site provides habitats, which support a resident animal community that is characterized by coyote, desert cottontail, meadow mole, sparrow hawk, mourning dove, bull snake and great plains skunk.
There maybe seasonal use by pronghorn antelope.Hydrological functions
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover
conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series---- Hydrologic Group
La Brier------- C
Swastika------- C
Vermejo-------- CRecreational uses
This site has fair aesthetic appeal due to open spaces dotted with the occasional shrubs. The site has limited recreation potential. Suitability for camping, hiking and picnicking is fairly limited by lack of live water and the lack of shade. Hunting for antelope, rabbit and upland game birds is fair.
Wood products
This site has no significant value for wood products.
Other products
Grazing:
This site is suitable for late winter, spring, and early summer grazing. Forage can best be utilized by grazing cattle or horses due to the coarseness of the forage produced by alkali sacaton. Maximum available forage production from this site can be achieved by mowing in late winter and stocking with cows during the summer, and alternately resting the pasture the following year. Approximately 80 percent of the total annual yield is from species that furnish forage for livestock. Continuous grazing during the spring and summer will cause the more desirable
forage plants such as alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, blue grama, vine-mesquite and
fourwing saltbush to decrease. The species most likely to invade this site are ring muhly, broom snakeweed, astragulas species, cholla cactus and plains pricklypear cactus. Species most likely to increase from smaller amounts are inland saltgrass, alkali muhly, mat muhly and rabbitbrush. As the ecological conditions deteriorate, it is accompanied by a sharp increase of inland saltgrass.
Inland saltgrass may eventually dominate the site and there is a reduction of the plant cover. A system of deferred grazing, which varies the time of grazing and rest in a pasture during successive years, is needed to maintain or improve the plant community. Spring rest will allow alkali sacaton sufficient time to green up and will benefit the cool-season grasses such as western
wheatgrass. Occasional summer deferment is needed to maintain the alkali sacaton especially where cattle are concentrated for periods of time during the growing season.Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index----- Ac/AUM
100 - 76------------- 2.5 – 3.5
75 – 51-------------- 3.3 – 4.4
50 – 26---------------4.3 – 8.0
25 – 0--------------- 8.0+Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Colfax County, NM Location 2: Mora County, NM Location 3: San Miguel County, NM Location 4: San Miguel County, NM Other references
Data collection for this site was done in conjunction with the progressive soil surveys within the
Pecos-Canadian Plains and Valleys 70 Major Land Resource Area of New Mexico. This site has
been mapped and correlated with soils in the following soil surveys: Colfax, Mora, San Miguel,
Union.Contributors
Don Sylvester
Elizabeth Wright
John TunbergRangeland 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 Approved by Approval date Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on Annual Production Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
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Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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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:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
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Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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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:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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PrintThe 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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