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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:
Berthoud Carnero
Texline
Other Soils included are:
Campus, Dean, Dioxice, Dumas, Gruver Kim, TapiaTable 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs on level to gently undulating plains of the High Plains. Elevations range from 4,300 to 5,100 feet above sea level. Slopes range from 0 to 9 percent.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Plain
Elevation 4300 – 5100 ft Slope 0 – 9 % Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The climate of this area can be classified as “semi-arid continental”.
Precipitation averages from about 15 to 16 inches annually with approximately 75 percent of this yearly moisture falling during the period of May through October. Most summer rainfall is associated with usually brief afternoon and evening thundershowers, which occasionally produce heavy rain over a small area, and sometimes bring a little hail. Winters are generally dry, with only one or two days a month when as much as one-tenth inch of moisture falls. However, winter average 20 inches of snow, although most snowfalls are light with an occasional storm producing up to six inches. Following these storms, snow may lie on the ground for several days and occasionally moderate to strong winds accompanying these storms result in blizzard conditions and heavy drifting. Although the precipitation patterns favor the production of warm-season plants, sufficient moisture is received in the late winter and the spring to support cool-season plants. Approximately 25 percent of the annual precipitation is received during April and May. May is generally the wettest month followed by July and then August.
Temperatures show the seasonal changes and large annual and diurnal ranges characteristic of such a climate. Summers are generally mild. The high daily temperature reading exceed 90 degrees F about one-third of the time, and readings of 100 degrees F occur about once a year. Rapid cooling after sundown results in minimum temperatures below 60 degrees F on most nights, even in midsummer. Winter shade temperatures usually rise to the mid-40’s and an average of only 15 days fail to see temperatures rise above the freezing mark most of the time from early November through March; below zero readings occur on an average of only three times a year.
The freeze-free season ranges from 168 days to 171 days between April 28th to October 16th. Both temperatures and annual precipitation favor warm-season plants. About 40 percent of the annual precipitation is received during the season where temperatures will benefit cool-season plants and only 10 percent falls during the dormant season.
While open to winter invasions of arctic air over the Great Plains, this area is far enough south and west to miss many of these outbreaks. Mountains to the north and west intercept mush of the precipitation from the Pacific northwest storms coming through this area during the winter. An average hourly wind velocity for the year is 15 miles per hour. Somewhat higher winds prevail during the spring months, but velocities exceeding 24 mile per hour are experienced only 10 percent of the usual year. Stronger winds blow chiefly from a westerly or southwesterly direction during the spring. Relative humidity is moderately low.
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) 190 days Freeze-free period (average) 220 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
These soils are moderately deep to deep, well-drained soils. The surface layers are loams 8 to 12 inches over a loam or clay loam subsurface. These soils have moderate to moderately slow permeability. Runoff is medium. Available water-holding capacity is high. Effective rooting depth is 20 too more than 60 inches.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Well drained Permeability class Slow to moderately slow Soil depth 60 – 72 in Available water capacity
(0-40in)9 – 12 in Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)0 – 2 mmhos/cm Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)6.6 – 9 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)5 – 32 % Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)0 – 12 % 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 CommunityThis site is a grassland dominated by warm-season short and mid-grasses with only an
occasional shrub or half-shrub. Cool-season forbs and grasses make up an important minor
component.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 318 583 848 Forb 48 88 128 Shrub/Vine 24 44 64 Total 390 715 1040 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 30-30% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 0% Surface fragments >3" 0% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 0% Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM4733 , R077BY033NM Loamy Reference State. R077BY033NM Loamy 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 3 5 5 25 30 15 8 4 0 Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Grass/Grasslike1 Blue grama 385–440 blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 385–440 – 2 Buffalograss 55–110 3 Sideoats Grama 55–110 sideoats grama BOCU Bouteloua curtipendula 55–110 – 4 Vine-mesquite 33–55 vine mesquite PAOB Panicum obtusum 33–55 – 5 Western wheatgrass 55–110 western wheatgrass PASM Pascopyrum smithii 55–110 – 6 Galleta 33–55 James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 33–55 – 7 Silver Bluestem 33–55 silver bluestem BOSA Bothriochloa saccharoides 33–55 – 8 Sand Dropseed 33–55 sand dropseed SPCR Sporobolus cryptandrus 33–55 – 9 Bottlebrush squirreltail 22–44 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 22–44 – 10 Threeawn spp. 22–44 threeawn ARIST Aristida 22–44 – 11 Sand Muhly 0–22 sand muhly MUAR2 Muhlenbergia arenicola 0–22 – 12 Ring Muhly 0–22 ring muhly MUTO2 Muhlenbergia torreyi 0–22 – 13 Switchgrass 0–33 switchgrass PAVI2 Panicum virgatum 0–33 – 14 Other grasses 55–110 Graminoid (grass or grass-like) 2GRAM Graminoid (grass or grass-like) 55–110 – Forb15 Sunflower scurfpea zinnia 33–55 sunflower HELIA3 Helianthus 33–55 – lemon scurfpea PSLA3 Psoralidium lanceolatum 33–55 – desert zinnia ZIAC Zinnia acerosa 33–55 – 16 Perennial and annual forbs 33–55 Forb, annual 2FA Forb, annual 33–55 – Forb, perennial 2FP Forb, perennial 33–55 – Shrub/Vine17 fringed sarewort groundsel other shrubs 33–55 Shrub, deciduous 2SD Shrub, deciduous 33–55 – prairie sagewort ARFR4 Artemisia frigida 33–55 – ragwort SENEC Senecio 33–55 – Interpretations
Animal community
No Data
Hydrological functions
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover
conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Soil Series---- Hydrologic Group
Berthoud------- B
Carnero-------- C
Campus--------- B
Dean----------- B
Dioxice-------- B
Duma----------- B
Gruver--------- C
Tapia---------- B
Texline-------- BRecreational uses
This site has limited recreation potential; limited mainly by lack of live water and shade. Hiking, camping and picnicking are poor to fair. Photography of wild flowers and wildlife is fair.
Hunting for antelope is fair to good. The natural beauty is enhanced by the “wide open spaces” typical of the area.Wood products
This site produces no commercial wood products.
Other products
Grazing:
This site can be used by all classes of livestock during any season of the year. Due to the occasional severe winter storms, emergency feed may be necessary. Yearling calves grazing from April to October may be favored because of these winter storms. Supplemental protein is needed if site is grazed during the winter. Continuous yearlong grazing or grazing continually during the period from April through October will result in a plant community dominated by blue grama and buffalograss. Continuous heavy grazing will cause blue grama to form low dense turf. Forage production is greatly reduced under these conditions. A system of deferred
grazing, which varies the season of grazing and rest in a pasture during successive years, is needed to improve or maintain a healthy well-balanced plant community. Different seasons of rest will benefit different plants. Winter rest will benefit winterfat and fringed sagewort. Spring rest (April – June) will allow western wheatgrass to grow and reproduce. Summer rest will benefit warm-season species such as blue grama, sideoats grama, and vine-mesquite.
Approximately 90 percent of the total yield is from species that furnish forage for grazing
animals.Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index ---Ac/AUM
100 - 76----------- 2.2 – 2.7
75 – 51------------ 2.8 – 5.1
50 – 26------------ 5.1 – 8.8
25 – 0------------- 8.8+Supporting information
Type locality
Location 1: Colfax County, NM Location 2: Harding County, NM Location 3: Union County, NM Other references
Data collection for this site was done in conjunction with the progressive soil surveys within the Southern High Plains 77 Major Land Resource Area of New Mexico. This site has been mapped and correlated with soils in the following soil surveys Union, Harding Colfax.
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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