Loamy Bottomland 38-42 PZ

Description

This is the reference state for the Loamy Bottomland ecological site. It represents the historic range of variability in the plant communities with the periodic disturbance of fire and grazing. It is a mosaic of herbaceous plants, trees and woody understory vines and shrubs.

The dominant trees are pecan and cottonwood with a mixture of tall and Midgrasses, forbs and shrubs in the understory and canopy interspaces. Dominant herbaceous plants include little bluestem, big bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass, beaked panicum, purpletop tridens, sand lovegrass, and wildryes. Other grasses include dropseeds, sedges, and scribner’s panicum. Forbs include Sunflowers, Englemann daisy, tickclover, lespedezas, wildbeans, yellow Neptune, echinacea, and guara. Other woody plants include elms, greenbriar, plums, grapes, hawthorn, western soapberry, coralberry, and Carolina snailseed. These woody species will increase in ground cover in the absence of fire.

Woody canopy in the reference state is complex with some areas having dense tree canopy mixed with multiple prairie openings. Along major watercourses, the tree canopy often increased in density closer to the channel. For planning and management purposes, the average woody canopy in reference condition can be described as less than 40%.

The Loamy Bottomland site is estimated to produce between 4000 – 8,000 pounds of vegetative production per year in reference condition.

Tallgrasses Midgrasses Trees Forbs Shrubs

Dominant plant species

1. pecan (Carya illinoinensis), tree

2. big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), grass

Submodel

Description

This state represents a change in land use to cropland. The soil structure and biology has been altered and the site is planted to cash crops annually. Management of commodity crops requires more inputs than native grasses. Careful consideration should be taken prior to planting to ensure the result meets the desired use. Ratings for crop yields can be found under the non-irrigated crop yield section in web soil survey. As with any fertility management program, current soil tests should be taken before planting and subsequent fertilization.

There may be opportunities to plant native grass species on these sites to restore the reference plant communities. The success of this type of restoration is highly variable and depends on the remaining soil resources and past management. This type of endeavor often requires site specific planning and evaluation. However, the species described in the reference state are a good resource for initial planning of any restoration project.

Dominant plant species

1. wheat (Triticum), grass

Submodel

Description

This state represents a change in land use to pastureland. The soil structure and biology has been altered and the site is dominated by introduced species. Management of introduced forages requires more inputs than native grasses. Careful consideration should be taken prior to planting to ensure the result meets the desired use. Ratings for forage yields can be found under the non-irrigated crop yield section in web soil survey. As with any fertility management program, current soil tests should be taken before planting and subsequent fertilization of introduced pastures.

The most common forage species on these sites include Bermudagrass and Old World Bluestems(eg. KR Bluestem).

Without brush management, woody species such as mesquites, junipers, elms, or honey locust may invade these sites.

There may be opportunities to plant native grass species on these sites to restore the reference plant communities. The success of this type of restoration is highly variable and depends on the remaining soil resources and past management. This type of endeavor often requires site specific planning and evaluation. However, the species described in the reference state are a good resource for initial planning of any restoration project.

Dominant plant species

1. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), grass

Submodel

Description

This state represents the shift to a woody dominated plant community with woody canopy exceeding 60%. Trees and shrubs dominate the ecological processes on the site and the herbaceous grasses and forbs are limited to shade tolerant species. There is an abundance of leaf litter build up which further limits herbaceous plant germination and production.

Dominant plant species

1. elm (Ulmus), tree

2. wildrye (Elymus), grass

Submodel