Ecological site F128XY521WV

Tree	(1) Quercus phellos (2) Ulmus rubra
Shrub	(1) Ulmus alata
Herbaceous	Not specified

Landforms	(1) Stream terrace (2) Fan
Flooding duration	Brief (2 to 7 days)
Flooding frequency	None to occasional
Ponding duration	Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to brief (2 to 7 days)
Ponding frequency	None to occasional
Elevation	298 – 2998 ft
Slope	0 – 15 %
Ponding depth	0 – 30 in
Water table depth	6 – 65 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Frost-free period (average)	150 days
Freeze-free period (average)	180 days
Precipitation total (average)	40 in

Parent material	(1) Alluvium – limestone and shale (2) Colluvium – shale and siltstone (3) Loess – sandstone and siltstone
Surface texture	(1) Cobbly fine sandy loam (2) Loam (3) Sandy loam
Drainage class	Somewhat poorly drained to well drained
Permeability class	Slow to rapid
Soil depth	15 – 54 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	0 – 2 %
Surface fragment cover >3"	2 %
Available water capacity (0-40in)	4.7 – 8.2 in
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	4.6 – 6.2
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	0 – 40 %
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	0 – 20 %

Ecological dynamics

DeSelm (REFERENCE) had three plots on this PES. He classifies two of them as alluvial flats and one as a terrace of the Nolichucky river. The plots are in Cocke and Hamblem counties in TN. He classifies the forest type as willow oak-beech-white oak, mixed oak-beech-red maple and willo-elm-swamp. This indicates that the typic vegetation of the reference community consisted of water loving oaks, beech, elms and maples. However, most of these soils are cleared and used for growing hay, pasture, corn, tobacco, small grains, and vegetables.

State and transition model

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Ecosystem states

1. Forested State

2. Managed Agricultural State

3. Post Agricultural Abandonment Forest State

State 1
Forested State

Mature stands include a mixture of deciduous tree species including the water-loving oaks, sycamore, beech, elm and the maples. Pine species might be scattered in the stand. Very little existing data is available on this site. More research is needed to determine the true reference condition if it can be found. Most of these soils are cleared and used for growing hay, pasture, corn, tobacco, small grains, and vegetables.

State 2
Managed Agricultural State

Managed pasture for a variety of livestock is a typical land-use on this site. Other crops include hay, corn, tobacco, small grains, and vegetables.

State 3
Post Agricultural Abandonment Forest State

This state results when land has been put in crops or pasture and abandoned. Pine and weedy species usually colonize. Depending on the rate and intensity of invasion, it may naturally return to a forested state or it might need management. Invasive, exotic plants may be problematic.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Forest clearing, conversion to agricultural land-use. Practices are dependent on the management goals.

Transition T2A
State 2 to 3

Abandonment of agricultural land-use.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Invasive plant control if needed, natural succession, tree planting if desired/needed.

Restoration pathway R3B
State 3 to 2

Re-establishment/implementation of agricultural practices. Control of weedy, invasive species where necessary.

Additional community tables

Rangeland 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	05/19/2026
Approved by
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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:
Perennial plant reproductive capability:

Download reference sheet

Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site F128XY521WV

Mesic Low Stream Terrace Alluvium

Last updated: 5/14/2025 Accessed: 05/19/2026

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General information

MLRA notes

Ecological site concept

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 5/14/2025
Accessed: 05/19/2026