Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F134XY014MO
Wet Footslope Forest
Last updated: 3/20/2025
Accessed: 05/19/2026
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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.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 134X–Southern Mississippi Valley Loess
The Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (outlined in red on the map; northern portion only) is a relatively narrow strip of the coastal plain bordering the Mississippi River valley, that is blanketed with loess. The northern part of this MLRA, discussed here, is locally referred to as Crowley’s Ridge. Elevation ranges from about 300 feet on the footslopes to nearly 600 feet on the highest ridges. Loess caps the summits and upper slopes, and Pliocene-aged sand and gravel deposits of the coastal plain influence soils on lower, steeper slopes.
Classification relationships
Terrestrial Natural Community Type in Missouri (Nelson, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Wet-Mesic Bottomland Forest.
Missouri Department of Conservation Forest and Woodland Communities (Missouri Department of Conservation, 2006):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Wet Bottomland Forest.
National Vegetation Classification System Vegetation Association (NatureServe, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Quercus macrocarpa – Quercus shumardii – Carya cordiformis / Chasmanthium latifolium Forest (CEGL004544).
Geographic relationship to the Missouri Ecological Classification System (Nigh & Schroeder, 2002):
This Ecological Site occurs primarily in the Crowley’s Ridge Subsection, and in the Benton Loess Woodland/Forest Hills Land Type Association of the Ozark Outer Border Subsection.
Ecological site concept
Wet Footslope Forests are within the green areas on the map (Missouri portion only; distributions farther south are currently under review). These sites are extensive on footslopes and drainageways on Crowley’s Ridge and adjacent areas. Soils are very deep, with a seasonal high water table. The reference plant community is forest with an overstory dominated by a variety of trees including bur oak, cherrybark oak, willow oak, sweetgum, pin oak, Nuttall oak, water oak, American elm, sugarberry, and green ash, an understory dominated by blue beech, spicebush, and Ohio buckeye, and a rich herbaceous ground flora.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree (1) Quercus macrocarpa
(2) Fraxinus pennsylvanicaShrub (1) Vitis
(2) Cornus foeminaHerbaceous (1) Boehmeria cylindrica
(2) Cardamine concatenataPhysiographic features
This site is on footslopes and drainageways with slopes of less than 3%. The site receives runoff from adjacent upland sites. Some areas are subject to flooding.
The adjacent figure (adapted from Butler, 1985) shows the typical landscape position of this ecological site, and landscape relationships with other ecological sites. It is within the area labeled “3” on the figure, on footslopes and stream terraces along upland drainageways. Fragipan Upland Woodland sites and Deep Loess Backslope sites are typically upslope.
Figure 2. Typical landscape relationships for this ecologica
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Hill
(2) Stream terrace
(3) Drainageway
Flooding frequency None Ponding frequency None Slope 0 – 3 % Water table depth 6 – 24 in Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features
The Crowley’s Ridge subsection of the Southern Mississippi Valley Loess MLRA has a continental type of climate marked by strong seasonality. In winter, dry-cold air masses, unchallenged by any topographic barriers, periodically swing south from the northern plains and Canada. If they invade reasonably humid air, snowfall and rainfall result. In summer, moist, warm air masses, equally unchallenged by topographic barriers, swing north from the Gulf of America and can produce abundant amounts of rain, either by fronts or by convectional processes. In some summers, high pressure stagnates over the region, creating extended droughty periods. Spring and fall are transitional seasons when abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation may occur due to successive, fast-moving fronts separating contrasting air masses.
The Crowley’s Ridge subsection experiences regional differences in climates, but these differences do not have obvious geographic boundaries or major climatic variations. Regional climates grade inconspicuously into each other. The basic gradient for most climatic characteristics is along a line from north to south. Both mean annual temperature and precipitation exhibit minor gradients along this line.
The average annual precipitation in Crowley’s Ridge subsection is 48 to 50 inches. The average annual temperature is 53 to 57 degrees F. Mean January minimum temperature follows the north-to-south gradient. Mean July maximum temperatures show little variation across the area.
Mean annual precipitation varies along the same gradient as temperature. The precipitation decreases gradually throughout the summer, except for a moderate increase in midsummer as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms. Minor amounts of snow fall occur nearly every winter, but the snow cover lasts for only a few days.
During years when precipitation comes in a fairly normal manner, moisture is stored in the top layers of the soil during the winter and early spring, when evaporation and transpiration are low. During the summer months the loss of water by evaporation and transpiration is high, and if rainfall fails to occur at frequent intervals, drought will result. Drought directly affects plant and animal life by limiting water supplies, especially at times of high temperatures and high evaporation rates.
Superimposed upon the basic subsection climatic patterns are local topographic influences that create topoclimatic, or microclimatic variations. In regions of appreciable relief, for example, air drainage at nighttime may produce temperatures several degrees lower in valley bottoms than on side slopes. At critical times during the year, this phenomenon may produce later spring or earlier fall freezes in valley bottoms. Slope orientation is an important topographic influence on microclimate. Summits and south-and-west-facing slopes are regularly warmer and drier than adjacent north- and-east-facing slopes. Finally, the climate within a canopied forest is measurably different from the climate of a more open grassland or savanna areas.
Source: University of Missouri Climate Center - http://climate.missouri.edu/climate.php; Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin, United States Department of Agriculture Handbook 296 - http://soils.usda.gov/survey/geography/mlra/Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (characteristic range) 160-170 days Freeze-free period (characteristic range) 200-210 days Precipitation total (characteristic range) 50-50 in Frost-free period (actual range) 160-170 days Freeze-free period (actual range) 190-220 days Precipitation total (actual range) 50-50 in Frost-free period (average) 170 days Freeze-free period (average) 200 days Precipitation total (average) 50 in Characteristic rangeActual rangeBarLineFigure 3. Monthly precipitation range
Characteristic rangeActual rangeBarLineFigure 4. Monthly minimum temperature range
Characteristic rangeActual rangeBarLineFigure 5. Monthly maximum temperature range
BarLineFigure 6. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Figure 7. Annual precipitation pattern
Figure 8 Annual average temperature pattern
Climate stations used
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(1) KENNETT RADIO KBOA [USC00234417], Kennett, MO
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(2) ADVANCE 1 S [USW00093825], Advance, MO
">Influencing water features
Soil features
These soils have no rooting restriction. The soils were formed under forest vegetation, and have thin, light-colored surface horizons. Parent material is colluvium or local alluvium from loess. They have silt loam surface horizons, with loamy to clayey subsoils. They are affected by a seasonal high water table during the spring months. Soil series associated with this site include Calhoun, Dundee, Falaya, Overcup, and Zachary.
The accompanying picture of the Overcup series shows a thin silt loam surface horizon over a light-colored leached layer called an albic horizon at about 20 cm. Below this is the claypan, a clay horizon that impedes water movement and root penetration. Indicators of seasonal wetness (redoximorphic features) are visible in the lower part of the profile. Picture courtesy of Kevin Godsey and Dan Childress; scale is in centimeters.
Figure 9. Overcup series
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Silt loam
Family particle size (1) Loamy
Drainage class Poorly drained to somewhat poorly drained Permeability class Very slow to slow Surface fragment cover <=3" Not specified Surface fragment cover >3" Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)6 – 8 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)Not specified Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)0 – 2 mmhos/cm Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)Not specified Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)4.5 – 7.3 Subsurface fragment volume <=3"
(Depth not specified)Not specified Subsurface fragment volume >3"
(Depth not specified)Not specified 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
Mesic Bottomland ForestCommunity 1.1
Sugar Maple-Red Oak-Bitternut Hickory/PawPaw ForestAdditional community tables
Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Table 6. Community 1.1 forest overstory composition
Common name Symbol Scientific name Nativity Height ft Canopy cover (%) Diameter in Basal area (square ft/acre) Treebitternut hickory CACO15 Carya cordiformis Native – – – 0 Kentucky coffeetree GYDI Gymnocladus dioicus Native – – – 0 black walnut JUNI Juglans nigra Native – – – 0 white oak QUAL Quercus alba Native – – – 0 American elm ULAM Ulmus americana Native – – – 0 slippery elm ULRU Ulmus rubra Native – – – 0 sugar maple ACSA3 Acer saccharum Native – – – 0 northern red oak QURU Quercus rubra Native – – – 0 Table 7. Community 1.1 forest understory composition
Common name Symbol Scientific name Nativity Height (ft) Canopy cover (%) Forb/Herbnorthern spicebush LIBE3 Lindera benzoin Native – – Virginia bluebells MEVI3 Mertensia virginica Native – – Shumard's oak QUSH Quercus shumardii – – – American basswood TIAM Tilia americana Native – – zigzag spiderwort TRSU2 Tradescantia subaspera Native – – Missouri violet VIMI3 Viola missouriensis Native – – lowland bladderfern CYPR4 Cystopteris protrusa Native – – common persimmon DIVI5 Diospyros virginiana Native – – white fawnlily ERAL9 Erythronium albidum Native – – common cowparsnip HEMA80 Heracleum maximum Native – – zigzag iris IRBR2 Iris brevicaulis Native – – butternut JUCI Juglans cinerea Native – – striped cream violet VIST3 Viola striata Native – – Adam and Eve APHY Aplectrum hyemale Native – – green dragon ARDR3 Arisaema dracontium Native – – spring blue eyed Mary COVE2 Collinsia verna Native – – Shrub/SubshrubGreek valerian PORE2 Polemonium reptans Native – – Treepawpaw ASTR Asimina triloba Native – – Interpretations
Supporting information
Other references
Butler, E. Rex. 1985. Soil Survey of Stoddard County, Missouri. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Soil Conservation Service.
MDC, 2010. Missouri Forest and Woodland Community Profiles. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
NatureServe, 2010. Vegetation Associations of Missouri (revised). NatureServe, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Nelson, Paul W. 2010. The Terrestrial Natural Communities of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Nigh, Timothy A., & Walter A. Schroeder. 2002. Atlas of Missouri Ecoregions. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Contributors
Fred Young
Approval
Matthew Duvall, 3/20/2025
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
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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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