Ecological site F140XY004NY

F140XY010NY	Frigid Moist Till Uplands

Tree	(1) Acer saccharum (2) Acer rubrum
Shrub	(1) Lindera benzoin
Herbaceous	(1) Osmunda cinnamomea

Landforms	(1) Mountains > Bench (2) Hill (3) Mountain
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	1801 – 2401 ft
Slope	0 – 5 %
Water table depth	8 – 10 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	90-110 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	120-140 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	40-50 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	90-110 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	120-140 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	40-60 in
Frost-free period (average)	100 days
Freeze-free period (average)	130 days
Precipitation total (average)	50 in

Parent material	(1) Till – sandstone and shale (2) Till – siltstone
Surface texture	(1) Flaggy loam (2) Channery loam
Family particle size	(1) Loamy-skeletal
Drainage class	Somewhat poorly drained to poorly drained
Depth to restrictive layer	19 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	2 %
Available water capacity (Depth not specified)	2 in
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (Depth not specified)	3.6 – 5.5
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	24 %
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	19 %

Ecological dynamics

Reference community is a red maple dominant hardwood Forest. Characteristic vegetation includes:

Trees: Red maple (Acer rubrum), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red oak (Quercus rubra), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis). Conifers such as eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) are minor components.

Shrubs: Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), American witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), hobblebush (Viburnum lantanoides).

Herbaceous: Cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), and sessile-leaved bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia).

Natural disturbances that create forest canopy openings include windthrow, ice storms, and insect damage. Alternative states are a semi-natural forest (timber harvest, invasive species) and a pasture state.

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 text

State 1
Mixed Hardwood Forest - Reference

Minimally managed hardwood forest. Natural disturbances primarily from weather events, insect damage, tree fall create pockets of young forest communities (early successional). Red maple, sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, red oak, eastern hemlock, and eastern white pine are some characteristic trees.

Community 1.1
Closed Canopy Forest

Community 1.2
Young Forest (early successional)

Pathway P1.1
Community 1.1 to 1.2

Conservation practices

Early Successional Habitat Development/Management

Pathway P1.2
Community 1.2 to 1.1

State 2
Semi-Natural

Timber harvest common, invasive species such as bush honesuckle, oriental bittersweet, Japanese barberry, and multiflora rose may be common in disturbed areas.

Community 2.1
Closed Canopy Forest

Community 2.2
Young Forest (early successional)

Pathway P2.1
Community 2.1 to 2.2

Pathway P2.2
Community 2.2 to 2.1

State 3
Pasture

Forest has been converted to pastureland/grassland for either livestock grazing, hay production, or wildlife habitat.

Community 3.1
Introduced Grasses and Forbs

Grasses and forbs introduces for livestock grazing, hay production, or wildlife habitat.

Community 3.2
Shrub Encroached

Pathway P3.1
Community 3.1 to 3.2

Lack of mowing, grazing, or fire.

Pathway P3.2
Community 3.2 to 3.1

Brush management and/or fire.

Conservation practices

Brush Management
Prescribed Burning

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Human disturbances (roads, timber harvest,) affect species composition and allow the potential for non-native and invasive species to establish and persist.

Key drivers

Timber management

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

Conservation practices

Land Clearing
Forage and Biomass Planting

Key ecosystem services affected

Food and fiber: wood products

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

Conservation practices

Brush Management
Forest Stand Improvement
Forest Management Plan - Written
Forest stand improvement for habitat and soil quality
Herbaceous Weed Control

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Conservation practices

Native Plant Community Restoration and Management

Additional community tables

Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 6. Community 1.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 7. Community 2.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 8. Community 2.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 9. Community 3.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

Table 10. Community 3.2 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production ()	Foliar cover (%)

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	05/20/2020
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 F140XY004NY

Frigid Shallow Moist Till

Last updated: 10/01/2024 Accessed: 09/23/2026

Search

General information

MLRA notes

Classification relationships

Ecological site concept

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 10/01/2024
Accessed: 09/23/2026