Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R226XY052AK
Wet Lake Bed (Juncus) (AK653 St Paul Island)
Accessed: 10/03/2026
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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.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree Not specified
Shrub Not specified
Herbaceous Not specified
Physiographic features
This site occurs in nearly level depressions between dunes and in sandy plains. This site occurs near the coast.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms (1) Lakebed
Flooding duration Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to brief (2 to 7 days) Flooding frequency Rare to occasional Elevation 0 – 50 ft Slope 0 – 3 % Climatic features
Table 3 Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) 120 days Freeze-free period (average) 100 days Precipitation total (average) 20 in BarLineFigure 1. Monthly precipitation range
BarLineFigure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
">Influencing water features
Soil features
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture (1) Peaty sand
Family particle size (1) Sandy
Drainage class Poorly drained Permeability class Rapid Soil depth 40 – 60 in Surface fragment cover <=3" Not specified Surface fragment cover >3" Not specified Available water capacity
(0-40in)3.1 – 3.3 in Calcium carbonate equivalent
(0-40in)Not specified Electrical conductivity
(0-40in)Not specified Sodium adsorption ratio
(0-40in)Not specified Soil reaction (1:1 water)
(0-40in)2 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
Juncus ambiguus/ Salix ovalifoliaCommunity 1.1
Juncus ambiguus/ Salix ovalifoliaSedges and grasses make up 65%, 3% forbs and 28% of the composition. Total annual vascular herbage production is 1120 pounds/acre.
Figure 3. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Additional community tables
Table 5. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group Common name Symbol Scientific name Annual production () Foliar cover (%) Shrub/Vine1 340–350 oval-leaf willow SAOV Salix ovalifolia 340–350 – Grass/Grasslike1 725–775 seasice rush JUAM3 Juncus ambiguus 450–465 – sedge CAREX Carex 160–165 – Lyngbye's sedge CALY3 Carex lyngbyei 90–95 – Bering hairgrass DEBR2 Deschampsia brevifolia 30–35 – bluegrass POA Poa 0–5 – Forb1 20–35 sudetic lousewort PESU Pedicularis sudetica 20–25 – Kotzebue's grass of Parnassus PAKO3 Parnassia kotzebuei 0–10 – field horsetail EQAR Equisetum arvense 0–5 – buttercup RANUN Ranunculus 0–5 – Interpretations
Animal community
Excellent winter range because of succulent green sedge shoots and roots covered by snow that may be available. Poor in spring because of wetness limitations. During periods of heavy rain or high tide, the site may be flooded.
Supporting information
Contributors
Swanson
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 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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