Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Alpine Dwarf Scrub Gravelly Slopes
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1
Human introduction of reindeer and/or muskox to islands.
More details -
Restoration pathway R1
Long periods of time after extirpation of human introduced ungulates.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
The historic and current use of introduced ungulates in this MLRA may have altered the potential natural vegetation on these islands. Islands in this MLRA without a history of introduced grazing have reference state vegetation, while islands with introduced herds of reindeer and/or muskox (Nunivak, St. Lawrence, and St. Matthews Islands) have grazing state vegetation.
Currently no data has been collected in areas of this MLRA in reference condition. Future targeted data collection efforts can address whether range in excellent condition within the grazing state is similar to reference state vegetation and these results could dramatically alter this provisional state and transition model.
Dominant plant species
eightpetal mountain-avens (Dryas octopetala ssp. octopetala), shrub
(Flavocetraria cucullata), grass
witch's hair lichen (Alectoria ochroleuca), grass
reindeer lichen (Cladina), grass
Submodel
Description
Two plant communities occur within the grazing state and the vegetation differs in large part due to the degree of ungulate use.
The data for this state is based on a mixture of recent field work conducted on Nunivak Island (2022-2023) and historical range surveys conducted on Nunivak Island (Swanson et al. 1986, Kautz et al. 1992). Future work will be required to determine if the vegetation on Nunivak Island represent the vegetation across the grazed islands of this MLRA.
Dominant plant species
eightpetal mountain-avens (Dryas octopetala ssp. octopetala), shrub
black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), shrub
(Flavocetraria cucullata), grass
witch's hair lichen (Alectoria ochroleuca), grass
reindeer lichen (Cladina), grass
Submodel
Mechanism
Human introduction of reindeer and/or muskox to islands.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
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