Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R008XY002WA
Mound-Intermound Complex
Last updated: 5/20/2025
Accessed: 12/06/2025
General information
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.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 008X–Columbia Plateau
MLRA 8 encompasses about 50,100 square kilometers mainly in Washington and Oregon, with a small area in Idaho. This MLRA is characterized by loess hills, surrounding scablands, and alluvial deposits. This MLRA consists mostly of Miocene Columbia River Basalt covered with up to 200 feet of loess and volcanic ash. The dominant soil order in this MLRA is Mollisols. Soils in this MLRA dominantly have a mesic temperature regime, a xeric moisture regime, and mixed minerology.
Classification relationships
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 8 – Columbia Plateau
LRU – Common Resource Areas (CRA):
8.1 - Channeled Scablands
8.2 - Loess Islands
8.3 - Okanogan Drift Hills
8.4 - Moist Pleistocene Lake Basins
8.5 - Moist Yakima Folds
8.6 - Lower Snake and Clearwater Canyons
8.7 - Okanogan Valley
Ecological site concept
Mound-Intermound Complex has a mound, inter-mound topography. The Loamy Mound component is surrounded by the Very Shallow component, 65 to 90 percent Very Shallow and 10 to 35 percent Loamy Mound. Mounds are about 20 to 40 feet in diameter and one mound is separated from the next closest mound by about 50 to 100 feet.
The Very Shallow Component:
Very Shallow is a sparsely vegetated, low shrub-short grass, upland site on very shallow soils (generally less than 8 inches deep). Sandberg bluegrass is the short grass in all instances, but the low shrub component is variable. Stiff sagebrush is the most common low shrub, but one to several different buckwheat species are present on some sites, instead of, or with stiff sagebrush. The most common reference community is stiff sagebrush-Sandberg bluegrass.
Refer to the very shallow provisional ecological site for more specific information about the very shallow component.
The Loamy Mound component; moderately deep (20 to 40 inches) silt loam soil over basalt. In biscuit-swale topography, each silt loam mound is surrounded by very shallow ecological site.
Principle Vegetative Drivers:
• Very Shallow component – very shallow soil depth & the fracturing, or the lack of fracturing, in the underlying basalt bedrock.
• Loamy Mound component – deeper soil depth & intercepted moisture from adjoining Very Shallow immediately uphill of each mound
Associated sites
| R008XY001WA |
Very Shallow |
|---|
Similar sites
| R008XY001WA |
Very Shallow |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Artemisia rigida |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Poa secunda |
Physiographic features
The landscape is part of the Columbia basalt plateau. Occurs on benches and terraces. For Very Shallow the soils are formed in loess and residuum weathered from basalt, while Loamy Mound have moderately deep, well drained soils formed in loess.
Physiographic Division: Intermontane Plateau
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Sections: Walla Walla Plateau Section
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Geomorphic position, hills |
(1) Side Slope |
|---|---|
| Landforms |
(1)
Hills
(2) Plateau (3) Swale (4) Hillslope (5) Terrace |
| Flooding frequency | None |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 600 – 4,000 ft |
| Slope | 5 – 20% |
| Water table depth | 80 in |
| Aspect | W, NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW |
Table 3. Representative physiographic features (actual ranges)
| Flooding frequency | Not specified |
|---|---|
| Ponding frequency | Not specified |
| Elevation | Not specified |
| Slope | 65% |
| Water table depth | Not specified |
Climatic features
The climate is characterized by moderately cold, wet winters, and hot, dry summers, with limited precipitation due to the rain shadow effect of the Cascades. Taxonomic soil climate is either xeric (12 to 16 inches PPT) or aridic moisture regimes (10 to 12 inches PPT) with a mesic temperature regime.
Table 4. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (characteristic range) | 110-160 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (characteristic range) | |
| Precipitation total (characteristic range) | 10-16 in |
| Frost-free period (actual range) | 90-200 days |
| Freeze-free period (actual range) | |
| Precipitation total (actual range) |
Influencing water features
A plant’s ability to grow on a site and overall plant production is determined by soil-water-plant relationships:
1. Whether rain and melting snow runs off-site or infiltrates into the soil
2. Whether soil condition remain aerobic or become saturated and become anaerobic
3. Water drainage and how quickly the soil reaches wilting point
The lower part of the soil profile of Very Shallow has high clay content. With winter rain and melting snow, water perches and creates saturated conditions.
In wet years during spring runoff, water runs on the surface of the Very Shallow component for a short period. Even more water runs beneath the surface to sites below. This increases the effective precipitation to the adjacent sites below, including Loamy Mound.
Soil features
Edaphic:
The Mound – Intermound Complex commonly occurs with rock outcrop, Stony Shallow and Stony ecological sites. Components of this complex are 65 to 90 percent Very Shallow and 10 to 35 percent Loamy Mound.
As an annual occurrence, Very Shallow soils become saturated, frost heave, and in wet years, water runs to sites below. Loamy Mounds receive additional water during this process. Refer to the Very Shallow PESD for a discussion regarding pedestaling.
Very Shallow sites are sensitive to soil disturbances. When the Very Shallow site is saturated and muddy, physical damage to the site – from vehicle ruts and hoof prints from cows, horses or deer for example – remain intact for many years.
Representative Soil Features:
This ecological site components are dominantly Lithic, Calcic, Cambidic, Vitritorrandic, and Calciargidic taxonomic subgroups of Haploxerolls, Durixerolls and Argixerolls great groups of the Mollisols taxonomic order, with Aridisols occurring as well. Soils are very shallow to deep. Average available water capacity of about 5.0 inches (12.7 cm) in the 0 to 40 inches (0 to 100 cm) depth range.
Soil parent material is dominantly mixed loess, colluvium and residuum.
The associated soils are Argabak, Bakeoven, Horseflat, Morrow, Stubblefield, Toler, Zen and similar soils.
Dominate soil surface is silt loam to very cobbly sandy loam, with ashy modifier sometimes occurring as well.
Dominant particle-size class is fine-silty to loamy-skeletal
Table 5. Representative soil features
| Parent material |
(1)
Loess
(2) Colluvium (3) Residuum |
|---|---|
| Surface texture |
(1) Very cobbly sandy loam (2) Ashy sandy loam |
| Family particle size |
(1) Fine-silty (2) Loamy-skeletal |
| Drainage class | Well drained |
| Depth to restrictive layer | 4 – 60 in |
| Soil depth | 60 in |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 25% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 10% |
| Available water capacity (Depth not specified) |
5 in |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (Depth not specified) |
35% |
| Electrical conductivity (Depth not specified) |
20 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (Depth not specified) |
5 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-10in) |
5.6 – 8.4 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
25% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
10% |
Table 6. Representative soil features (actual values)
| Drainage class | Not specified |
|---|---|
| Depth to restrictive layer | Not specified |
| Soil depth | Not specified |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 35% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 25% |
| Available water capacity (Depth not specified) |
0.5 – 9 in |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (Depth not specified) |
Not specified |
| Electrical conductivity (Depth not specified) |
Not specified |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (Depth not specified) |
Not specified |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-10in) |
Not specified |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
35% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
25% |
Ecological dynamics
Very Shallow component (65 to 90 percent):
Very Shallow produces about 100 to 250 pounds per acre.
The Very Shallow ecological site in MLRA 8 has at least four different variations on the low shrub-short grass theme for the Reference Community. Sandberg bluegrass is co-dominant in every variation:
1. Stiff sagebrush – Sandberg bluegrass
2. Stiff sagebrush / thyme-leaved buckwheat / rock buckwheat – Sandberg bluegrass
3. Thyme-leaved buckwheat – Sandberg bluegrass
4. Narrowleaf goldenweed (Stenotus s.) – Sandberg bluegrass
Refer to the Very Shallow description in site number R008XY001WA for more information about the Very Shallow component.
Loamy Mound component (10 to 35 percent):
Loamy Mound produces 1,000 pounds per acre to 2,000 pounds per acre depending on the amount of basin wildrye present. Refer to the chart for Reference Community; production is listed in more detail.
In a space as small as 20 feet in diameter a single mound has three reference community situations:
1. North aspect has Idaho fescue
2. West, east and south aspects are Wyoming sage-bluebunch wheatgrass
3. The top of the mound has basin big sagebrush-basin wildrye
At higher elevations within MLRA 8 the Loamy Mound component may be predominately a basin wildrye site. But the Loamy Mound component is also quite variable. Adjacent mounds can vary – no sagebrush and with sagebrush, no basin wildrye and with basin wildrye, with saltgrass or no saltgrass.
Another very important disturbance is rodent activity on the Loamy Mound portion of this ecological site. Direct soil disturbances provide an opportunity for exotic invasive species to colonize the mound or to expand.
The vegetative cover on the Very Shallow component is too low to carry fire, so this ecological site rarely burns. In many pastures, due to surface rocks and limited forage, Very Shallow sites are not attractive to grazing animals and so are rarely if ever grazed. Based on inherent protection from both fire and grazing, most Very Shallow sites are stable.
For more grazing management information refer to Range Technical Notes found in Section I Reference Lists of NRCS Field Office Technical Guide for Washington State.
Note to planners for estimating forage for Mound – Intermound Complex:
1. Often Mound – Intermound Complex receives little to no livestock use. It is perfectly ok to indicate zero AUMs of forage from this ecological site
2. If the complex is being grazed, consider using the process below:
a. For the Mound – Intermound Complex polygon estimate the percentages for Very Shallow component and Loamy Mound component.
b. Percentages times acres of polygon will give acres of Very Shallow and acres of Loamy mound
c. Multiply AUM/acre times acres of Very Shallow for AUMs from Very Shallow
d. Multiply AUM/acre times acres of Loamy Mound for AUMs from Loamy Mound
State and transition model
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference - Very Shallow Component
State 1 for both components of this complex represents communities with no invasive species present. Very Shallow sites rarely burn, and in most cases, receives minimal grazing. So, these sites are mostly very stable, remaining in State 1 regardless of climate or management. Similarity Index scores are typically higher on Very Shallow than other ecological sites on the landscape. At-risk communities • All communities in the reference state for both Very Shallow and Loamy Mound are at risk of invasive species. The seed source for annual bromes or other invasive annual seed blows onto most sites annually. • Community 1.1 for Very Shallow and Community 1.1 for Loamy Mound have high bunchgrass cover and are at low risk of shifting to State 2 • Community 1.2 on both components – forb – low shrub on the Very Shallow component and heavy sagebrush on the Loamy Mound component are at high risk of shifting to State 2
Community 1.1
Reference
Very Shallow component: Reference Community 1.1 is the classic Very Shallow, dominated by Sandberg bluegrass with one or more low shrub species. The low shrub component may be stiff sage &/or one or more Eriogonum low shrub species.
Figure 1. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Community 1.2
Forbs and Low Shrubs
Community 1.2 represents a phase which is quite rare in most of MLRA 8. The species are native, but Sandberg bluegrass has a diminished presence while forbs are more prominent. Community 1.2 still has enough Sandberg bluegrass present, to shift back to reference community 1.1.
Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2
Pathways within State 1 for Very Shallow Refer to Very Shallow PESD R008XY001WA for description of pathways within State 1 and transition from State 1 to State 2. Pathways within State 1 for Loamy Mound 1.1a Result: shifts from bunchgrass dominated Reference Community to sagebrush dominated Community 1.2 Causes: heavy defoliation to basin wildrye or soil disturbances from rodents and badgers Ecological process: basin wildrye plant vigor declines with a significant reduction in root production, and with some plant mortality. Soil disturbances provide openings in soil surface and upper portion of soil profile. In either case sagebrush seedlings have opportunity to establish.
Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1
Result: shifts from heavy sagebrush (Community 1.2) to bunchgrass dominated Reference Community Causes: moderate intensity fire followed by several years of light to moderate defoliation pressure Ecological process: moderate intensity fire kills most of the sagebrush and has lasting detrimental effect on bunchgrasses. Light to moderate defoliations allows bunchgrasses to exhibit good vigor and expand root production and surface cover through tillering and new seedlings. Basin wildrye gains the competitive edge on the top of the mounds, Idaho fescue on the north aspect and bluebunch wheatgrass on the other sides of the mound.
State 2
Invaded - Very Shallow Component
Forbs & Annual Grasses for Very Shallow Very Shallow State 2 represents the rare situation where Very Shallow is dominated by forbs, or annual grasses. Invasive annual grasses, which are common & frequently dominant on Loamy ecological sites, do not compete as well on Very Shallow sites. In most instances the Very Shallow component remains virtually unchanged while the Loamy Mound may shift to Community Phases 1.2 or even to State 2. State 2: Annual Grasses for Loamy Mound Loamy Mound State 2 on Loamy Mound represents a highly disturbed community. Heavy soil disturbances from rodents or badgers, &/or heavy grazing pressure from rodents, rabbits or livestock (heavy to severe grazing intensity, chronic critical period grazing or season long grazing) causes mortality of bunchgrasses (basin wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue. As bunchgrasses decline, annual grasses colonize and eventually become dominant. For mounds with sagebrush, shrubs will increase alongside the annual grasses. Very Shallow Component Recovery from State 2 is considered non-reversible. Refer to Very Shallow PESD R008XY001WA for more narrative regarding recovery. Loamy Mound component While the restoration of Loamy Mounds is possible, treatment actions may be both impractical and costly. Each mound is spatially separated from other mounds and it is possible that different mounds could require different treatments.
State 3
Reference - Loamy Mound Component
State 1 for both components of this complex represents communities with no invasive species present. Very Shallow sites rarely burn, and in most cases, receives minimal grazing. So, these sites are mostly very stable, remaining in State 1 regardless of climate or management. Similarity Index scores are typically higher on Very Shallow than other ecological sites on the landscape. At-risk communities • All communities in the reference state for both Very Shallow and Loamy Mound are at risk of invasive species. The seed source for annual bromes or other invasive annual seed blows onto most sites annually. • Community 1.1 for Very Shallow and Community 1.1 for Loamy Mound have high bunchgrass cover and are at low risk of shifting to State 2 • Community 1.2 on both components – forb – low shrub on the Very Shallow component and heavy sagebrush on the Loamy Mound component are at high risk of shifting to State 2
Community 3.1
Reference
Loamy Mound component: Reference Community 1.1 is dominated by bunchgrasses – basin wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue.
Figure 2. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Community 3.2
Heavy Sagebrush
Loamy Mound component: Community 1.2 is dominated by sagebrush but still has enough bunchgrasses to shift back to Reference Community 1.1.
Pathway 3.1A
Community 3.1 to 3.2
Result: shifts from bunchgrass dominated reference community to sagebrush dominated community. Causes: heavy defoliation to basin wildrye or soil disturbances from rodents and badgers. Ecological process: basin wildrye plant vigor declines with a significant reduction in root production, and with some plant mortality. Soil disturbances provide openings in soil surface and upper portion of soil profile. In either case sagebrush seedlings have opportunity to establish.
Pathway 3.2A
Community 3.2 to 3.1
Result: shifts from heavy sagebrush community to bunchgrass dominated reference community. Causes: moderate intensity fire followed by several years of light to moderate defoliation pressure. Ecological process: moderate intensity fire kills most of the sagebrush and has lasting detrimental effect on bunchgrasses. Light to moderate defoliations allows bunchgrasses to exhibit good vigor and expand root production and surface cover through tillering and new seedlings. Basin wildrye gains the competitive edge on the top of the mounds, Idaho fescue on the north aspect and bluebunch wheatgrass on the other sides of the mound.
State 4
Invaded - Loamy Mound Component
Forbs & Annual Grasses for Very Shallow Very Shallow State 2 represents the rare situation where Very Shallow is dominated by forbs, or annual grasses. Invasive annual grasses, which are common & frequently dominant on Loamy ecological sites, do not compete as well on Very Shallow sites. In most instances the Very Shallow component remains virtually unchanged while the Loamy Mound may shift to Community Phases 1.2 or even to State 2. State 2: Annual Grasses for Loamy Mound Loamy Mound State 2 on Loamy Mound represents a highly disturbed community. Heavy soil disturbances from rodents or badgers, &/or heavy grazing pressure from rodents, rabbits or livestock (heavy to severe grazing intensity, chronic critical period grazing or season long grazing) causes mortality of bunchgrasses (basin wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue. As bunchgrasses decline, annual grasses colonize and eventually become dominant. For mounds with sagebrush, shrubs will increase alongside the annual grasses. Very Shallow Component Recovery from State 2 is considered non-reversible. Refer to Very Shallow PESD R008XY001WA for more narrative regarding recovery. Loamy Mound component While the restoration of Loamy Mounds is possible, treatment actions may be both impractical and costly. Each mound is spatially separated from other mounds and it is possible that different mounds could require different treatments.
Transition T1A
State 1 to 2
Result: Shift from Reference State Community Phase 1.1 to Community Phase 2.1, resulting in the shift of functional groups to forbs and/or invasive annual grasses. Primary Trigger: Extensive spring grazing with heavy use to Sandberg bluegrass. Plant vigor declines and most or all Sandberg bluegrass plants are lost from the community. The soil is more open to evaporation, to wind and water erosion, and facilitates plant community changes from Community 1.2 to Community 2.1. Secondary Triggers: a micro-burst of cheatgrass could put Community 1.2 at risk. The trampling of Very Shallow soils, displacing and disturbing the surface soil structure by grazing animals could also trigger transition to State 2. Ecological process: mortality of Sandberg bluegrass frees resources in the surface soils that allows native forbs to increase, while introduced annual species (forbs and grasses) colonize and expand. A micro-burst of annual grasses could allow even pristine sites to be invaded. Community 1.2 is the community most at risk and is also the pathway for crossing the threshold from State 1 to State 2. Indicators: Declining vigor and cover of Sandberg bluegrass, declining soil biotic crust and, increasing gaps between perennial bunchgrasses. Transitions for Loamy Mound component: T1 Result: Shift from Loamy Mound Community 1.2 across a threshold to Community 2.1, which is dominated by annual grasses. Ecological process: Generally, with grazing activity livestock trail across Very Shallow component to graze the Loamy Mound component. Very Shallow receives minimal grazing while the Loamy Mound can be grazed heavily. As grazing increases livestock trails are evident on the Very Shallow, but the Loamy Mounds are hammered. Primary trigger on Loamy Mound: heavy soil disturbances from rodents/rabbits &/or heavy grazing pressure from rodents, rabbits or livestock (heavy to severe grazing intensity, chronic critical period grazing or season long grazing). Mortality of bunchgrasses occur (basin wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue. As bunchgrasses decline, annual grasses and tumble mustard or Russian thistle colonize and eventually become dominant. For mounds with sagebrush, shrubs will increase alongside the annual grasses. Secondary trigger on Loamy Mounds: Drought cycle coupled with heavy grazing. Indicators on Loamy Mound: Reduced vigor of bunchgrasses, colonization by annual grasses, increasing canopy gaps for perennials species, increasing sagebrush cover.
Transition T3A
State 3 to 4
Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (lb/acre) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 1 | Dominant Low Shrubs | 65 | ||||
| scabland sagebrush | ARRI2 | Artemisia rigida | – | – | ||
| thymeleaf buckwheat | ERTH4 | Eriogonum thymoides | – | – | ||
| rock buckwheat | ERSP7 | Eriogonum sphaerocephalum | – | – | ||
| 2 | Other Low Shrubs - Minor | 10 | ||||
| purple sage | SADOI | Salvia dorrii ssp. dorrii var. incana | – | – | ||
| antelope bitterbrush | PUTR2 | Purshia tridentata | – | – | ||
| Douglas' buckwheat | ERDO | Eriogonum douglasii | – | – | ||
| slender buckwheat | ERMI4 | Eriogonum microthecum | – | – | ||
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 3 | Dominant Short Grass | 140 | ||||
| Sandberg bluegrass | POSE | Poa secunda | – | – | ||
| 4 | Mid-Grasses - Minor | 10 | ||||
| squirreltail | ELEL5 | Elymus elymoides | – | – | ||
| Thurber's needlegrass | ACTH7 | Achnatherum thurberianum | – | – | ||
| bluebunch wheatgrass | PSSP6 | Pseudoroegneria spicata | – | – | ||
| 5 | Annual Grass - Trace | 3 | ||||
| sixweeks fescue | VUOC | Vulpia octoflora | – | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 6 | Native Forbs - Subdominant | 40 | ||||
| narrowleaf mock goldenweed | NEST5 | Nestotus stenophyllus | – | – | ||
| spiny phlox | PHHO | Phlox hoodii | – | – | ||
| granite prickly phlox | LIPU11 | Linanthus pungens | – | – | ||
| desertparsley | LOMAT | Lomatium | – | – | ||
| Hooker's balsamroot | BAHO | Balsamorhiza hookeri | – | – | ||
| sagebrush violet | VIVAV | Viola vallicola var. vallicola | – | – | ||
| onion | ALLIU | Allium | – | – | ||
| fleabane | ERIGE2 | Erigeron | – | – | ||
| bitter root | LERE7 | Lewisia rediviva | – | – | ||
| snow buckwheat | ERNI2 | Eriogonum niveum | – | – | ||
| beardtongue | PENST | Penstemon | – | – | ||
| woollypod milkvetch | ASPU9 | Astragalus purshii | – | – | ||
| snowball cactus | PENI5 | Pediocactus nigrispinus | – | – | ||
Table 8. Community 3.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (lb/acre) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 1 | Non-Sprouting Shrubs | 125–200 | ||||
| Wyoming big sagebrush | ARTRW8 | Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis | – | – | ||
| basin big sagebrush | ARTRT | Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata | – | – | ||
| antelope bitterbrush | PUTR2 | Purshia tridentata | – | – | ||
| 2 | Sprouting Shrubs - Minor | 40–60 | ||||
| rabbitbrush | CHRYS9 | Chrysothamnus | – | – | ||
| currant | RIBES | Ribes | – | – | ||
| rose | ROSA5 | Rosa | – | – | ||
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 3 | Dominant Bunchgrasses | 1025–1450 | ||||
| basin wildrye | LECI4 | Leymus cinereus | 625–1000 | – | ||
| bluebunch wheatgrass | PSSP6 | Pseudoroegneria spicata | 400–450 | – | ||
| 4 | Other Mid-Size Bunchgrasses - Minor | 175–200 | ||||
| Idaho fescue | FEID | Festuca idahoensis | 75–100 | – | ||
| Cusick's bluegrass | POCU3 | Poa cusickii | – | – | ||
| needle and thread | HECOC8 | Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata | – | – | ||
| prairie Junegrass | KOMA | Koeleria macrantha | – | – | ||
| Columbia needlegrass | ACNEN2 | Achnatherum nelsonii ssp. nelsonii | – | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 5 | Native Forbs - Minor | 75–120 | ||||
| phlox | PHLOX | Phlox | – | – | ||
| arrowleaf balsamroot | BASA3 | Balsamorhiza sagittata | – | – | ||
| desertparsley | LOMAT | Lomatium | – | – | ||
| Indian paintbrush | CASTI2 | Castilleja | – | – | ||
| milkvetch | ASTRA | Astragalus | – | – | ||
| low pussytoes | ANDI2 | Antennaria dimorpha | – | – | ||
| mariposa lily | CALOC | Calochortus | – | – | ||
| western stoneseed | LIRU4 | Lithospermum ruderale | – | – | ||
| larkspur | DELPH | Delphinium | – | – | ||
| common yarrow | ACMI2 | Achillea millefolium | – | – | ||
| small bluebells | MELO4 | Mertensia longiflora | – | – | ||
| narrowleaf mock goldenweed | NEST5 | Nestotus stenophyllus | – | – | ||
| hawksbeard | CREPI | Crepis | – | – | ||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | – | – | ||
| lupine | LUPIN | Lupinus | – | – | ||
| fleabane | ERIGE2 | Erigeron | – | – | ||
| woolly plantain | PLPA2 | Plantago patagonica | – | – | ||
| trumpet | COLLO | Collomia | – | – | ||
Interpretations
Supporting information
Other references
Boling M., Frazier B., Busacca, A., General Soil Map of Washington, Washington State University, 1998 Daubenmire, R., Steppe Vegetation of Washington, EB1446, March 1968 Davies, Kirk, Medusahead Dispersal and Establishment in Sagebrush Steppe Plant Communities, Rangeland Ecology & Management, 2008 Environmental Protection Agency, map of Level III and IV Ecoregions of Washington, June 2010 Miller, Baisan, Rose and Pacioretty, “Pre and Post Settlement Fire regimes in mountain Sagebrush communities: The Northern Intermountain Region Natural Resources Conservation Service, map of Common Resource Areas of Washington, 2003 Rapid Assessment Reference Condition Model for Wyoming sagebrush, LANDFIRE project, 2008 Rocchio, Joseph & Crawford, Rex C., Ecological Systems of Washington State. A Guide to Identification. Washington State Department of Natural Resources, October 2015. Pages 156-161 Inter-Mountain Basin Big Sagebrush. Rouse, Gerald, MLRA 8 Ecological Sites as referenced from Natural Resources Conservation Service-Washington FOTG, 2004 Soil Conservation Service, Range Sites for MLRA 8 from 1980s and 1990s Tart, D., Kelley, P., and Schlafly, P., Rangeland Vegetation of the Yakima Indian reservation, August 1987, YIN Soil and Vegetation Survey.
Contributors
K. Guinn
K. Moseley
G. Fults
R. Fleenor
W. Keller
C. Smith
K. Bomberger
C. Gaines
K. Paup-Lefferts
Approval
Kirt Walstad, 5/20/2025
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 | 03/06/2025 |
| Approved by | Kirt Walstad |
| 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:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
-
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:
-
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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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.
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.