Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R010XB031OR
JD Shallow 12-16 PZ
Accessed: 11/13/2024
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.
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.
Associated sites
R010XB027OR |
JD Clayey 12-16 PZ JD Clayey 12-16" PZ |
---|---|
R010XB030OR |
JD Loamy 12-16 PZ JD Loamy 12-16" PZ |
R010XB032OR |
JD Very Shallow 12-16 PZ JD Very Shallow 12-16" PZ |
Similar sites
R010XB030OR |
JD Loamy 12-16 PZ JD Clayey 12-16" PZ |
---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
---|---|
Shrub |
Not specified |
Herbaceous |
Not specified |
Physiographic features
This site occurs on rolling uplands and plateaus. Slopes range from 0 to 20 percent. Elevation varies from 2700 to 4000 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms |
(1)
Plateau
(2) Hill |
---|---|
Elevation | 823 – 1,219 m |
Slope | 0 – 20% |
Water table depth | 152 cm |
Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 10 to 16 inches. The precipitation occurs as rain and snow during the months of November through March. Localized, occasionally severe, convection storms occur during the summer. The mean annual air temperature is approximately 50 degrees F. Extreme temperatures range from 100 degrees F to -10 degrees F. Soil temperature regimes are mesic. The frost-free period fo optimum plant growth is from April through June.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) | 150 days |
---|---|
Freeze-free period (average) | 0 days |
Precipitation total (average) | 406 mm |
Figure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils of this site are formed in colluvium and loess over basalt and tuff. They are shallow. Typically the surface layer is a very stony loam over a very stony clay loam subsoil. Depth to bedrock is 10 to 20 inches. Soil permeability is moderate. The available water holding capacity (AWC) is 2 to 4 inches. The erosion potential is severe.
Table 4. Representative soil features
Surface texture |
(1) Stony loam |
---|---|
Family particle size |
(1) Clayey |
Drainage class | Poorly drained to moderately well drained |
Permeability class | Moderate |
Soil depth | 25 – 51 cm |
Available water capacity (0-101.6cm) |
5.08 – 10.16 cm |
Ecological dynamics
Range in Characteristics:
Variability in plant composition and production is dependent on soil depth, texture, and bedrock conditions. Bluebunch wheatgrass increases on fine textured surfaces. Thurber needlegrass increases on coarse textured surfaces. Juniper and antelope bitterbrush increase with bedrock fracturing. Production increases with soil depth.
Response to Disturbance:
If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, bluebunch wheatgrass and Thurber needlegrass decrease while Sandberg bluegrass, broom snakeweed, and western juniper increase. Cheatgrass, annual brome, medusa-head, and other annuals invade. In the absence of fire, western juniper strongly increases and areas of bareground appear between the juniper. Soil erosion rapidly accelerates and inherent site productivity decreases.
State and transition model
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Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community
Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community
The potential native plant community is dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass. Thurber needlegrass and Sandberg bluegrass are common. Juniper is sporadic. Other shrubs are minor. The potential vegetative composition is approximately 90 percent grasses, 5 percent forbs, and 5 percent shrubs.
Figure 3. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 5. Annual production by plant type
Plant type | Low (kg/hectare) |
Representative value (kg/hectare) |
High (kg/hectare) |
---|---|---|---|
Grass/Grasslike | 787 | 933 | 1079 |
Forb | 50 | 121 | 192 |
Tree | 30 | 50 | 71 |
Shrub/Vine | 20 | 35 | 50 |
Total | 887 | 1139 | 1392 |
Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (kg/hectare) | Foliar cover (%) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
1 | Perennial, deep-rooted, dominant | 605–706 | ||||
bluebunch wheatgrass | PSSP6 | Pseudoroegneria spicata | 605–706 | – | ||
2 | Perennial, deep-rooted, sub-dominant | 161–323 | ||||
Idaho fescue | FEID | Festuca idahoensis | 101–202 | – | ||
Thurber's needlegrass | ACTH7 | Achnatherum thurberianum | 50–101 | – | ||
squirreltail | ELEL5 | Elymus elymoides | 10–20 | – | ||
4 | Perennial, shallow-rooted, sub-dominant | 20–50 | ||||
Sandberg bluegrass | POSE | Poa secunda | 20–50 | – | ||
Forb
|
||||||
7 | Perennial, all, dominant | 30–91 | ||||
milkvetch | ASTRA | Astragalus | 10–30 | – | ||
arrowleaf balsamroot | BASA3 | Balsamorhiza sagittata | 10–30 | – | ||
lupine | LUPIN | Lupinus | 10–30 | – | ||
9 | Other perennial forbs, all | 20–101 | ||||
common yarrow | ACMI2 | Achillea millefolium | 0–11 | – | ||
agoseris | AGOSE | Agoseris | 0–11 | – | ||
cryptantha | CRYPT | Cryptantha | 0–11 | – | ||
Blue Mountain prairie clover | DAOR2 | Dalea ornata | 0–11 | – | ||
fleabane | ERIGE2 | Erigeron | 0–11 | – | ||
buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 0–11 | – | ||
grasswidow | OLSYN | Olsynium | 0–11 | – | ||
phacelia | PHACE | Phacelia | 0–11 | – | ||
phlox | PHLOX | Phlox | 0–11 | – | ||
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
15 | Other perennial shrubs, all | 20–50 | ||||
Saskatoon serviceberry | AMAL2 | Amelanchier alnifolia | 0–10 | – | ||
basin big sagebrush | ARTRT | Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata | 0–10 | – | ||
rubber rabbitbrush | ERNA10 | Ericameria nauseosa | 0–10 | – | ||
broom snakeweed | GUSA2 | Gutierrezia sarothrae | 0–10 | – | ||
antelope bitterbrush | PUTR2 | Purshia tridentata | 0–10 | – | ||
Tree
|
||||||
16 | Perennial, evergreen, dominant | 20–50 | ||||
western juniper | JUOC | Juniperus occidentalis | 20–50 | – | ||
17 | Perennial, evergreen, sub-dominant | 10–20 | ||||
ponderosa pine | PIPO | Pinus ponderosa | 10–20 | – |
Interpretations
Animal community
Livestock Grazing:
This site is suited to spring, summer, and fall use by cattle, sheep, and horses under a planned grazing system. The key species is bluebunch wheatgrass. Bluebunch wheatgrass can be damaged if heavily grazed during periods of flowering and seed formation when root reserves and soil moisture is low. Use in the spring should be postponed until the soils are firm enough to prevent trampling damage and soil compaction.
Native Wildlife Associated with the Potential Climax Community:
Mule deer
elk
upland birds
When the ecological condition is high, this site provides food and cover for deer, elk, other mammals, and upland birds. It is an important wintering area for deer and elk.
Threatened and Endangered Animals:
Listed endangered species (1993), which may occur on this site include the peregrine falcon. Listed threatened species is the bald eagle.
Hydrological functions
The soils of this site have low water holding capacities providing little late season water for plant growth. The hydrologic cover condition is fair when the ecological condition is high.
Other information
When in poor condition this site has low potential for range seeding because it is shallow and stony.
Supporting information
Contributors
A V Bahn
M. Parks (OSU)
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) | Jeff Repp and Bruce Frannsen |
---|---|
Contact for lead author | State Rangeland Management Specialist for NRCS - Oregon |
Date | 08/06/2012 |
Approved by | Bob Gillaspy |
Approval date | |
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
-
Number and extent of rills:
none to some, severe sheet & rill erosion hazard -
Presence of water flow patterns:
None to some -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
None -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
10-20% -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None, moderate wind erosion hazard -
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Fine - limited movement -
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Moderately resistant to erosion: aggregate stability = 4-6 -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Shallow, well drained very and extremely stony loams and silt loams: moderate OM (1-3%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Moderate ground cover (50-60%) and gentle slopes (2-15%) moderately limit rainfall impact and overland flow -
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
None -
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:
Bluebunch wheatgrass > Idaho fescue > other grasses > forbs > shrubsSub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
-
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Normal decadence and mortality expected -
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
-
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Favorable: 1200, Normal: 900, Unfavorable: 600 lbs/acre/year at high RSI (HCPC) -
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:
Western Juniper readily invades the site. Cheatgrass and Medusahead invade sites that have lost deep rooted perennial grass functional groups. -
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
All species should be capable of reproducing annually
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