Search

Search for a Major Land Resource Area or ecological site by name and/or ID.

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site R010XB070OR

JD North 12-16 PZ

Accessed: 11/21/2024

Home / Esd catalog / MLRA 010X / Ecological site R010XB070OR

USC

Metric

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.

Click to explore map

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
R010XB045OR	JD Clayey South 12-16 PZ JD Clayey South 12-16" PZ

R010XB027OR

JD Clayey 12-16 PZ

JD Clayey 12-16" PZ

R010XB045OR

JD Clayey South 12-16 PZ

JD Clayey South 12-16" PZ

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	Not specified

Download full description

Physiographic features

This site occurs on north exposures of terraces, tablelands, and rolling uplands. It is typically on slopes with northerly aspects. Slopes range from 12 to 70 percent. Elevations range from 2100 to 4000 feet.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Terrace (2) Hill
Elevation	640 – 1,219 m
Slope	12 – 70%
Water table depth	152 cm
Aspect	N

Climatic features

The annual precipitation ranges from 12 to 16 inches, most of which occurs in the form of snow during the months of November through March. Localized, occasionally severe, convectional storms occur during the summer. The soil temperature regime is mesic with a mean annual air temperature of 50 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 100 to -10 degrees F. The frost-free period ranges from 60 to 120 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from April through mid-July.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (average)	120 days
Freeze-free period (average)	0 days
Precipitation total (average)	406 mm

Bar

Line

Figure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Soil features

The soils of this site are typically moderately deep to deep and well-drained. Typically the surface layer is a clay loam or silty clay loam about 8 inches thick. The subsoil is a cobbly clay loam about 25 inches thick. Depth to bedrock or sediments is 30 to 60 inches. Permeability is moderate. The available water holding capacity is about 4 to 6 inches for the profile. The potential for erosion is moderate to severe.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Clay loam (2) Silty clay loam
Family particle size	(1) Clayey
Drainage class	Well drained
Permeability class	Moderate
Soil depth	76 – 152 cm
Available water capacity (0-101.6cm)	10.16 – 15.24 cm

Ecological dynamics

Range in Characteristics:

Bluebunch wheatgrass increases as aspect changes to more northwest or northeast slopes. Shrubs occur on deeper soils and on inclusions of colluvium. Western juniper may increase in the absence of fire.

Response to Disturbance:

If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, Idaho fescue decreases while bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegras increase. Idaho fescue is the preferred species during spring and summer. With further deterioration, bluebunch wheatgrass decreases and shrubs and annuals invade. With further deterioration, juniper increases and annuals including soft chess, medusahead, and filaree invade and bare soil interspaces reduces the site productivity and contributes to downstream sedimentation.

State and transition model

Custom diagram

Standard diagram

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

Ecosystem states

1. Historic Climax Plant Community

State 1 submodel, plant communities

1.1. Historic Climax Plant Community

State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community

Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community

The potential native plant community is dominated by Idaho fescue. Bluebunch wheatgrass is common in the stand. Vegetative composition of the community is approximately 90 percent grasses, 5 percent forbs, and 5 percent shrubs. Approximate ground cover is 60-70 percent (basal and crown).

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	1130	1397	1663
Forb	63	102	141
Shrub/Vine	47	71	94
Total	1240	1570	1898

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			942–1255
	Idaho fescue	FEID	Festuca idahoensis	942–1255	–
2	Perennial, deep-rooted, sub-dominant			157–314
	bluebunch wheatgrass	PSSP6	Pseudoroegneria spicata	157–314	–
4	Perennial, shallow-rooted, sub-dominant			31–94
	prairie Junegrass	KOMA	Koeleria macrantha	16–47	–
	Sandberg bluegrass	POSE	Poa secunda	16–47	–
Forb
7	Perennial, all, dominant			47–94
	common yarrow	ACMI2	Achillea millefolium	16–31	–
	milkvetch	ASTRA	Astragalus	16–31	–
	lupine	LUPIN	Lupinus	16–31	–
9	Other perennial forbs, all			16–47
	agoseris	AGOSE	Agoseris	0–8	–
	arrowleaf balsamroot	BASA3	Balsamorhiza sagittata	0–8	–
	hawksbeard	CREPI	Crepis	0–8	–
	fleabane	ERIGE2	Erigeron	0–8	–
	buckwheat	ERIOG	Eriogonum	0–8	–
	desertparsley	LOMAT	Lomatium	0–8	–
Shrub/Vine
11	Perennial, evergreen, dominant			31–63
	basin big sagebrush	ARTRT	Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata	16–31	–
	rubber rabbitbrush	ERNA10	Ericameria nauseosa	16–31	–
13	Perennial, deciduous, dominant			16–31
	broom snakeweed	GUSA2	Gutierrezia sarothrae	16–31	–

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	08/07/2012
Approved by	Bob Gillaspy
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
None to very few on steeper slopes, moderate to significant sheet & rill erosion hazard
Presence of water flow patterns:
None to very few on steeper slopes
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
None to very few on steeper slopes (terracettes)
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
0-10%
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 = 3-5
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Moderately deep to deep, well drained silt loams, clay loams, stony or cobbly loams, or cobbly sandy loams: moderate OM (2-4%)
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Significant ground cover (90-100%) and gentle to very steep slopes (12-70%) effectively 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:
Idaho fescue > Bluebunch wheatgrass > forbs > other grasses > shrubs

Sub-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: 1800, Normal: 1400, Unfavorable: 1000 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

Download reference sheet