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Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R010XY033OR
Cold Moist Meadow
Last updated: 12/13/2023
Accessed: 08/16/2024
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.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 010X–Central Rocky and Blue Mountain Foothills
This MLRA covers the Blue and Seven Devils Mountains of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The area is characterized by thrust and block-faulted mountains and deep canyons composed of sedimentary, metasedimentary, and volcanic rocks. Elevations range from 1,300 to 9,800 feet (395 to 2,990 meters). The climate is characterized by cold, wet winters and cool, dry summers. Annual precipitation, mostly in the form of snow, averages 12 to 43 inches (305 to 1,090 millimeters) yet ranges as high as 82 inches (2,085 millimeters) at upper elevations. Soil temperature regimes are predominately Frigid to Cryic and soil moisture regimes are predominately Xeric to Udic. Mollisols and Andisols are the dominant soil orders. Ecologically, forests dominate, but shrub and grass communities may occur on south aspects and lower elevations as well as in alpine meadow environments. Forest composition follows moisture, temperature and elevational gradients and typically ranges from ponderosa pine and Douglas fir plant associations at lower elevations, grand fir at middle elevations and subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce at upper elevations. Historical fire regimes also correlated with these forest types and ranged from frequent surface fires in ponderosa pine - Douglas-fir forest types to mixed and stand replacing fire regimes in grand fir and subalpine fir types. A large percentage of the MLRA is federally owned and managed by the U.S. Forest Service for multiple uses.
Classification relationships
Mid-Montane Wetland Plant Associations of the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests:
SW6111- Artemisia cana/Deschampsia cespitosa
SW6112- Artemisia cana/Poa pratensis (Degraded state)
Riparian and Wetland Vegetation of Central Oregon:
CEGL001074 - Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula / Deschampsia caespitosa
US National Vegetation Classification System:
Group: G526 - Rocky Mountain-Great Basin Lowland-Foothill Riparian Shrubland
Alliance: A2557 - Artemisia cana Wet Shrubland Alliance
Association: CEGL001074 - Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula / Deschampsia cespitosa Wet Shrubland
Ecological site concept
This site occurs on cold meadow habitats with intermediate moisture availability. On these sites, adjacent springs, streams and rivers provide subsurface soil moisture and sustain water tables within 30 to 100 cm of the soil surface. Moist soils (Aquic soil moisture regimes) and cool temperatures (Cryic soil temperature regimes) support highly productive plant communities dominated by silver sagebrush (Artemisia cana), tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa), Cusick's bluegrass (Poa Cusickii) and a host of sedges (Carex spp.) and rushes (Juncus spp.) in reference condition. In comparison to sometimes adjacent wet meadow communities, these sites have lower water tables during summer and host lower proportions of obligate wetland and facultative wetland vegetation. Historical ecological dynamics would have been highly influenced by climate cycles and their interactions with adjacent streamflow as well as wildfires on site and within the contributing watershed.
Associated sites
R010XY001OR |
Cold Wet Meadow Water table remains within 30 cm of the soil surface throughout the summer. Higher proportion of sedges, silver sagebrush not present. |
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Similar sites
R010XY001OR |
Cold Wet Meadow Water table remains within 30 cm of the soil surface throughout the summer. Higher proportion of sedges, silver sagebrush not present. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
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Shrub |
(1) Artemisia cana ssp. viscidula |
Herbaceous |
(1) Deschampsia cespitosa |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Invasion of non-native meadow grasses |
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T2A | - | Sustained improperly managed grazing during sensitive times of year |
T2B | - | Hydrologic and water table alteration |
T3A | - | Hydrologic and water table alteration |
R4A | - | Restoration of hydrologic and biotic processes |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
P1.1a | - | Water tables are lowered for a prolonged period |
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P1.2a | - | Water tables are raised for a prolonged period |