Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R021XY310OR
SHALLOW NORTH 14-18 PZ
Accessed: 12/22/2024
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
| R021XY312OR |
NORTH SLOPES 14-18 PZ |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
Not specified |
| Herbaceous |
Not specified |
Physiographic features
This site occurs on north-facing sideslopes.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Mountain slope
|
|---|---|
| Elevation | 1,433 – 1,981 m |
| Slope | 30 – 70% |
| Aspect | N |
Climatic features
The annual precipitation ranges from 14 to 18 inches, most of which occurs in the form of snow during the months of October through April. The soil temperature regime is frigid with a mean annual air temperature of about 45 degrees F. Temperature extremes range from 90 to -30 degrees F. The frost free period ranges from 50 to 70 days. The optimum period for plant growth is from June through July.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 70 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 0 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 457 mm |
Figure 2. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils of this site are very shallow to a claypan or subsoil layer containing over 35 percent rock fragments (typically over 50 percent) which restrict root penetration. The surface layer is loamy and typically contains over 35 percent cobbles and stones. Permeability is slow or moderately slow. The soils are shallow to deep over bedrock. Runoff is medium to rapid. Erosion hazard by water is moderate to high.
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Cobbly loam |
|---|---|
| Permeability class | Slow to moderately slow |
| Soil depth | 25 – 152 cm |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 35 – 50% |
Ecological dynamics
If the condition of the site deteriorates as a result of overgrazing, Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass decrease while Thurber needlegrass and Sandberg bluegrass increase. With further deterioration big sagebrush, shrubby buckwheat, annual grasses and a variety of forbs may dominate the site. Excessive erosion in the bare interspaces markedly reduces the site potential and contributes to downstream sedimentation.
Idaho fescue is the dominant grass on due north aspects. Bluebunch wheatgrass and Sandberg bluegrass increase on soils with coarser surface textures and on more easterly or westerly aspects.
State and transition model
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Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/ARAR8
Community 1.1
HCPC, FEID-PSSP6/ARAR8
The potential native plant community is dominated by Idaho fescue and low sagebrush. Bluebunch wheatgrass and a variety of other forbs are present in the stand. Vegetative composition of the community is approximately 75% grasses, 5% forbs, and 20% 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 | 545 | 661 | 777 |
| Shrub/Vine | 141 | 217 | 293 |
| Forb | 50 | 91 | 131 |
| Total | 736 | 969 | 1201 |
Figure 4. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). OR5555, D21 Mid Elev., North, Good Condition. HCPC Growth Curve.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 50 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 | Dominant deep rooted perennial grasses | 404–504 | ||||
| Idaho fescue | FEID | Festuca idahoensis | 404–504 | – | ||
| 2 | Sub-dominant deep rooted perennial grasses | 111–171 | ||||
| bluebunch wheatgrass | PSSP6 | Pseudoroegneria spicata | 101–151 | – | ||
| Thurber's needlegrass | ACTH7 | Achnatherum thurberianum | 10–20 | – | ||
| 4 | Sub-dominant shallow rooted perennial grasses | 20–50 | ||||
| Sandberg bluegrass | POSE | Poa secunda | 20–50 | – | ||
| 5 | Other perennial grasses | 10–50 | ||||
| sedge | CAREX | Carex | 0–6 | – | ||
| onespike danthonia | DAUN | Danthonia unispicata | 0–6 | – | ||
| squirreltail | ELEL5 | Elymus elymoides | 0–6 | – | ||
| prairie Junegrass | KOMA | Koeleria macrantha | 0–6 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 7 | Dominant perennial forbs | 40–81 | ||||
| Hooker's balsamroot | BAHO | Balsamorhiza hookeri | 10–20 | – | ||
| desertparsley | LOMAT | Lomatium | 10–20 | – | ||
| lupine | LUPIN | Lupinus | 10–20 | – | ||
| phlox | PHLOX | Phlox | 10–20 | – | ||
| 9 | Other perennial forbs | 10–50 | ||||
| milkvetch | ASTRA | Astragalus | 0–6 | – | ||
| mariposa lily | CALOC | Calochortus | 0–6 | – | ||
| fleabane | ERIGE2 | Erigeron | 0–6 | – | ||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 0–6 | – | ||
| largehead clover | TRMA3 | Trifolium macrocephalum | 0–6 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 11 | Dominant evergreen shrubs | 101–202 | ||||
| little sagebrush | ARAR8 | Artemisia arbuscula | 101–202 | – | ||
| 12 | Sub-dominant deciduous shrubs | 20–40 | ||||
| mountain big sagebrush | ARTRV | Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana | 10–20 | – | ||
| slender buckwheat | ERMI4 | Eriogonum microthecum | 10–20 | – | ||
| 14 | Sub-dominant deciduous (or 1/2 shrubs) shrubs | 20–50 | ||||
| antelope bitterbrush | PUTR2 | Purshia tridentata | 20–50 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides food for mule deer.
Hydrological functions
The soils are in hydrologic groups C and D.
Other products
This site has limited suitability for livestock grazing due to steep slopes and coarse fragments. At slopes greater than 50%, cattle use will be reduced.
Other information
This site has limited suitability for seeding due to steep slopes and coarse fragments.
Supporting information
Contributors
Barrett, Carlson
E Ersch
K.Kennedy
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 |
|---|---|
| Contact for lead author | Oregon NRCS State Rangeland Management Specialist |
| Date | 08/22/2012 |
| Approved by | Bob Gillaspy |
| Approval date | |
| Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
-
Number and extent of rills:
None to some, moderate to severe sheet & rill erosion hazard -
Presence of water flow patterns:
Some in interspaces -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Some to few; limited by vegetation density -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
5-15% -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None, slight 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):
Very shallow to deep (limited by a claypan or subsurface layer with >50% rock fragments), well drained gravelly or stony loams or cobbly clay loams: Low OM (1-2%) -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Moderate vegetative cover (55-70%) provides some protection from run off; slopes range from 30-70%; infiltration is slow -
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 > Low sagebrush > Bluebunch wheatgrass > Antelope bitterbrush = Sandberg bluegrass = dominant forbs > other grasses = other forbs = other 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: 500 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:
Perennial brush species and forbs will increase with deterioration of plant community. Western Juniper may invade 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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