Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R025XY010UT
Riparian (Narrowleaf Cottonwood)
Accessed: 11/21/2024
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): 025X–Owyhee High Plateau
MLRA 25 lies within the Intermontane Plateaus physiographic province. The southern half is in the Great Basin Section of the Basin and Range Province. This part of the MLRA is characterized by isolated, uplifted fault-block mountain ranges separated by narrow, aggraded desert plains. This geologically older terrain has been dissected by numerous streams draining to the Humboldt River. The northern half of the area lies within the Columbia Plateaus geologic province. This part of the MLRA forms the southern boundary of the extensive Columbia Plateau basalt flows. Deep, narrow canyons drain to the Snake River which incise the broad volcanic plain. The Humboldt River, route of a major western pioneer trail, crosses the southern half of this area. Reaches of the Owyhee River in this area have been designated as National Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Associated sites
| R025XY412UT |
Mountain Gravelly Loam (Mountain Big Sagebrush) Also R025XY030UT and R025XY410UT |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Populus angustifolia |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Salix lutea |
| Herbaceous |
Not specified |
Physiographic features
This site occurs on gently sloping flood plains in canyon and small valley bottoms. Slopes are mostly 1 to 10 percent. Elevations range from 5,000 to 8,000 feet on all aspects.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Flood plain
(2) Valley floor |
|---|---|
| Flooding frequency | None |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 1,524 – 2,438 m |
| Slope | 1 – 10% |
| Water table depth | 51 – 102 cm |
| Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
Mean Annual Air Temperature: 43-46
Mean Annual Soil Temperature: 45-48
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 0 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 120 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 508 mm |
Figure 1. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
Soil features
Characteristic soils in this site are 10 to over 60 inches. Soils are deep and somewhat poorly drained. They formed in alluvium derived mainly from mixed parent materials. These soils are moist throughout the year. They have moderate to rapid permeability. The water table is usually below 40 inches but may be present at 20 inches in the spring. Rock fragment content range from 0 to 70 percent in the profile. The high water table in this soil is the main soil property affecting plant growth. The water supplying capacity is 5 to 14 inches.
Average annual soil loss in potential is approximately 0.5 tons/acre. Average annual precipitation is 7 to 20 inches.
Approximately 25 percent occurs as rain from May through September. On the average, July through September are the driest months and April through June are the wettest months. The mean annual air temperature is 43 to 46 degrees F. and the soil temperatures are in the cryic regime. The average freeze free period is 60 to 120 days. In average years, grasses begin growth around May 1 and end growth around September 30.
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Drainage class | Somewhat poorly drained |
|---|---|
| Permeability class | Moderate to rapid |
| Soil depth | 25 – 152 cm |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 35% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 35% |
Ecological dynamics
As ecological condition deteriorates due to grazing pressure, palatable grasses, grasslike plants, forbs, and shrubs decrease while unpalatable plants increase.
State and transition model
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Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State
Community 1.1
Reference State
The dominant aspect of the potential natural plant community is narrowleaf cottonwood and willow. The composition by air-dry weight is approximately 45 percent perennial grasses and grass-like plants, 15 percent forbs, 20 percent shrubs, and 20 percent trees.
Figure 2. 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 | 706 | 984 | 1261 |
| Shrub/Vine | 314 | 437 | 560 |
| Tree | 314 | 437 | 560 |
| Forb | 235 | 328 | 420 |
| Total | 1569 | 2186 | 2801 |
Table 6. Soil surface cover
| Tree basal cover | 10-20% |
|---|---|
| Shrub/vine/liana basal cover | 10-20% |
| Grass/grasslike basal cover | 20-40% |
| Forb basal cover | 5-10% |
| Non-vascular plants | 0% |
| Biological crusts | 0% |
| Litter | 0% |
| Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" | 0% |
| Surface fragments >3" | 0% |
| Bedrock | 0% |
| Water | 0% |
| Bare ground | 0% |
Table 7. Canopy structure (% cover)
| Height Above Ground (m) | Tree | Shrub/Vine | Grass/ Grasslike |
Forb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <0.15 | – | – | – | – |
| >0.15 <= 0.3 | – | – | – | 5-15% |
| >0.3 <= 0.6 | – | – | 35-45% | – |
| >0.6 <= 1.4 | – | – | – | – |
| >1.4 <= 4 | – | 15-25% | – | – |
| >4 <= 12 | – | – | – | – |
| >12 <= 24 | 15-25% | – | – | – |
| >24 <= 37 | – | – | – | – |
| >37 | – | – | – | – |
Figure 3. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). UT0101, PNC 0101. Excellent Condition.
| 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 | 5 | 15 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Additional community tables
Table 8. Community 1.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (kg/hectare) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tree
|
||||||
| 0 | Primary Trees | 224–336 | ||||
| narrowleaf cottonwood | POAN3 | Populus angustifolia | 224–336 | – | ||
| 4 | Secondary Trees | 45–135 | ||||
| Rocky Mountain maple | ACGL | Acer glabrum | 22–67 | – | ||
| quaking aspen | POTR5 | Populus tremuloides | 22–67 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 0 | Primary Shrubs | 269–516 | ||||
| yellow willow | SALU2 | Salix lutea | 112–224 | – | ||
| Woods' rose | ROWO | Rosa woodsii | 67–112 | – | ||
| narrowleaf willow | SAEX | Salix exigua | 67–112 | – | ||
| gray alder | ALIN2 | Alnus incana | 22–67 | – | ||
| 3 | Secondary Shrubs | 112–224 | ||||
| Shrub (>.5m) | 2SHRUB | Shrub (>.5m) | 112–224 | – | ||
| Saskatoon serviceberry | AMAL2 | Amelanchier alnifolia | 22–67 | – | ||
| redosier dogwood | COSE16 | Cornus sericea | 22–67 | – | ||
| black hawthorn | CRDO2 | Crataegus douglasii | 22–67 | – | ||
| golden currant | RIAU | Ribes aureum | 22–67 | – | ||
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 0 | Primary Grasses | 628–1121 | ||||
| fowl bluegrass | POPA2 | Poa palustris | 224–336 | – | ||
| basin wildrye | LECI4 | Leymus cinereus | 112–224 | – | ||
| Hood's sedge | CAHO5 | Carex hoodii | 112–224 | – | ||
| woolly sedge | CAPE42 | Carex pellita | 112–224 | – | ||
| common spikerush | ELPA3 | Eleocharis palustris | 67–112 | – | ||
| 1 | Secondary Grasses | 67–112 | ||||
| Grass, annual | 2GA | Grass, annual | 67–112 | – | ||
| Grass, perennial | 2GP | Grass, perennial | 67–112 | – | ||
| creeping bentgrass | AGST2 | Agrostis stolonifera | 22–67 | – | ||
| slender wheatgrass | ELTR7 | Elymus trachycaulus | 22–67 | – | ||
| western wheatgrass | PASM | Pascopyrum smithii | 22–67 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 0 | Primary Forbs | 67–112 | ||||
| Richardson's geranium | GERI | Geranium richardsonii | 67–112 | – | ||
| 2 | Secondary Forbs | 224–336 | ||||
| Forb, annual | 2FA | Forb, annual | 224–336 | – | ||
| Forb, perennial | 2FP | Forb, perennial | 224–336 | – | ||
| common yarrow | ACMI2 | Achillea millefolium | 22–67 | – | ||
| white sagebrush | ARLU | Artemisia ludoviciana | 22–67 | – | ||
| Rocky Mountain iris | IRMI | Iris missouriensis | 22–67 | – | ||
| Rocky Mountain groundsel | PAST10 | Packera streptanthifolia | 22–67 | – | ||
| English cinquefoil | POAN7 | Potentilla anglica | 22–67 | – | ||
| common dandelion | TAOF | Taraxacum officinale | 22–67 | – | ||
| cows clover | TRWO | Trifolium wormskioldii | 22–67 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
Wildlife using this site include rabbit, coyote, owl, hawk, mule deer, and elk.
This is a short list of the more common species found. Many other species are present as well and migratory birds are present at times.
Recreational uses
Recreation values are camping, fishing, hunting, and hiking. Natural beauty values exist in the diversity and abundance of plant growth coming from the moist soils found in this site.
Wood products
Fire wood
Other information
Site Factors Influencing Management
For proper maintenance of the key species, this site should be deferred from grazing during the last half of the growing season; at least one year in three or as prescribed after upon examination of the site by qualified authorities.
Supporting information
Type locality
| Location 1: Box Elder County, UT | |
|---|---|
| Township/Range/Section | T13N R17W S36 |
| General legal description | Type location: NE ¼ SW ¼ Section 2, Township 13N, Range 17W Legal Description: NE ¼ of the SW ¼, Section 36, Township 13N, Range 17W. Basin Creek at Lynn, Utah |
Contributors
DJS
J P Repp
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 | |
| Approved by | |
| 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:
-
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
-
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
-
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
-
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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