Upland Loam (Wyoming Big Sagebrush)

Description

This state includes the plant communities that were best adapted to the unique combination of factors associated with this ecological site prior to European settlement. It was in a natural dynamic equilibrium with the historic biotic, abiotic, climatic factors all being able to function freely. This dominant aspect of the plant community is Wyoming big sagebrush and Bluebunch wheatgrass. The community is made up of 60 % Grass 10 % forbs and 30 % shrubs on a dry weight base. The Fire Regimes on this site would be 35 to 80 years.
All of these scenarios are very interrelated and dependent on weather patterns and events as well as fire frequency and intensity. The fire frequency should be around 35 to 80 years. Any set of events that are strong enough to force the plant community out of this pattern can push it over a threshold and into another state.

Submodel

Description

This state includes the biotic communities that would become established on the ecological site if all successional sequences were completed without interferences by man under the present environmental conditions. Natural disturbances are inherent in its development. The CPS state will include acclimatized, naturalized or invasive nonnative species. There is no known way to effectively remove these plants from the site once they have become established. The level of occurrence of these plants in the CPS is such that careful management can prevent their domination of the site. This site is irreversibly changed. Plant communities within the CPS state may be managed and used for various purposes by man without significant alteration in plant community composition or production. It includes all of the plant communities that exist in the RPC state with the inclusion of species that are non-native to this ESD. These non-native plants are not to be considered when considering plants for the rangeland health site evaluation.
The complete list of plants for this state are the ones listed in the Reference Plant Community list with these and other Non-Native and/or Native species.
All of these scenarios are very interrelated and dependent on weather patterns and events as well as fire frequency and intensity. The fire frequency should be around 35 to 80 years. Any set of events that are strong enough to force the plant community out of this pattern can push it over a threshold and push it into another state.

Submodel

Description

This State has only two described Plant Communities but many variations of the represented ones are present. This is the State that this plant community will move to when there is a lack of fire with a source of Utah Juniper and maybe a source of pinyon seed. Movement from community fase to community fase can and often is accelerated by overgrazing. The dominate aspect of the plant community is Utah Juniper and Cheatgrass brome. This State can persist for a long time until extreme conditions needed for a wildfire occur or some other management treatment is implemented.

Submodel

Description

This is the state that this plant community will move to when it is in an over grazed condition and/or drought condition and then burned (wild or controlled) and not seeded or seeding is not successful. The dominant aspect of the plant community is Cheatgrass brome, Yellow rabbitbrush with a very small amount of Wyoming big sagebrush. The community will usually be made up of 70 % Cheatgrass brome and 10 % Forbs and 20 % Yellow rabbitbrush with minor components of other shrubs.

Submodel

Description

This state exists when the site is cultivated and/or burned and planted to Introduced and in some situations Native grasses, forbs and often half shrubs and shrubs.

Submodel