SALINE MEADOW
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
-
Transition T1A
T1A - Establishment of non-native plant species.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The reference state is generally dominated by alkali sacaton and inland saltgrass. The reference state is self-sustaining and resistant to change due to high resistance to natural disturbances and high resilience following natural disturbances. When natural disturbances occur, the rate of recovery is variable due to disturbance intensity. Once invasive plants establish, return to the reference state may not be possible.
Submodel
Description
The Current Potential State is similar to the Reference State, however invasive grasses and/ or forbs are now present in all community phases. Alkali sacaton is still the primary perennial grass species however, saltgrass, Baltic rush, cheatgrass and other less palatable species make up a larger portion of the herbaceous layer.
Primary disturbance mechanisms include native herbivore grazing and proper domestic livestock grazing. Timing of these disturbances dictates the ecological dynamics that occur. The Current Potential State is still self-sustaining; but is losing resistance to change due to lower resilience following disturbances. When disturbances occur, the rate of recovery is variable depending on severity.
Submodel
Mechanism
This transition is from the native perennial warm-season and cool season grasses and grasslike understory in the reference state to a state that contains non-native, invasive species. Events may include the establishment of invasive grasses and forbs, and an increase in black greasewood, basin big sagebrush, and/or rubber rabbitbrush. Factors that drive such events include: improper livestock grazing of perennial grasses, prolonged drought, and the presence of a seed source for invasive species. Fire may also be a driver for this change in some instances. Invasive species such as cheatgrass, have been known to invade intact perennial plant communities with little to no disturbance. Once invasive species are found in the plant community a threshold has been crossed.
Model keys
Briefcase
Add ecological sites and Major Land Resource Areas to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase (
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.