Upland Gravelly Loam (Wyoming Big Sagebrush)
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Restoration pathway R6a More details
-
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
The interpretive plant community for this site is the Reference State (RS). Dominant vegetative aspect is Wyoming big sagebrush and Bluebunch wheatgrass with other grasses and forbs in the interspaces. This site is usually associated with Salt Lake formation terraces. The air-dry composition weight is 50% perennial grasses, 15% forbs and 35% shrubs. Plants begin growth around April 20 and end growth around September 15. The RS has been determined by the study of rangeland relic areas, the evaluation of collected data, and trend data. The assumptions in developing this site were that the historic data and the sites visited were accurately represented.
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 Current Potential state may include acclimatized, naturalized or invasive nonnative species. 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 reference state with the inclusion of nonnative species.
Submodel
Description
This is the state that this plant community will move to when there is a lack of fire with a source of juniper seeds. Movement into this state can be accelerated by overgrazing. The dominant aspect of the plant community is Utah juniper with or without One needle pinyon 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 site will move to when there is long term improper grazing (continuous season long, high intensity). The perennial grasses are removed and brome snakeweed will increase in the understory until it dominates the site. (Ralphs and Thacker 2007 - Poison Plants Lab and ARS Logan, Utah)
Submodel
Description
This is the state that this site will move to when it is in an overgrazed situation. Drought conditions will enhance and/or accelerate the move to this state. Fire (wild or controlled)and not seeded will often end up in this state. The dominant aspect of this state is fire tolerant shrubs like yellow rabbitbrush and fire tolerant annual grasses like Cheatgrass brome.
Submodel
Description
This state results from a significant vegetation manipulation that may include prescribed burning, chaining, cabling, disking, mowing, plowing or other techniques with the intent of introducing non-native and/or native grasses and forbs on to the site. These may be plants like crested wheatgrasses, Russian wildrye, bluebunch wheatgrass, slender wheatgrass, Alfalfa etc. Typically Wyoming big sagebrush will start reestablishing back into the site within 15 to 20 years.
Submodel
Mechanism
Time with proper management that favors the native plants as they move back onto the site. This process can take from 30 to over 80 years to start taking place.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Prescribed Grazing |
|
|
Grazing Management Plan - Applied |
Model keys
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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.