Ecological site R030XB205AZ

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.

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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.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 030X–Mojave Basin and Range

This unit occurs within the Basin and Range Province and is characterized by broad basins, valleys, and old lakebeds. Widely spaced mountains trending north to south occur throughout the area. Isolated, short mountain ranges are separated by an aggraded desert plain. The mountains are fault blocks that have been tilted up. Long alluvial fans coalesce with dry lakebeds between some of the ranges.

LRU notes

AZ LRU 30-2 – Middle Mohave Desert

Elevations range from 1500 to 3200 feet and precipitation averages 6 to 9 inches per year. Vegetation includes creosotebush, white bursage, yucca, prickly pear and cholla species, Mormon tea, flattop buckwheat, ratany, winterfat, bush muhly, threeawns, and big galleta. The soil temperature regime is thermic and the soil moisture regime is typic aridic.

Ecological site concept

This ecological site is located on gently sloping uplands. Soils are non-calcareous at the surface, effervescence increases with depth. Textures are gravelly sandy loams.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	(1) Larrea tridentata (2) Ambrosia dumosa
Herbaceous	(1) Pleuraphis rigida

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Physiographic features

This ecological site is found in an upland position on summits, shoulders and concave areas of fan terraces. Slopes range from 1 to 10 percent.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Terrace
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	457 – 914 m
Slope	1 – 15%
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

The climate is arid and warm. Annual precipitation ranges from 6 to 10 inches. About 65 percent of the rainfall comes from October through May as gentle rain from Pacific storms which may last for a couple of days. The rest of the rainfall comes during the summer monsoon season from July through September as spotty, brief, intense thunderstorms. Snow rarely falls, and only remains on the ground a few hours at most. Annual air temperature ranges from 59 to 70 degrees F. The average frost-free period ranges from 156 to 259 days.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (average)	259 days
Freeze-free period (average)	290 days
Precipitation total (average)	254 mm

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Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range

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Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Soil features

The soil of this site is deep to very deep. Surface textures range from gravelly loamy sand to sandy loam. Subsurface textures range from very gravelly loamy sand to sandy loam. The soil is slightly effervescent at the surface becoming strongly to violently effervescent in the subsurface.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Gravelly loamy sand (2) Gravelly sandy loam (3) Sandy loam
Family particle size	(1) Sandy
Drainage class	Somewhat excessively drained
Permeability class	Moderately rapid to rapid
Soil depth	152 cm
Surface fragment cover <=3"	0 – 10%
Surface fragment cover >3"	0%
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-101.6cm)	0 – 40%
Electrical conductivity (0-101.6cm)	0 – 2 mmhos/cm
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-101.6cm)	7.8 – 9
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	3 – 30%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	0%

Ecological dynamics

The plant community on this site is shrub dominated with a very sparse understory of perennial grasses and perennial forbs. Natural disturbance rarely occurs on this site. Limited available forage restrict livestock impacts on this site. Annual forbs flourish in springs, particularly following wet winters; the green forage produced is desired by livestock but is largely unused once matured. Non-native annuals are well adapted on this site.

State and transition model

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text

State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community

Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community

The dominant aspect of this ecological site is a desert shrub. This site is dominated by creosotebush and white bursage with sparse amounts of big galleta occurring in the small drainages.

Figure 4. 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)
Shrub/Vine	152	280	406
Grass/Grasslike	13	40	68
Forb	2	12	22
Tree	–	3	8
Total	167	335	504

Table 6. Ground cover

Tree foliar cover	0%
Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover	0-2%
Grass/grasslike foliar cover	0-1%
Forb foliar cover	0-1%
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	–	–	–	1-3%
>0.15 <= 0.3	–	–	0-1%	–
>0.3 <= 0.6	–	–	–	–
>0.6 <= 1.4	–	8-12%	–	–
>1.4 <= 4	–	–	–	–
>4 <= 12	–	–	–	–
>12 <= 24	–	–	–	–
>24 <= 37	–	–	–	–
>37	–	–	–	–

Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). AZ3022, 30.2 6-9" p.z. upland sites. Growth begins in the late winter, most growth occurs in the spring..

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	2	19	33	18	7	7	11	3	0	0	0

State 2
Non-native Annuals

Community 2.1
Non-native Annuals

This plant community resembles the historic native plant community, but exotic annuals have been introduced. Non-native species include red brome, Mediterranean grass (Schismus spp.), and filaree. The flourish of non-native annuals that occurs following rainfalls may preclude native annuals.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Introduction of non-native annual forb and grass seed,

Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1

None known.

Additional community tables

Table 8. Community 1.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production (kg/hectare)	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1				12–25
	big galleta	PLRI3	Pleuraphis rigida	12–25	–
2				0–8
	Indian ricegrass	ACHY	Achnatherum hymenoides	0–8	–
3				0–10
	sand dropseed	SPCR	Sporobolus cryptandrus	0–10	–
4				2–12
	Grass, annual	2GA	Grass, annual	2–12	–
Forb
5				0–2
	desert globemallow	SPAM2	Sphaeralcea ambigua	0–2	–
6				2–8
	Forb, annual	2FA	Forb, annual	2–8	–
Shrub/Vine
7				101–126
	creosote bush	LATR2	Larrea tridentata	101–126	–
8				50–89
	burrobush	AMDU2	Ambrosia dumosa	50–89	–
9				2–12
	rayless goldenhead	ACSP	Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus	2–12	–
10				0–4
	water jacket	LYAN	Lycium andersonii	0–4	–
11				0–2
	Nevada jointfir	EPNE	Ephedra nevadensis	0–2	–
12				2–4
	littleleaf ratany	KRER	Krameria erecta	0–4	–
	white ratany	KRGR	Krameria grayi	0–4	–
	littleleaf ratany	KRER	Krameria erecta	0–4	–
	white ratany	KRGR	Krameria grayi	0–4	–
13				0–4
	pricklypear	OPUNT	Opuntia	0–4	–
14				0–2
	Mojave yucca	YUSC2	Yucca schidigera	0–2	–
15				0–2
	ocotillo	FOSP2	Fouquieria splendens	0–2	–
16				2–12
	Shrub (>.5m)	2SHRUB	Shrub (>.5m)	2–12	–
Tree
17				0–4
	Joshua tree	YUBR	Yucca brevifolia	0–4	–

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	11/23/2024
Approved by	Kendra Moseley
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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Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site R030XB205AZ

Sandy Loam Upland 6-10" p.z. Limy Subsurface, Gravelly

Last updated: 10/21/2024 Accessed: 11/23/2024

General information

Figure 1. Mapped extent

MLRA notes

LRU notes

Ecological site concept

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Ecosystem states

State 1 submodel, plant communities

State 2 submodel, plant communities

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 10/21/2024
Accessed: 11/23/2024