

Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R030XY023CA
Hyperthermic Dissected Shallow Pediment
Last updated: 10/21/2024
Accessed: 03/11/2025
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.
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
MLRA Description:
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 30, Mojave Desert, is found in southern California, southern Nevada, the extreme southwest corner of Utah and northwestern Arizona within the Basin and Range Province of the Intermontane Plateaus. The climate of the area is hot (primarily hyperthermic and thermic; however at higher elevations, generally above 5000 feet, mesic, cryic and frigid) and dry (aridic). Elevations range from below sea level to over 12,000 feet in the higher mountain areas found within the MLRA. Due to the extreme elevational range found within this MLRA, Land Resource Units (LRUs) were designated to group the MLRA into similar land units.
LRU Description:
This Land Resource Unit (designated by ‘XD’) is found on the eastern side of California. Elevations range from 400 to 2200 feet on average, but may be found up to 3600 feet on southern exposures. Precipitation ranges from 1 to 6 inches per year, but averages between 2-4 inches. This LRU is characterized primarily by the extreme aridity, hot temperatures, hyperthermic soil temperatures and low stature of widely spaced vegetation. Temperatures can reach over 110 degrees Fahrenheit for several weeks in July and August. Summer precipitation falls between July and September, ranging from 20-33% in the form of rain, and winter precipitation falls starting in November and ends between February and March, ranging from 56-70%, also mostly in the form of rain. Vegetation is primarily small, widely-spaced, low-producing creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa), and brittlebush (Encelia farinosa).
Ecological site concept
This ecological site occurs on dissected pediments at elevations of 950 to 2800 feet and slopes of 2 to 30 percent. Soils are very shallow to shallow over unweathered bedrock.
Production reference value (RV) is 164 pounds per acre and ranges from 68 to 221 pounds per acre depending on annual precipitation. The site is co-dominated by Mojave indigo bush (Psorothamnus arborescens), desertsenna (Senna armata), and burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa), and a high diversity of other shrubs is typically present. Hyperthermic soil temperatures and shallow soils with a hard bedrock contact limit water availability and annual production. The dissected topography and shallow soils provide areas of localized run-off, which supports desertsenna and Mojave indigo bush, as well as a higher diversity of shrubs than is found on surrounding fan aprons.
The data in the following sections is based on all components (major and minor) that this ecological site is correlated with.
Associated sites
R030XD042CA |
Hyperthermic Shallow To Moderately Deep Fan Remnants R030XD042CA is found on adjacent fan remnants. Vegetation is sparse and dominated by creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). |
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Similar sites
R030XB228CA |
Warm Shallow Pediments R030XB228CA is found pediments with warm thermic soils. Creosote bush (Larrea tridentata) and burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa) dominate. Mojave indigobush (Psorothamnus arborescens) and desertsenna (Senna armata) are secondary species if present. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
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Shrub |
(1) Psorothamnus arborescens |
Herbaceous |
Not specified |
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