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1.1

Ecological site DX032X02B122

Loamy (Ly) Wind River Basin Rim

Home / Esd catalog / MLRA 032X / Ecological site DX032X02B122
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T 1-2 - Frequent or high intensity herbivory on a community weakens the ability for the grasses to persist, especially during prolonged drought. With the weakened grasses and with prevention or lack of fire, the composition will shift to mostly sagebrush, and with time sagebrush will increase in density preventing the recovery without intervention.
T 1-3 - Long duration, high intensity grazing reduces the bunchgrass component and encourages the mat or sod-forming species such as threadleaf sedge and blue grama. Prolonged drought stresses the plants, and opens the canopy for these two quick responding plants to fill in the interspaces. The shallow, dense root mats will continue to spread over time. The added removal of sagebrush with animal impacts, fire or brush management may open the canopy more and aid in establishing this sod-former community.
R 2-1 - Removal or thinning of the sagebrush by mechanical, chemical or fire with remnant populations of the native perennial desired species will lead to this community. Provided, sufficient time is given for recovery of plants and conditions are optimal for seed development and seedling establishment. Frequent use of this community during the dormant season will work to reduce the sagebrush through trampling and grazing-tolerant. B but may encourage lower stature more tolerant species and not the more desired species.
T 2-3 - Sod-forming species such as threadleaf sedge and blue grama are able to tolerate high levels of use and will maintain as other native species decline. This decline creates a sagebrush – sod-former community that is resistant to change with management. Impacts to sagebrush by disease or insect damage will shift this to the secondary community phase.
T 2-4 - Seed sources are prevalent for cheatgrass, knapweed, and other invasive species. Stress to the native community from drought; events such as wildfire or prescribed burning and other forms of brush management; or ground/soil disturbance including impacts by grazing large herbivores or recreation that open the canopy and break the surface of the soil, a niche for invasion by undesirable weeds is presented. This invasion will start small and spread each year if not addressed immediately.
T 3-4 - The interstitial spaces within the patchy canopy of sod-formers leaves areas for weedy species to establish, especially with disturbance or high traffic areas.
R 4-5 - Integrated pest management plan and intense weed control after and possibly before seedbed preparation will be necessary to overcome a severe weed infestation. Using either improved varieties, native seed, or in some cases, an introduced species suited for the management use intended may be the only way to overcome some invasive species.
T 5-4 - In the reclamation or restoration process, or after a land disturbance occurs, if no management is put into place to prevent a re-occurrence or a new infestation of weeds, the community will revert back or transition to an invaded state. Wildfire, prescribed burning, drought, or frequent and severe grazing by large herbivores can be a source of the disturbance that either opens the canopy and/or introduces the species to the location.
CP 1.1-1.2 - Historic use patterns, drought, and climatic shifts have attributed to the decline in needleandthread and rhizomatous wheatgrasses. As bare ground increases, species such as Sandberg bluegrass, blue grama, and bottlebrush squirreltail increase as well as the canopy of sagebrush.
CP 1.2-1.1 - Removal of the historic use patterns in favor of a rest-rotation system, and the implementation of wildlife management programs has helped to reduce the grazing intensity, and allow rest for recovery. The use of dormant season grazing to decrease sagebrush, by reducing overall canopy and encouraging rejuvenation of growth. This also allows grasses the opportunity to spread out from the crown of the sagebrush plant and increase in density within the interspaces.

State 2 submodel, plant communities

CP 3.1-3.2 - In a sod dominant community, the hydrology has been altered drying the soils and reducing the potential for seedling establishment by many native grasses and shrubs. Once sagebrush is removed from this community by intense grazing pressure, drought or insect damage and disease, the community will phase into a complete sod community. Cactus increases in this transition due to the open interspaces between patches of sod-formers.
CP 4.1-4.2 - The competition for limited nutrients and spring moisture of most invasive species coupled with the weakening of natives with continued drought stress or grazing pressure will allow the invasive species to become dominant on the site, leaving only remnant populations of natives. Non-use allows soils to become loose and vulnerable to invasive species in these stressed conditions allowing their expansion as the natives decline.
CP 4.1-4.3 - Removal of sagebrush by fire, drought, or over use opens the potential for invasion by weedy species, especially cheatgrass following a fire. Continued over utilization or continued drought will further stress the native grasses opening the canopy to the threat of invasive species.
CP 4.2-4.1 - The integration of a diverse pest management/weed control plan to reduce competition for limited water and nutrients in conjunction with intensive grazing management over time will encourage the remnant populations of native species protected within the crown of the sagebrush to expand their footprint in the community. In some instances, it may be natives from surrounding communities that will creep back into a weed-dominated site. Eradication of the invasive species may not be possible, but it is possible to encourage natives to persist on the site.
CP 4.2-4.3 - A catastrophic disturbance (intense or large-scale fire) resulting in the loss of sagebrush and native grasses opens the potential for invasion by weedy species; especially cheatgrass following a fire.
CP 5.1-5.2 - Completion of a re-vegetation project with re-seeding, integrated pest management, and long-term prescribed grazing or other managed use of a landscape is needed to shift a disturbed community back to a representative or functional plant community.
CP 5.2-5.1 - If a reclaimed or restored site is not managed for the species implemented, whether with non-use or lack of restoration of natural disturbance regimes to maintain function of the system or by over-use of the community by large herbivores or humans, the community will revert back or fail to establish and will be a in a degraded community phase.