Search

Search for a Major Land Resource Area or ecological site by name and/or ID.

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site R035XB030NM

Sandy Loam Upland 6-10"

Accessed: 11/13/2024

Home / Esd catalog / MLRA 035X / Ecological site R035XB030NM

USC

Metric

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.

Click to explore map

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.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	(1) Atriplex canescens (2) Krascheninnikovia lanata
Herbaceous	(1) Achnatherum hymenoides

Download full description

Physiographic features

This site occurs on treads of high stream terraces, fan remnants of undulating plateaus, and cuestas. It does not benefit from run-in moisture from adjacent areas, nor does it suffer from excessive loss from runoff. It occurs on all exposures. Slopes range from 1 to 8 percent. Elevations range from 4,700 to 6,100 feet.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Fan remnant (2) Cuesta (3) Dip slope
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	4,700 – 6,100 ft
Slope	1 – 8%
Water table depth	60 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

Mean annual precipitation varies from 7 to 10 inches. About 60% of this moisture comes as rain from April through October. May and June are the driest months. Most of the moisture from November through March comes as snow. Winds of high velocity during late winter and early spring are common.

Mean temperature for the hottest month, July, is about 83 degrees F. Mean temperature for the coldest month, January, is about 27 degrees F. Extreme temperatures of 104 degrees F and –17 degrees F have been recorded. The frost-free period ranges from 140 to 160 days.

The cool-season plants start growth in March and end with plant maturity and seed dissemination about mid-June. During June, July, August, and September, the warm-season plants make optimum growth taking advantage of the warm temperature and moisture from tropical air out of the Gulf of Mexico. About 40% of the total precipitation is received during these summer months. The other 60% received during the fall-winter-spring months influences cool-season plants.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (average)	160 days
Freeze-free period (average)	165 days
Precipitation total (average)	10 in

Bar

Line

Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range

Bar

Line

Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Soil features

The soils are very deep and well drained. They are formed in alluvium and eolium derived from sandstone. Surface textures include loamy fine sand and fine sandy loam. The subsoil has textures of very fine sandy loam, fine sandy loam, loamy coarse sand, and loamy sand. Permeability is moderately rapid. Available water holding capacity is low to moderate. Runoff is very low to low, and the hazard of water erosion is very slight to slight. The hazard of soil blowing is severe. The soils are slightly to strongly alkaline (pH 7.4-9.0), nonsaline to slightly saline below 24 inches (EC 0-8), and nonsodic to slightly sodic (SAR 0-13).

Characteristic taxonomic units are:
Shiprock SSA:
120-Nageezi-Denazar (Nageezi part)
173-Shiprock fine sandy loam
205-Shiprock-Farb Complex (Shiprock part)
240-Nageezi loamy fine sand
Other soils included are:

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Loamy fine sand (2) Fine sandy loam
Family particle size	(1) Loamy
Drainage class	Well drained
Permeability class	Moderately rapid
Soil depth	60 – 67 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	8%
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (0-40in)	4 – 6 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in)	1 – 30%
Electrical conductivity (0-40in)	8 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in)	13
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	7.4 – 9
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	5%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	Not specified

Ecological dynamics

This site has a plant community made up primarily of short- and mid-grasses, some shrubs, and a small percentage of forbs. In the original plant community there is a mixture of both cool- and warm-season grasses. Plant species most likely to invade or increase on this site when it deteriorates are cheatgrass and other annual weeds, sixweeks fescue, galleta, and broom snakeweed. Continuous livestock grazing during winter and spring will decrease the cool-season grasses, which are replaced by lower forage value grasses and shrubs

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

Ecosystem states

1. Historic Climax Plant Community

State 1 submodel, plant communities

1.1. Historic Climax Plant Community

State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community

Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community

Figure 4. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Table 5. Annual production by plant type

Plant type	Low (lb/acre)	Representative value (lb/acre)	High (lb/acre)
Grass/Grasslike	240	320	440
Shrub/Vine	45	60	82
Forb	15	20	28
Total	300	400	550

Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM0380, R035XB030NM-Sandy Loam Upland 6 to 10 inch-Reference State. R035XB030NM-Sandy Loam Upland 6 to 10 inch-Reference State.

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
6	6	7	6	6	5	11	14	12	12	8	7

Additional community tables

Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production (lb/acre)	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1	Indian ricegrass			100–140
	Indian ricegrass	ACHY	Achnatherum hymenoides	100–140	–
2	galleta			40–60
	James' galleta	PLJA	Pleuraphis jamesii	40–60	–
3	blue grama			20–40
	blue grama	BOGR2	Bouteloua gracilis	20–40	–
4	sand dropseed			0–8
	sand dropseed	SPCR	Sporobolus cryptandrus	0–8	–
5	Fendler's threeawn			0–8
	Fendler's threeawn	ARPUF	Aristida purpurea var. fendleriana	0–8	–
6	Fendler (red) threeawn			0–4
	Fendler threeawn	ARPUL	Aristida purpurea var. longiseta	0–4	–
7	squirreltail			8–20
	squirreltail	ELEL5	Elymus elymoides	8–20	–
8	mesa dropseed			0–12
	mesa dropseed	SPFL2	Sporobolus flexuosus	0–12	–
9	sandhill muhly			0–4
	sandhill muhly	MUPU2	Muhlenbergia pungens	0–4	–
10	other perennial grasses			0–12
	Grass, perennial	2GP	Grass, perennial	0–12	–
Forb
11	rose heath (smallflower aster)			0–8
	rose heath	CHER2	Chaetopappa ericoides	0–8	–
12	globemallow			0–4
	globemallow	SPHAE	Sphaeralcea	0–4	–
13	other perennial forbs			0–12
	Forb, perennial	2FP	Forb, perennial	0–12	–
14	annual forbs			0–8
Shrub/Vine
15	fourwing saltbush			4–20
	fourwing saltbush	ATCA2	Atriplex canescens	4–20	–
16	winterfat			0–20
17	plains pricklypear			0–4
	plains pricklypear	OPPO	Opuntia polyacantha	0–4	–
18	Greene's rabbitbrush			0–4
	Greene's rabbitbrush	CHGR6	Chrysothamnus greenei	0–4	–
19	broom snakeweed			4–20
	broom snakeweed	GUSA2	Gutierrezia sarothrae	4–20	–
20	other shrubs			0–8
	Shrub (>.5m)	2SHRUB	Shrub (>.5m)	0–8	–

Interpretations

Animal community

This site is well used by wildlife that dig or burrow and those which require open grassland.

Hydrological functions

This site normally receives about 7-10 inches of annual precipitation. Most summer rainfall occurs as brief, sometimes heavy, thunderstorms. Slopes range from 1-8 percent. Permeability is moderately rapid. Runoff is very low to low, and the hazard of water erosion is very slight to slight.

Recreational uses

Open grasslands of the undulating plateaus and cuestas of this site are aesthetically appealing and provide recreational activities such as hunting, horseback riding, and wildlife observation.

Wood products

This site has no significant value for wood products.

Other products

Grazing: This site is suitable for yearlong grazing by all classes of livestock. Grazing systems adapt well to this site and should be used. This site is susceptible to erosion, particularly overgrazed areas, old roads, cattle trails, and high-use areas.

Supporting information

Inventory data references

The potential historic climax plant community has been determined by study of range relict areas or areas protected from excessive grazing. Trends in plant communities going from heavily grazed areas to lightly grazed areas, seasonal use pastures, and historical accounts have also been used.

Type locality

Location 1: San Juan County, NM
Township/Range/Section	T25N R17W S15
General legal description	Little Water Topographic Quadrangle – 5 miles ESE of Little Water, NM Section 15, Township 25N, Range 17W – Navajo Reservation, NM.

Contributors

David Trujillo
John Tunberg
Michael Carpinelli
Unknown

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
Approved by
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:

Download reference sheet