Grasses found on this site include: blue grama, sideoats grama, western wheatgrass, little bluestem, spike muhly, alkali sacaton, black grama, galleta, and New Mexico feathergrass. Winterfat, four-wing saltbush, and broom snakeweed are common shrubs. A few pinyon and juniper may be found widely scattered across the site. Continuous heavy grazing causes a decrease in sideoats grama, little bluestem, spike muhly, and other cool-season grasses. Where dominated by warm-season grasses, either blue grama, galleta, or black grama may assume dominance depending on individual site characteristics. Blue grama seems to be the most grazing-resistant species, and under continued heavy use, may become sod-bound. Other species that are typically found in this community include threeawn, and broom snakeweed.
Grass composition is variable; cover ranges from uniform to patchy with numerous small, bare patches. Shrubs and a few trees may be present on the site with a combined canopy cover averaging 7%. Evidence of erosion such as pedestalling of grasses, rills, and gullies is limited.
Submodel
1.1. Perennial Grass
1.2. Warm-season Bunchgrass
1.3. Sod-bound
Model keys
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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.
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
