Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R038XA102AZ
Clayey Upland 12-16" p.z.
Accessed: 11/23/2024
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): 038X–Mogollon Transition South
AZ 38.1 – Lower Interior Chaparral
Elevations range from 3000 to 4500 feet and precipitation averages 12 to 16 inches per year. Vegetation includes canotia, one-seed juniper, mesquite, catclaw acacia, jojoba, turbinella oak, ratany, shrubby buckwheat, algerita, skunkbush, tobosa, vine mesquite, bottlebrush squirreltail, grama species, curly mesquite, desert needlegrass and New Mexico feathergrass. The soil temperature regime is thermic and the soil moisture regime is ustic aridic. This unit occurs within the Transition Zone Physiographic Province and is characterized by canyons and structural troughs or valleys. Igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rock classes occur on rough mountainous terrain in association with less extensive sediment filled valleys exhibiting little integrated drainage.
Classification relationships
Similar site to TES (terrestrial ecosystem sites) map units nos. 372, 413, 427, 439, 471 and 472 on the Prescott National Forest in Yavapai county in central Arizona
Associated sites
| R038XA103AZ |
Clay Loam Upland 12-16" p.z. |
|---|---|
| R038XA117AZ |
Volcanic Hills 12-16" p.z. Clayey |
Similar sites
| R038XA115AZ |
Volcanic Upland 12-16" p.z. |
|---|---|
| R041XC304AZ |
Clayey Upland 12-16" p.z. |
| R038XB202AZ |
Clayey Upland 16-20" p.z. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Eriogonum wrightii |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Pleuraphis mutica |
Physiographic features
This site occurs in the lower elevations of the Mogollon Transition zone south of the rim in central Arizona.
This site occurs in an upland position. It occurs on gently sloping valley fill plains, basalt flows and mesa tops.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Alluvial flat
(2) Lava flow (3) Mesa |
|---|---|
| Flooding frequency | None |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 975 – 1,402 m |
| Slope | 0 – 8% |
| Ponding depth | 0 cm |
| Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
Precipitation in this common resource area averages 12 to 16 inches. The winter-summer rainfall ratio ranges from about 60-40% in the northwest portion of the Land Resource Unit to about 50-50% in the southeast region. Summer rains fall July through September from high-intensity convective thunderstorms. This moisture originates primarily from the Gulf of Mexico, but can come from the remnants of Pacific hurricanes in September. Winter moisture is frontal, originates in the northern Pacific, and falls as rain or snow in widespread storms of low intensity and long duration. Snowfall ranges from a trace to 10 inches per year and can occur from November through March. At the lower elevations, snow seldom persists longer than a day. May and June are the driest months of the year. Humidity is generally low all year. Average annual air temperatures range from 59 to 70 degrees F., a thermic temperature regime. Daytime temperatures in summer are commonly in the 90's. Freezing temperatures are common from October through April, usually during the night or early morning hours. The actual precipitation, available moisture, and temperature varies depending upon region, elevation, rain shadow effect, and aspect.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 205 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 270 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 356 mm |
Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Figure 4. Annual precipitation pattern
Figure 5. Annual average temperature pattern
Influencing water features
There are no water features associated with this site.
Soil features
These soils are moderately deep to deep (30 to over 60 inches), clayey throughout and well drained. They have formed in alluvium from basalt, andesite and related volcanic tuff and ash. The surface textures are clay and silty clay except that granular silty clay loam or heavy clay loam are at the surface in some places. These soils have vertic properties and crack and churn with wetting and drying. The effective rooting depth is 30 to 60. Runoff is slow on dry soils due to cracks and holes, but is moderate to high on moist soils. The erosion hazard is slight unless heavy traffic causes trailing and compaction. Typical taxonomic units mapped on this site include: SSA-627 Mohave County Southern Part MU's Bonita family-12 & 13; SSA-637 Yavapai County Western Part MU Springerville-VsC; SSA-639 Black Hills-Sedona Area MU's Guest-426 & 626; SSA-675 San Carlos Indian Reservation Area MU's Sontag-40 & 65.
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Cobbly clay (2) Gravelly silty clay (3) Silty clay loam |
|---|---|
| Family particle size |
(1) Clayey |
| Drainage class | Well drained to moderately well drained |
| Permeability class | Moderate to slow |
| Soil depth | 76 – 152 cm |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 5 – 20% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 0 – 10% |
| Available water capacity (0-101.6cm) |
9.14 – 18.29 cm |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-101.6cm) |
1 – 15% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 2 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-101.6cm) |
7 – 8.2 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 10% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 5% |
Ecological dynamics
The historic native plant community is a tobosa grassland (canopy cover of 40 to 65%)with a diverse flora of native annual grasses and forbs of both the winter and summer season. Periodic wildfires occurred every 15 years; June thru August, and controlled shrubs and succulents encroaching from adjacent areas of shallow soils. In the absence of fire for long periods shrubs and cacti can become dominant. The interactions of drought, grazing and fire can result in loss of tobosa cover. If tobosa canopy cover is reduced to less than 5% and is patchy in distribution; it may not be able to re-colonize large areas. In these situations, annual species, both native and non-native can dominate the plant community. Non-native annuals may, over time, diminish the soil seed-bank of native annual species.
State and transition model
Figure 6. State & Transition, Clayey Upland 12-16" p.z.
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 2 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 4 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State
Community 1.1
Tobosa Grassland (HCPC)
Figure 7. Clayey Upland 12-16" pz. photos
Figure 8. Tobosa grassland
The historic, native, plant community is a grassland dominated by tobosa grass with lesser amounts of vine mesquite and bottlebrush squirreltail. A rich flora of native annual forbs and grasses, of both the winter and summer seasons, exist in the plant community. Periodic, naturally occuring, wildfires were important in maintaining the potential plant community.
Figure 9. 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass/Grasslike | 616 | 1121 | 1681 |
| Forb | 34 | 336 | 560 |
| Shrub/Vine | – | 28 | 112 |
| Total | 650 | 1485 | 2353 |
Table 6. Ground cover
| Tree foliar cover | 0-1% |
|---|---|
| Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover | 0-1% |
| Grass/grasslike foliar cover | 8-15% |
| Forb foliar cover | 0-1% |
| Non-vascular plants | 0-1% |
| Biological crusts | 1-5% |
| Litter | 25-45% |
| Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" | 0-15% |
| Surface fragments >3" | 0-10% |
| Bedrock | 0% |
| Water | 0% |
| Bare ground | 15-25% |
Table 7. Canopy structure (% cover)
| Height Above Ground (m) | Tree | Shrub/Vine | Grass/ Grasslike |
Forb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <0.15 | – | – | 0-5% | 1-5% |
| >0.15 <= 0.3 | – | 0-2% | 2-15% | 2-15% |
| >0.3 <= 0.6 | – | 0-5% | 35-55% | 0-1% |
| >0.6 <= 1.4 | – | 0-5% | – | – |
| >1.4 <= 4 | – | 0-5% | – | – |
| >4 <= 12 | – | – | – | – |
| >12 <= 24 | – | – | – | – |
| >24 <= 37 | – | – | – | – |
| >37 | – | – | – | – |
Figure 10. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). AZ3811, 38.1 12-16" p.z. all sites. Growth begins in the spring, most growth occurs in the summer..
| 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 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Community 1.2
Grassland with Native Annuals/ Shrubs
Tobosa cover has been reduced through drought, grazing and/or a lack of fire. As Tobosa grass declines native annuals and shrubs increase. Native Annual grasses, forbs and shrubs are dominate with scattered distribution of Tobosa grass and lesser amounts of other perennial grasses.
Community 1.3
Grassland with Native Annuals
Tobosa cover has been reduced through drought, grazing and/or fire. With a reduced canopy of tobosa annuals are able to increase across the site. This creates an even distribution of tobosa and annuals with lesser amounts of perennial grasses and shrubs.
State 2
Native Shrub and Annuals State
Community 2.1
Shrub and Annuals Dominated
Shrubs like; whitethorn acacia, mesquite, wait a bit mimosa and catclaw acacia; and succulents like; prickly pear, cholla and banana yucca , invade from adjacent shallow soil areas to dominate the site in the absence of fire. Native and non-native annual forbs and grasses dominate the under-story. In "El Nino" years, herbaceous fuels can be sufficient to carry fire through the heavy canopy of shrubs. The major woody shrubs are, however, fire resistant once established. Tobosa cannot re-colonize large areas with low canopy cover levels and patchy distribution.
Community 2.2
Annual Forbs and Grasses Dominated
Tobosa canopy cover is reduced due to the interactions of drought, grazing and/or fire. Native forbs and grasses dominate the plant community. Tobosa canopy cover is poor and patchy in distribution. Tobosa may not be able to re-colonize large areas because of very poor seed production and no seed-bank. Vertic soil properties maintain good, surface, soil tilth and good infiltration rates when soils are dry. Plant production is high, even with the lack of perennial grass cover, due to soil cracking and churning.
State 3
Native Annual Forbs and Grassland State
Community 3.1
Annual Forbs and Grassland
Tobosa canopy cover is reduced due to the interactions of drought, grazing and / or fire. Native and non-native annual forbs and grasses dominate the plant community. Tobosa canopy cover is less than 5% and patchy in distribution. Tobosa may not be able to re-colonize large areas because of very poor seed production and no seed-bank. Vertic soil properties maintain good, surface, soil tilth and good infiltration rates when soils are dry. Plant production is high, even with the lack of perennial grass cover, due to soil cracking and churning.
State 4
Invaded Exotic Forb and Grass State
Community 4.1
Exotic Forbs and Grass Dominated
Non-native annual grasses and forbs like; red brome, cheatgrass, tumble mustard, wild oats and filaree, can invade and dominate areas of the site with very low tobosa cover. These species can, over time, reduce the seed-bank of native annual grasses and forbs. Their presence can increase the fire frequency (of man made fires) especially where roads and urban areas are adjacent to areas of the site.
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 | mid grasses | 560–1121 | ||||
| tobosagrass | PLMU3 | Pleuraphis mutica | 560–1121 | – | ||
| 2 | cool season grasses | 11–224 | ||||
| squirreltail | ELEL5 | Elymus elymoides | 11–224 | – | ||
| 3 | misc. perennial grasses | 11–112 | ||||
| curly-mesquite | HIBE | Hilaria belangeri | 0–112 | – | ||
| vine mesquite | PAOB | Panicum obtusum | 0–56 | – | ||
| threeawn | ARIST | Aristida | 0–56 | – | ||
| cane bluestem | BOBA3 | Bothriochloa barbinodis | 0–56 | – | ||
| sideoats grama | BOCU | Bouteloua curtipendula | 0–56 | – | ||
| 4 | annual grasses | 28–336 | ||||
| little barley | HOPU | Hordeum pusillum | 22–336 | – | ||
| Mexican sprangletop | LEFUU | Leptochloa fusca ssp. uninervia | 22–336 | – | ||
| mucronate sprangeltop | LEPAB | Leptochloa panicea ssp. brachiata | 22–336 | – | ||
| Mexican panicgrass | PAHI5 | Panicum hirticaule | 0–112 | – | ||
| sixweeks threeawn | ARAD | Aristida adscensionis | 0–112 | – | ||
| prairie threeawn | AROL | Aristida oligantha | 0–112 | – | ||
| needle grama | BOAR | Bouteloua aristidoides | 0–112 | – | ||
| sixweeks grama | BOBA2 | Bouteloua barbata | 0–56 | – | ||
| Arizona brome | BRAR4 | Bromus arizonicus | 0–56 | – | ||
| feather fingergrass | CHVI4 | Chloris virgata | 0–56 | – | ||
| sticky sprangletop | LEVI5 | Leptochloa viscida | 0–56 | – | ||
| small fescue | VUMI | Vulpia microstachys | 0–56 | – | ||
| Eastwood fescue | VUMIC | Vulpia microstachys var. ciliata | 0–56 | – | ||
| sixweeks fescue | VUOC | Vulpia octoflora | 0–56 | – | ||
| witchgrass | PACA6 | Panicum capillare | 0–56 | – | ||
| delicate muhly | MUFR | Muhlenbergia fragilis | 0–28 | – | ||
| littleseed muhly | MUMI | Muhlenbergia microsperma | 0–28 | – | ||
| Bigelow's bluegrass | POBI | Poa bigelovii | 0–28 | – | ||
| Arizona signalgrass | URAR | Urochloa arizonica | 0–28 | – | ||
| canyon cupgrass | ERLE7 | Eriochloa lemmonii | 0–28 | – | ||
| tufted lovegrass | ERPE | Eragrostis pectinacea | 0–28 | – | ||
| desert lovegrass | ERPEM | Eragrostis pectinacea var. miserrima | 0–28 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 5 | perennial forbs | 11–56 | ||||
| largeflower onion | ALMA4 | Allium macropetalum | 0–17 | – | ||
| weakleaf bur ragweed | AMCO3 | Ambrosia confertiflora | 1–17 | – | ||
| bluedicks | DICA14 | Dichelostemma capitatum | 2–17 | – | ||
| Indian rushpea | HOGL2 | Hoffmannseggia glauca | 1–17 | – | ||
| Wright's deervetch | LOWR | Lotus wrightii | 0–17 | – | ||
| desert globemallow | SPAM2 | Sphaeralcea ambigua | 1–17 | – | ||
| brownplume wirelettuce | STPA4 | Stephanomeria pauciflora | 0–17 | – | ||
| scarlet spiderling | BOCO | Boerhavia coccinea | 0–11 | – | ||
| vetch | VICIA | Vicia | 0–6 | – | ||
| Parry's beardtongue | PEPA24 | Penstemon parryi | 0–6 | – | ||
| orange fameflower | PHAU13 | Phemeranthus aurantiacus | 0–6 | – | ||
| canaigre dock | RUHY | Rumex hymenosepalus | 0–6 | – | ||
| twinleaf senna | SEBA3 | Senna bauhinioides | 0–6 | – | ||
| Coues' cassia | SECO10 | Senna covesii | 0–6 | – | ||
| southwestern mock vervain | GLGO | Glandularia gooddingii | 0–6 | – | ||
| Forb, perennial | 2FP | Forb, perennial | 0–6 | – | ||
| brownfoot | ACWR5 | Acourtia wrightii | 0–6 | – | ||
| tuber anemone | ANTU | Anemone tuberosa | 0–6 | – | ||
| Braun's rockcress | ARPE3 | Arabis perstellata | 0–6 | – | ||
| 6 | annual forbs | 28–560 | ||||
| bristly fiddleneck | AMTE3 | Amsinckia tessellata | 0–84 | – | ||
| California poppy | ESCAM | Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana | 0–84 | – | ||
| trefoil | LOTUS | Lotus | 0–56 | – | ||
| Arizona lupine | LUAR4 | Lupinus arizonicus | 0–56 | – | ||
| slender goldenweed | MAGR10 | Machaeranthera gracilis | 0–56 | – | ||
| tanseyleaf tansyaster | MATA2 | Machaeranthera tanacetifolia | 0–56 | – | ||
| Coulter's lupine | LUSP2 | Lupinus sparsiflorus | 0–56 | – | ||
| manybristle chinchweed | PEPA2 | Pectis papposa | 0–56 | – | ||
| Arizona popcornflower | PLAR | Plagiobothrys arizonicus | 6–56 | – | ||
| creamcups | PLCA5 | Platystemon californicus | 0–56 | – | ||
| desert Indianwheat | PLOV | Plantago ovata | 1–56 | – | ||
| woolly plantain | PLPA2 | Plantago patagonica | 1–56 | – | ||
| milkvetch | ASTRA | Astragalus | 0–56 | – | ||
| carelessweed | AMPA | Amaranthus palmeri | 0–56 | – | ||
| crestrib morning-glory | IPCO2 | Ipomoea costellata | 0–56 | – | ||
| Forb, annual | 2FA | Forb, annual | 0–56 | – | ||
| California goldfields | LACA7 | Lasthenia californica | 0–28 | – | ||
| Goodding's bladderpod | LEGO2 | Lesquerella gooddingii | 0–28 | – | ||
| shaggyfruit pepperweed | LELA | Lepidium lasiocarpum | 0–28 | – | ||
| Thurber's pepperweed | LETH2 | Lepidium thurberi | 0–28 | – | ||
| foothill deervetch | LOHU2 | Lotus humistratus | 0–28 | – | ||
| coastal bird's-foot trefoil | LOSA | Lotus salsuginosus | 0–28 | – | ||
| western tansymustard | DEPI | Descurainia pinnata | 0–28 | – | ||
| miniature woollystar | ERDI2 | Eriastrum diffusum | 0–28 | – | ||
| spreading fleabane | ERDI4 | Erigeron divergens | 0–28 | – | ||
| cryptantha | CRYPT | Cryptantha | 0–28 | – | ||
| Coulter's spiderling | BOCO2 | Boerhavia coulteri | 0–28 | – | ||
| fivewing spiderling | BOIN | Boerhavia intermedia | 0–28 | – | ||
| hoary bowlesia | BOIN3 | Bowlesia incana | 0–28 | – | ||
| New Mexico thistle | CINE | Cirsium neomexicanum | 0–28 | – | ||
| purslane | PORTU | Portulaca | 0–28 | – | ||
| phacelia | PHACE | Phacelia | 0–28 | – | ||
| hollowleaf annual lupine | LUSU3 | Lupinus succulentus | 0–28 | – | ||
| miniature lupine | LUBI | Lupinus bicolor | 0–28 | – | ||
| spurge | EUPHO | Euphorbia | 0–28 | – | ||
| longleaf false goldeneye | HELOA2 | Heliomeris longifolia var. annua | 0–28 | – | ||
| New Mexico plumeseed | RANE | Rafinesquia neomexicana | 0–28 | – | ||
| ragwort | SENEC | Senecio | 0–17 | – | ||
| spreading fanpetals | SIAB | Sida abutifolia | 0–17 | – | ||
| sleepy silene | SIAN2 | Silene antirrhina | 0–17 | – | ||
| New Mexico fanpetals | SINE | Sida neomexicana | 0–17 | – | ||
| sand fringepod | THCU | Thysanocarpus curvipes | 0–17 | – | ||
| green carpetweed | MOVE | Mollugo verticillata | 0–17 | – | ||
| evening primrose | OENOT | Oenothera | 0–17 | – | ||
| Florida pellitory | PAFL3 | Parietaria floridana | 0–17 | – | ||
| desert unicorn-plant | PRAL4 | Proboscidea althaeifolia | 0–17 | – | ||
| doubleclaw | PRPA2 | Proboscidea parviflora | 0–17 | – | ||
| scrambled eggs | COAU2 | Corydalis aurea | 0–17 | – | ||
| American wild carrot | DAPU3 | Daucus pusillus | 0–17 | – | ||
| sorrel buckwheat | ERPO4 | Eriogonum polycladon | 0–17 | – | ||
| annual agoseris | AGHE2 | Agoseris heterophylla | 0–17 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 7 | shrubs | 0–56 | ||||
| catclaw acacia | ACGR | Acacia greggii | 0–28 | – | ||
| velvet mesquite | PRVE | Prosopis velutina | 0–11 | – | ||
| jojoba | SICH | Simmondsia chinensis | 0–6 | – | ||
| lotebush | ZIOBC | Ziziphus obtusifolia var. canescens | 0–6 | – | ||
| fourwing saltbush | ATCA2 | Atriplex canescens | 0–6 | – | ||
| spiny hackberry | CEEH | Celtis ehrenbergiana | 0–6 | – | ||
| winterfat | KRLA2 | Krascheninnikovia lanata | 0–6 | – | ||
| catclaw mimosa | MIACB | Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera | 0–6 | – | ||
| blue paloverde | PAFL6 | Parkinsonia florida | 0–6 | – | ||
| whitethorn acacia | ACCO2 | Acacia constricta | 0–6 | – | ||
| pale desert-thorn | LYPA | Lycium pallidum | 0–2 | – | ||
| algerita | MATR3 | Mahonia trifoliolata | 0–2 | – | ||
| 8 | half shrubs | 0–56 | ||||
| bastardsage | ERWR | Eriogonum wrightii | 0–56 | – | ||
| broom snakeweed | GUSA2 | Gutierrezia sarothrae | 0–28 | – | ||
| burroweed | ISTE2 | Isocoma tenuisecta | 0–17 | – | ||
| threadleaf snakeweed | GUMI | Gutierrezia microcephala | 0–11 | – | ||
| fairyduster | CAER | Calliandra eriophylla | 0–11 | – | ||
| yerba de pasmo | BAPT | Baccharis pteronioides | 0–6 | – | ||
| 9 | succulents | 0–56 | ||||
| walkingstick cactus | CYSP8 | Cylindropuntia spinosior | 0–28 | – | ||
| cactus apple | OPEN3 | Opuntia engelmannii | 0–28 | – | ||
| tulip pricklypear | OPPH | Opuntia phaeacantha | 0–11 | – | ||
| banana yucca | YUBA | Yucca baccata | 0–11 | – | ||
| dollarjoint pricklypear | OPCH | Opuntia chlorotica | 0–11 | – | ||
| Whipple cholla | CYWH | Cylindropuntia whipplei | 0–11 | – | ||
| common sotol | DAWH2 | Dasylirion wheeleri | 0–6 | – | ||
| buck-horn cholla | CYAC8 | Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa | 0–6 | – | ||
| Christmas cactus | CYLE8 | Cylindropuntia leptocaulis | 0–6 | – | ||
| candy barrelcactus | FEWI | Ferocactus wislizeni | 0–6 | – | ||
| sacahuista | NOMI | Nolina microcarpa | 0–6 | – | ||
| Engelmann's hedgehog cactus | ECEN | Echinocereus engelmannii | 0–2 | – | ||
| pinkflower hedgehog cactus | ECFE | Echinocereus fendleri | 0–2 | – | ||
| goldenflower century plant | AGCH2 | Agave chrysantha | 0–2 | – | ||
| Schott's century plant | AGSC3 | Agave schottii | 0–2 | – | ||
| spinystar | ESVI2 | Escobaria vivipara | 0–1 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
This site is suitable for grazing year round and is easily traversed by all classes of livestock. The site is susceptible to erosion only in overgrazed areas, old roads, cattle trails and concentration areas like bed grounds, water-lots and salt grounds.
This site has good habitat diversity for grassland wildlife species. As shrubby species and annuals become dominant, grassland species diminish and desert wildlife species increase.
Hydrological functions
Due to severe cracking and churning (producing rough and porous surfaces), this site has very high, initial, infiltration rates. It produces runoff only when rain falls or snow melts, and the soils are moist.
Recreational uses
Climate is characterized by warm summers and cold winters. Recreation activities include hunting, hiking, camping, photography, bird watching and backpacking.
Wood products
There are no significant wood products produced on this site.
Other products
There is some native harvest of food plants like wild onions, grassnuts and thistle. Clay for pot making.
Supporting information
Contributors
Dan Robinett
Kenneth Gishi
Larry D. Ellicott
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) | Ken Gishi, Dan Robinett, Wilma Renken |
|---|---|
| Contact for lead author | Globe MLRA Soil Survey Office |
| Date | 07/01/2014 |
| Approved by | Byron Lambeth |
| Approval date | |
| Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
-
Number and extent of rills:
None -
Presence of water flow patterns:
Water flow patterns occupy less than 10% of the area. They are very short (2-5 ft.) in length and discontinuous. -
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Erosional pedestals and terracettes are very uncommon. Vertic soil activity (cracking and churning) continually disturb the soil surface and preclude development of erosional features like these. -
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
10 to 15% (from pace transect) -
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None -
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None -
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
All litter is staying in place. -
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil slake test values of 4, 5 and 6’s across the area. Soil surface has high organic content both under plant canopies and in interspaces. -
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Surface structure is granular. A horizon is thick (3-5 inches), has high organic carbon (4-5%) and is very dark colored (10YR 3/2). -
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Canopy cover of tobosa is 45% (after several years of drought) and well distributed across the landscape. Basal cover ranges from 8 to 15%. -
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
None -
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:
perennial mid-grass (tobosa)Sub-dominant:
annual forbs and grasses> cool season grasses> perennial forbs> misc. grassesOther:
sub-shrubs> succulents> shrubsAdditional:
-
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
50% drought mortality on tobosa plants after severe drought from 1996 thru 2004. -
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Litter is nearly all herbaceous. -
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
From ecological site description average annual production is 580 lbs/ac (drought), 1325 lbs/ac (normal year), 2100 lbs/ac (wet year) -
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:
mesquite, prickley pear, cane cholla, catclaw acacia, wild oats, red brome, cheatgrass -
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
Not impaired.
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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.
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