Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R040XC311AZ
Limy Upland, Deep 3"-7" p.z.
Accessed: 11/13/2024
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): 040X–Sonoran Basin and Range
AZ 40.3 – Colorado Sonoran Desert
Elevations range from 300 to 1200 feet and precipitation averages 3 to 7 inches per year. Vegetation includes creosotebush, white bursage, brittlebush, Mormon tea, teddybear cholla, elephant tree, smoke tree, ocotillo, and big galleta. The soil temperature regime is hyperthermic and the soil moisture regime is typic aridic. This unit occurs within the Basin and Range Physiographic Province and is characterized by numerous mountain ranges that rise abruptly from broad, plain-like valleys and basins. Igneous and metamorphic rock classes dominate the mountain ranges and sediments filling the basins represent combinations of fluvial, lacustrine, colluvial and alluvial deposits.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Ambrosia dumosa |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Muhlenbergia porteri |
Physiographic features
This range site occurs in an upland position. It does not benefit from run-in moisture from adjacent sites. It does suffer from runoff.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Terrace
(2) Alluvial fan |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 122 – 305 m |
| Slope | 0 – 6% |
Climatic features
Precipitation in this common resource area ranges from 3-7 inches yearly. Despite historical averages in rainfall amounts, as one moves from east to west in this resource area rains become more unpredictable and variable with Coefficients of Variation of annual rainfall equal to 44% at Gila Bend and 65% at Mohawk. Winter-Summer rainfall ratios are 40-60%. Summer rains fall July-September, originate in the Gulf of Mexico and are convective, usually brief intense thunderstorms. Summer thunderstorms usually form over the mountains in the afternoon and spread to the valleys and plains in the evening. The intensity of this precipitation is moderate to heavy, but rarely lasts more than half an hour. Many times these storms produce little more than gusty winds and light showers. Cool season moisture tends to be frontal, originate in the Pacific and Gulf of California and falls in widespread storms with long duration and low intensity. Snow is very rare and falls normally only in the higher mountains.
Mean temperatures for the hottest month (Jul) is 93 F; the coldest month (Jan) is 53 F. Extreme temperatures of 125 F and 10 F have been recorded. Long periods with little or no effective moisture occur frequently.
The winter-spring precipitation is the most dependable on the site. Perennial grasses, though classed as warm season growers, grow actively year-round when moisture is available. Shrubs and trees generally respond to seasonal moisture. The two rainy periods bring about their respective production of either winter or summer annual grasses and forbs.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 363 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 0 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 178 mm |
Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
Soil features
The soils characterizing this site are deep, but shallow to a layer high in lime. The surface layer ranges in depth from 1 to 4 inches and ranges in texture from very gravelly loam to very stony sandy loam. The subsoil is mostly extremely gravelly sandy loam. Permeability is moderately rapid. The soil can absorb and hold all the moisture the climate supplies, but due to slope some of that moisture is lost as runoff. Soluble salt accumulations are low and pH ranges from 7.8 to 8.4. With good vegetation cover, infiltration rates are low to moderate. Stability against erosion processes is poor and plant-soil moisture relationships are moderate. Coarse fragments average 35 to 70 percent of the total soil volume.
Soils mapped on this site include: in SSA-627 Southern Mohave county MU's Riverbend family-30 & 100, Gunsight-56; SSA-645 Aguila-Carefree area MU's Gunsight-15, 20, 69, 71 & 117, Carrizo-92, Momoli-59 & 92, Pinamt-99; SSA-653 Gila Bend-Ajo area MU's Carrizo GrFSL-18, Carrizo GrvSL-50, Gunsight GrxSL-33, Momoli-31, Momoli GrvSL-50; SSA-656 Colorado River Indian Reservation MU Gunsight-7.
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Very gravelly sandy loam (2) Extremely gravelly fine sandy loam (3) Sand |
|---|---|
| Family particle size |
(1) Loamy |
| Drainage class | Well drained |
| Permeability class | Moderately slow to rapid |
| Soil depth | 152 cm |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 10 – 60% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 1 – 10% |
| Available water capacity (0-101.6cm) |
6.1 – 12.19 cm |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-101.6cm) |
2 – 35% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-101.6cm) |
0 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-101.6cm) |
7.9 – 8.4 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
10 – 60% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
1 – 10% |
Ecological dynamics
The plant communities found on an ecological site are naturally variable. Composition and production will vary with yearly conditions, location, aspect, and the natural variability of the soils. The Historical Climax Plant Community represents the natural potential plant communities found on relict or relatively undisturbed sites. Other plant communities described here represent plant communities that are known to occur when the site is disturbed by factors such as fire, grazing, or drought.
Production data provided in this site description is standardized to air dry weight at the end of the summer growing season. The plant communities described in this site description are based on near normal rainfall years.
NRCS uses a Similarity Index to compare existing plant communities to the plant communities described here. Similarity index is determined by comparing the production and composition of a plant community to the production and composition of a plant community described in this site description. To determine Similarity index, compare the production (air dry weight) of each species to that shown in the plant community description. For each species, count no more than the maximum amount shown for the species, and for each group, count no more than the maximum amount shown for each group. Divide the resulting total by the total normal year production shown in the plant community description. If the rainfall has been significantly above or below normal, use the total production shown for above or below normal years. If field data is not collected at the end of the summer growing season, then the field data must be corrected to the end of the year production before comparing it to the site description. The growth curve can be used as a guide for estimating production at the end of the summer growing season.
State and transition model
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
Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community
Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community
The plant community is predominantly desert shrubs and cacti with creosotebush dominant on the site. Perennial grass cover is sparse and annual grasses and forbs make up a small percentage of the community. As palatable forage production on this site is very low, the plant community has changed very little, from potential, since introduction of domestic grazing.
Figure 4. 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrub/Vine | 95 | 101 | 106 |
| Tree | – | 6 | 11 |
| Forb | – | 6 | 6 |
| Grass/Grasslike | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Total | 97 | 117 | 129 |
Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). AZ4041, 40.3 3-7" p.z. all sites. Most growth occurs in the winter to early spring, plants are dormant May through October..
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
| 5 | 20 | 40 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Additional community tables
Table 6. Community 1.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (kg/hectare) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 1 | Perennial Grasses | 2–6 | ||||
| big galleta | PLRI3 | Pleuraphis rigida | 1–3 | – | ||
| threeawn | ARIST | Aristida | 0–1 | – | ||
| 2 | Annual Grasses | 0–4 | ||||
| sixweeks threeawn | ARAD | Aristida adscensionis | 0–1 | – | ||
| needle grama | BOAR | Bouteloua aristidoides | 0–1 | – | ||
| sixweeks grama | BOBA2 | Bouteloua barbata | 0–1 | – | ||
| low woollygrass | DAPU7 | Dasyochloa pulchella | 0–1 | – | ||
| sixweeks fescue | VUOC | Vulpia octoflora | 0–1 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 3 | 4–7 | |||||
| desert marigold | BAMU | Baileya multiradiata | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert trumpet | ERIN4 | Eriogonum inflatum | 0–1 | – | ||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert Indianwheat | PLOV | Plantago ovata | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert globemallow | SPAM2 | Sphaeralcea ambigua | 0–1 | – | ||
| 4 | 2–7 | |||||
| common fiddleneck | AMMEI2 | Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia | 0–1 | – | ||
| bristly fiddleneck | AMTE3 | Amsinckia tessellata | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert marigold | BAMU | Baileya multiradiata | 0–1 | – | ||
| suncup | CAMIS | Camissonia | 0–1 | – | ||
| brittle spineflower | CHBR | Chorizanthe brevicornu | 0–1 | – | ||
| devil's spineflower | CHRI | Chorizanthe rigida | 0–1 | – | ||
| Esteve's pincushion | CHST | Chaenactis stevioides | 0–1 | – | ||
| cryptantha | CRYPT | Cryptantha | 0–1 | – | ||
| hairy prairie clover | DAMO | Dalea mollis | 0–1 | – | ||
| western tansymustard | DEPI | Descurainia pinnata | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert woollystar | ERER2 | Eriastrum eremicum | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert trumpet | ERIN4 | Eriogonum inflatum | 0–1 | – | ||
| spurge | EUPHO | Euphorbia | 0–1 | – | ||
| Gordon's bladderpod | LEGO | Lesquerella gordonii | 0–1 | – | ||
| Coulter's lupine | LUSP2 | Lupinus sparsiflorus | 0–1 | – | ||
| glandular threadplant | NEGL | Nemacladus glanduliferus | 0–1 | – | ||
| phacelia | PHACE | Phacelia | 0–1 | – | ||
| sleepy silene | SIAN2 | Silene antirrhina | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert globemallow | SPAM2 | Sphaeralcea ambigua | 0–1 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 5 | Dominant Shrubs | 22–39 | ||||
| creosote bush | LATR2 | Larrea tridentata | 9–11 | – | ||
| triangle bur ragweed | AMDE4 | Ambrosia deltoidea | 4–9 | – | ||
| burrobush | AMDU2 | Ambrosia dumosa | 4–9 | – | ||
| brittlebush | ENFA | Encelia farinosa | 2–4 | – | ||
| white ratany | KRGR | Krameria grayi | 2–4 | – | ||
| Death Valley jointfir | EPFU | Ephedra funerea | 0–2 | – | ||
| Nevada jointfir | EPNE | Ephedra nevadensis | 0–2 | – | ||
| 6 | Misc. Shrubs | 2–4 | ||||
| rush milkweed | ASSU | Asclepias subulata | 0–1 | – | ||
| ocotillo | FOSP2 | Fouquieria splendens | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert-thorn | LYCIU | Lycium | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert ironwood | OLTE | Olneya tesota | 0–1 | – | ||
| whitestem paperflower | PSCO2 | Psilostrophe cooperi | 0–1 | – | ||
| lotebush | ZIOB | Ziziphus obtusifolia | 0–1 | – | ||
| suncup | CAMIS | Camissonia | 0–1 | – | ||
| cryptantha | CRYPT | Cryptantha | 0–1 | – | ||
| hairy prairie clover | DAMO | Dalea mollis | 0–1 | – | ||
| western tansymustard | DEPI | Descurainia pinnata | 0–1 | – | ||
| desert woollystar | ERER2 | Eriastrum eremicum | 0–1 | – | ||
| glandular threadplant | NEGL | Nemacladus glanduliferus | 0–1 | – | ||
| phacelia | PHACE | Phacelia | 0–1 | – | ||
| sleepy silene | SIAN2 | Silene antirrhina | 0–1 | – | ||
| 7 | Succulents | 2–4 | ||||
| saguaro | CAGI10 | Carnegiea gigantea | 0–1 | – | ||
| buckhorn cholla | CYACA2 | Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa | 0–1 | – | ||
| teddybear cholla | CYBI9 | Cylindropuntia bigelovii | 0–1 | – | ||
| Wiggins' cholla | CYEC3 | Cylindropuntia echinocarpa | 0–1 | – | ||
| Christmas cactus | CYLE8 | Cylindropuntia leptocaulis | 0–1 | – | ||
| branched pencil cholla | CYRA9 | Cylindropuntia ramosissima | 0–1 | – | ||
| Engelmann's hedgehog cactus | ECEN | Echinocereus engelmannii | 0–1 | – | ||
| California barrel cactus | FECYC | Ferocactus cylindraceus var. cylindraceus | 0–1 | – | ||
| candy barrelcactus | FEWI | Ferocactus wislizeni | 0–1 | – | ||
| globe cactus | MAMMI | Mammillaria | 0–1 | – | ||
| beavertail pricklypear | OPBA2 | Opuntia basilaris | 0–1 | – | ||
|
Tree
|
||||||
| 8 | Tree | 0–11 | ||||
| yellow paloverde | PAMI5 | Parkinsonia microphylla | 0–11 | – | ||
| burrobush | AMDU2 | Ambrosia dumosa | 4–9 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
With many large areas of this site are inclusions of better range sites (sand bottoms, loamy bottoms, sandy loam upland). In these instances, the entire area should be managed for inclusions as they are producing nearly all the forage.
Forage production on this site is very low and management designed to maintain or improve the better sites associated with and adjacent to will benefit this site.
Wildlife found on the site are usually in transit to or from adjacent areas used for food or cover.
Recreational uses
Landform includes terraces, fans, and bajadas located at the base of desert mountains. These areas are sparsely covered with desert shrubs and cacti. Plants are evenly spaced and have the appearance of being planted in a symmetrical pattern. Very few days in the fall, winter or spring are too uncomfortable to enjoy outdoor activities; however, Jun-Sep afternoons are heat restricted. Activities suited to this site include horseback riding, hiking and photography.
Other products
A few of these oils are mined for their gravel content.
Supporting information
Type locality
| Location 1: Mohave County, AZ | |
|---|---|
| Township/Range/Section | T8N R17W S26 |
| General legal description | Nine Mile Allotment - Cactus Plain |
Contributors
Larry D. Ellicott
Steve Barker
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:
Print Options
Sections
Font
Other
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.
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.