Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R042BE054NM
Deep Sand, Cool Desert Grassland
Accessed: 12/30/2024
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.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
Not specified |
| Herbaceous |
Not specified |
Physiographic features
This upland site has relatively moderate slopes of 1 to 15 percent. The topography is often undulating; sand dunes are common. This site occurs on mesas and fans in the vicinity of major streams such as the Rio Puerco and Rio Grande. Elevations are from 4,500 to 5,500 feet.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Alluvial fan
(2) Dune |
|---|---|
| Flooding duration | Brief (2 to 7 days) |
| Flooding frequency | Rare to occasional |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 4,500 – 5,500 ft |
| Slope | 1 – 15% |
| Water table depth | 35 – 72 in |
| Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
This site has an arid climate with distinct seasonal temperature variations and large annual and diurnal temperature changes characteristic of a continental climate.
Precipitation averages 8 to 10 inches annually. Deviations of 4 inches or more from the average are quite common. Fifty percent of the precipitation is received from July to November, which is the dominant growing season of native plants. Summer precipitation is characterized by high-intensity, short-duration rainstorms. Winter precipitation averages less than one-half inch per month,
usually in the form of rain. There are occasional snowstorms of short duration.
Temperatures vary from a mean monthly average of 77 F in July to 34 F in January, with a maximum of 104 F and a minimum of -10 F. The average last killing frost in spring is April 15 and the average first killing frost in fall is October 28. Frost-free season averages 185 days. Temperatures are conducive to native grass and forb growth from March through November.
Spring winds of 15 to 40 miles per hour are common from February to June. These winds
increase transpiration rates of native plants and rapidly dry the surface soil. Small soil particles are often displaced by the wind near the soil surface. This results in structural damage to native plants, especially young seedlings.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 165 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 213 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 10 in |
Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
This site is not influenced by water from wetland or stream.
Soil features
Soils are deep and very deep. Surface textures are loamy sand, loamy fine sand, or fine sand. Subsoil are sandy clay loam, fine sandy loam, or sandy loam except Bluepoint, which has no subsoil but has a loamy sand substratum. The percent calcium carbonate in the subsoils may be as high as 9.0. These soils are from mixed sources and are wind-deposited.
Minimum and maximum values listed below represent the characteristic soils for this site.
Characteristic Soils Are:
Bluepoint
Vinton
Pajarito
Wink
Madurez
Gila
Stumble
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Loamy sand (2) Loamy fine sand (3) Fine sand |
|---|---|
| Family particle size |
(1) Loamy |
| Drainage class | Well drained to somewhat excessively drained |
| Permeability class | Moderate to rapid |
| Soil depth | 72 in |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 10% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | Not specified |
| Available water capacity (0-40in) |
6 – 10 in |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in) |
1 – 7% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-40in) |
2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in) |
Not specified |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in) |
7.9 – 8.4 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
20% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
1% |
Ecological dynamics
The aspect and biomass of vegetation on this site is predominatly grassland with an appreciable amount of shrubs. The grasslands consist of a mixture of short-, mid-, and tall grasses. Annual grasses and forbs occur in relatively large amounts in years of above-average growing conditions. When the plant community deteriorates, there is a marked increase of woody and succulent plants. Mesquite and juniper may invade the site. In severe deterioration of the vegetation, there will be active soil erosion resulting in denuded sand dunes.
The potential plant community produces approximately 900 pounds per acre (air-dry) during years of favorable growing conditions and about 300 pounds during unfavorable years. The total average annual production is approximately 500 pounds.
Other grasses that could appear on this site include: six-weeks grama, sand muhly, blue grama, foxtail barley, bottlebrush squirreltail, tumblegrass, and threeawn spp.
Other woody plants include: No others identified in Range site decription.
Other forbs include: tansymustard, stickleaf, globemallow, silverleaf nightshade, locoweed, woolly groundsel, and Indian paintbrush.
State and transition model
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Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 2 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Historic Climax Plant Community
Community 1.1
Historic Climax Plant Community
The aspect and biomass of vegetation on this site is predominatly grassland with an appreciable amount of shrubs. The grasslands consist of a mixture of short-, mid-, and tall grasses. Annual grasses and forbs occur in relatively large amounts in years of above-average growing conditions. When the plant community deteriorates, there is a marked increase of woody and succulent plants. Mesquite and juniper may invade the site. In severe deterioration of the vegetation, there will be active soil erosion resulting in denuded sand dunes. The potential plant community produces approximately 900 pounds per acre (air-dry) during years of favorable growing conditions and about 300 pounds during unfavorable years. The total average annual production is approximately 500 pounds. Other grasses that could appear on this site include: six-weeks grama, sand muhly, blue grama, foxtail barley, bottlebrush squirreltail, tumblegrass, and threeawn spp. Other woody plants include: No others identified in Range site decription. Other forbs include: tansymustard, stickleaf, globemallow, silverleaf nightshade, locoweed, woolly groundsel, and Indian paintbrush.
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 | 180 | 360 | 540 |
| Shrub/Vine | 75 | 150 | 225 |
| Forb | 45 | 90 | 135 |
| Total | 300 | 600 | 900 |
Table 6. Ground cover
| Tree foliar cover | 0% |
|---|---|
| Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover | 10% |
| Grass/grasslike foliar cover | 15% |
| Forb foliar cover | 0% |
| Non-vascular plants | 0% |
| Biological crusts | 0% |
| Litter | 0% |
| Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" | 0% |
| Surface fragments >3" | 0% |
| Bedrock | 0% |
| Water | 0% |
| Bare ground | 70% |
Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM2231, R042XA054NM-Deep Sand-Warm Season Plant-HCPC. SD-1 Deep Sand HCPC Warm Season Plant Community.
| 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 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 30 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Figure 6. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM2232, R042XA054NM-Deep Sand-Cool Season Plant-HCPC. SD-1 HCPC Deep Sand Cool Season Plant Community.
| 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 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
State 2
Sand sage - Dropseed state
Community 2.1
Mesa dropseed / Sand sagebrush
Figure 7. Mesa dropseed / Sand sagebrush
Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (lb/acre) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 1 | Warm Season | 90–120 | ||||
| black grama | BOER4 | Bouteloua eriopoda | 90–120 | – | ||
| 2 | Warm Season | 72–90 | ||||
| bush muhly | MUPO2 | Muhlenbergia porteri | 72–90 | – | ||
| 3 | Warm Season | 30–48 | ||||
| James' galleta | PLJA | Pleuraphis jamesii | 30–48 | – | ||
| 4 | Warm Season | 60–90 | ||||
| sand dropseed | SPCR | Sporobolus cryptandrus | 60–90 | – | ||
| mesa dropseed | SPFL2 | Sporobolus flexuosus | 60–90 | – | ||
| 5 | Warm Season | 18–30 | ||||
| spike dropseed | SPCO4 | Sporobolus contractus | 18–30 | – | ||
| 6 | Cool Season | 120–150 | ||||
| Indian ricegrass | ACHY | Achnatherum hymenoides | 120–150 | – | ||
| 7 | Warm Season | 60–90 | ||||
| sideoats grama | BOCU | Bouteloua curtipendula | 60–90 | – | ||
| little bluestem | SCSC | Schizachyrium scoparium | 60–90 | – | ||
| 8 | Warm Season | 60–90 | ||||
| sand bluestem | ANHA | Andropogon hallii | 60–90 | – | ||
| giant dropseed | SPGI | Sporobolus giganteus | 60–90 | – | ||
| 9 | Warm Season | 18–30 | ||||
| sandhill muhly | MUPU2 | Muhlenbergia pungens | 18–30 | – | ||
| 10 | Cool Season | 30–60 | ||||
| Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 2GRAM | Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 30–60 | – | ||
| needle and thread | HECO26 | Hesperostipa comata | 30–60 | – | ||
| New Mexico feathergrass | HENE5 | Hesperostipa neomexicana | 30–60 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 11 | Shrub | 12–30 | ||||
| yucca | YUCCA | Yucca | 12–30 | – | ||
| 12 | Cacti | 12–30 | ||||
| plains pricklypear | OPPO | Opuntia polyacantha | 12–30 | – | ||
| 13 | Cacti | 6–30 | ||||
| 14 | Shrub | 30–60 | ||||
| sand sagebrush | ARFI2 | Artemisia filifolia | 30–60 | – | ||
| 15 | Shrub | 6–18 | ||||
| mormon tea | EPVI | Ephedra viridis | 6–18 | – | ||
| 16 | Shrub | 12–30 | ||||
| fourwing saltbush | ATCA2 | Atriplex canescens | 12–30 | – | ||
| 17 | Shrub | 6–18 | ||||
| spearmint | MESP3 | Mentha spicata | 6–18 | – | ||
| broom dalea | PSSC6 | Psorothamnus scoparius | 6–18 | – | ||
| 18 | Shrub | 12–30 | ||||
| broom snakeweed | GUSA2 | Gutierrezia sarothrae | 12–30 | – | ||
| 19 | Shrub | 12–30 | ||||
| Shrub (>.5m) | 2SHRUB | Shrub (>.5m) | 12–30 | – | ||
| desertbroom | BASA2 | Baccharis sarothroides | 12–30 | – | ||
| rubber rabbitbrush | ERNAN5 | Ericameria nauseosa ssp. nauseosa var. nauseosa | 12–30 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 20 | Forb | 12–30 | ||||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 12–30 | – | ||
| 21 | Forb | 18–30 | ||||
| fiddleneck | AMSIN | Amsinckia | 18–30 | – | ||
| Russian thistle | SAKA | Salsola kali | 18–30 | – | ||
| 22 | Forb | 18–30 | ||||
| Forb (herbaceous, not grass nor grass-like) | 2FORB | Forb (herbaceous, not grass nor grass-like) | 18–30 | – | ||
| fleabane | ERIGE2 | Erigeron | 18–30 | – | ||
| desertsenna | SEAR8 | Senna armata | 18–30 | – | ||
| verbena | VEPO4 | Verbena polystachya | 18–30 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
This site provides habitats which support a resident animal community that is characterized by badger, desert cottontail, spotted ground squirrel, Botta’s pocket gopher, Ord’s kangaroo rat, plains pocket mouse, burrowing owl, scaled quail, mourning dove, loggerhead shrike, lesser earless lizard, and New Mexico whiptail.
When woody vegetation or cattails are present, these sites are breeding areas for mockingbird, mourning dove, and roadrunner.
Hydrological functions
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydraulic cover conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Soils are in hydrologic group B, with the following exceptions.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series Hydrologic Group
Bluepoint A
Vinton B
Pajarito B
Wink A
Madurez B
Gila A
Anthony B
Recreational uses
This site has limited potential for recreational use.
Wood products
This site has no potential for wood products.
Other products
This site is only fairly suited for year-long grazing use by cattle, sheep, horses, burros, antelope, and deer due to the fragile nature of the plant community and potential for severe soil erosion.
Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index-----Ac/AUM
100 - 76-------------3.2 – 4.2
75 – 51--------------4.1 – 6.4
50 – 26--------------6.3 – 12.7
25 – 0--------------12.7 +
Supporting information
Other references
Data collection for this site was done in conjunction with the progressive soil surveys within the Southern Desertic Basins, Plains and Mountains, Major Land Resource Area 42, of New Mexico. This site has been mapped and correlated with soils in the following soil surveys: Valencia, Socorro, and Bernalillo.
Contributors
Brandon Bestelmeyer
Don Sylvester
Jason S. Martin
Michael Carpinelli
Santiago Misquez
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:
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