Shallow Sand
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1A More details
- Restoration pathway R2A More details
-
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
This state includes black grama, sideoats grama, little bluestem, and New Mexico feathergrass.
Resilience management
A system of deferred grazing, which varies the time of grazing and rest in pastures during successive years is needed to maintain or improve the plant community. Rest during April, May and June benefit cool species such as New Mexico feathergrass and needleandthread. Late spring and summer rest is needed for little bluestem and sideoats grama to grow and reproduce. Rest during the winter is beneficial mainly to black grama. Cattle show a definite preference to black grama during the late winter and it is usually over utilized. Winter rest will reduce the grazing pressure on black grama.
Submodel
Description
Increasers: hairy grama, sand dropseed, threeawn, oneseed juniper, sacahuista and skunkbush sumac
Characteristics and indicators
Continuous grazing during the growing season will cause the more desirable forage plants such as black grama, sideoats grama, little bluestem, and New Mexico feathergrass to decrease. Species most likely to increase are hairy grama, sand dropseed, threeawn, oneseed juniper, sacahuista and skunkbush sumac. As the ecological conditions deteriorate, it is accompanied by a sharp increase of hairy or blue grama. Most of the mid-grass species will disappear as the deterioration advances. In some areas, there may be large patches of skunkbush sumac, sacahuista or oneseed juniper that will increase to the point that it is dominating the site. As the condition deteriorates, it is usually accompanied by the loss of plant cover, which causes a wind erosion hazard, and a loss of productivity. Where sheep have historically grazed New Mexico feathergrass or needleandthread grass may increase and dominate the site.
Resilience management
A system of deferred grazing, which varies the time of grazing and rest in pastures during successive years is needed to maintain or improve the plant community. Rest during April, May and June benefit cool species such as New Mexico feathergrass and needleandthread. Late spring and summer rest is needed for little bluestem and sideoats grama to grow and reproduce. Rest during the winter is beneficial mainly to black grama. Cattle show a definite preference to black grama during the late winter and it is usually over utilized. Winter rest will reduce the grazing pressure on black grama.
Mechanism
Season-long grazing providing little rest and recovery for preferred grazed plants during critical growing periods, coupled with high utilization.
Mechanism
Legacy text:
"Restoration pathway resulting from the implementation of prescribed grazing."
It should be noted that prescribed grazing alone may not effectively diminish woody plants here. Brush control may also be required. Future work on this ESD should seek to clarify this.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Grazing Management Plan - Applied |
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
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.