Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R043AY505ID
Mesic Dry-Xeric Loamy Low AWC Hills and Canyons (FEID/PSSP)
Last updated: 10/23/2020
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.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 043A–Northern Rocky Mountains
Description of MLRAs can be found in: United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2006. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296.
Available electronically at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/ref/?cid=nrcs142p2_053624#handbook
LRU notes
Major land resource area (MLRA): 043A-Northern Rocky Mountains
Modal LRU – 43A09 Western Bitterroot Foothills
This LRU is composed predominantly of mid-elevation foothills, mountain slopes, ridges, valley walls, plateaus, and low elevation foothills, canyons, structural benches, valleys, and escarpments. The soils tend to be loamy vitrands, and cryands. Quartzite and other metamorphic deposits are the dominant parent materials. Soil climate is a mesic to frigid temperature regime and xeric to udic moisture regime with average annual precipitation around 895 mm (35 inches).
Classification relationships
This ES group fits into the National Vegetation Standard’s Central Rocky Mountain Foothill Grassland Group (Compare to previous Idaho range site: R009XY028ID, STONY LOAM 22+ FEID/PSSPS)
Ecological site concept
This ES is found on well drained, loamy sites with mesic temperatures and dry microclimates within higher precipitation areas. Soils are shallow with low available water holding capacity and a plant community dominated by grass species such as bluebunch wheatgrass, Idaho fescue, and prairie Junegrass.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
---|---|
Shrub |
(1) Rosa woodsii var. glabrata |
Herbaceous |
(1) Festuca idahoensis |
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