Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R043BP819MT
Upland Sagebrush Shrubland Group
Last updated: 3/01/2024
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): 043B–Central Rocky Mountains
The Central Rocky Mountains (MLRA 43B) of Montana occupy some 28,850 square miles and exist primarily in Central and SW portions of the state. The climate is extremely variable with precipitation lows of 9 to 100 inches per year and frost free days of less than 30 to over 110 days. The geology of the region is also highly variable. The combination of variable climate and geology create a complex relationship of plant communities. MLRA 43B elevations typically exist between 6000 and 12,799ft at Granite Peak (the highest point in Montana).
The Continental Divide runs through this MLRA effectively splitting its watershed to contribute to either the Missouri River to the East and the Columbia River to the West.
Ecological site concept
• Site does not receive any additional water
• Soils are
o Generally not saline or saline-sodic (limited extent)
o Moderately deep, deep, or very deep
o Typically less than 5% stone and boulder cover (<15% max)
• Soil surface texture ranges from sandy loam to clay loam in surface mineral 4”
• Moisture Regime: ustic
• Temperature Regime: frigid to cryic
• Dominant Cover: rangeland (sagebrush dominated)
• Elevation Range: 3800-10000ft (typically less than 8500ft)
• Slope: 0-60% (typically less than 35%)
Site Development and Testing Plan
This Provisional Ecological Site Description was developed to meet the criteria as defined in Soil Survey National Instruction part 306 (430-306-NI, April 2015) as interpreted by Regional Ecological Site Specialist. Information in this description are first approximations based on broad groupings of soil properties and vegetation characteristics associated with those groupings. Although this description has been through the quality control and quality assurance review process it has not been certified for use in conservation planning.
Associated sites
R043BP818MT |
Upland Grassland Group The Upland Sagebrush Shrubland occupies the same landscape position and is often intermixed with the Upland Grassland. The two sites will have significant plant community overlap and have similar state and transition models. |
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R043BP820MT |
Upland Shrubland Group The Upland Shrubland occupies the same landscape position and is often intermixed with the Upland Upland Sagebrush Shrubland. The two sites will have significant plant community overlap and have similar state and transition models. |
Similar sites
R043BP818MT |
Upland Grassland Group The Upland Shrubland occupies the same landscape position and is often intermixed with the Upland Grassland. The two sites will have significant plant community overlap and have similar state and transition models. |
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R043BP820MT |
Upland Shrubland Group The Upland Shrubland occupies the same landscape position and is often intermixed with the Upland Sagebrush Shrubland. The two sites will have significant plant community overlap and have similar state and transition models. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
---|---|
Shrub |
(1) Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana |
Herbaceous |
(1) Pseudoroegneria spicata |
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