Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site EX046X01B032
Loamy 15-19" PZ Frigid Rocky Mountain Front Foothills
Accessed: 04/08/2025
USC
Metric
General information
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Draft. A draft ecological site description is either incomplete or has not undergone quality control and quality assurance review.
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
States 1, 5 and 6 (additional transitions)
States 2, 5 and 6 (additional transitions)
| T1A | - | The trigger for this transition is improper grazing management and/or long-term drought, leading to a decrease in rough fescue composition, increased bare ground and a reduction in total plant canopy cover. |
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| T1B | - | The drivers for this transition are improper grazing management, intense or repeated fires, and/or heavy human disturbance. Rapid transition to the Degraded State is generally realized where livestock are confined to small pastures for long periods of time, such as feeding areas, horse pastures, and bull lots. |
| T1C | - | The trigger for this transition is the presence of aggressive invasive species, with invasive species composition by dry weight approaching 10 percent. |
| T1D | - | Long-term stress conditions for native species (e.g., overgrazing, drought, and fire) accelerate this transition. If populations of invasive species reach critical levels, the site transitions to the Naturalized Herbaceous Invaded State. These naturalized plants are present in quantities greater than a trace amount by dry weight (approximately 10 pounds per acre) or greater than 2 percent canopy cover. |
| T1E | - | Rangeland is converted to production cropland for annual cropping, hay, or pasture. |
| R2A | - | Grazing practices that promote rough fescue are primarily light to moderate grazing during the critical season (late June through July) or fall and dormant season of moderate use. Use of low intensity prescribed fire, range reseeding to bolster midstatured bunchgrasses, and addition of soil amendments such as biochar may be necessary. |
| T2A | - | In this state, improper grazing management is defined as grazing events that exceed moderate grazing (40 to 50 percent grazing use), a grazing season that exceeds half of the growing season, and/or grazing events that consume plant regrowth in the same growing season. |
| T2B | - | The trigger is the presence of seeds and/or other viable material such as rhizomes or stolons of invasive species. |
| T2C | - | This transition is being driven by 10 pounds per acre or more than 2 percent canopy cover of herbaceous naturalized plants. The trigger is the presence of seeds and/or other viable material of invasive species. |
| T2D | - | Rangeland is converted to production cropland for annual cropping, hay, or pasture. |
| R3A | - | The drivers for the restoration pathway are the removal of increaser species, restoration of native bunchgrass species, persistent management of invasives and shrubs, and proper grazing management. This transition may not be successful due to excessive loss of soil resources and viable midstatured bunchgrass. |
| R3B | - | Grazing management strategies that follow light grazing and allow for long periods of rest will allow for limited recovery of remaining bunchgrasses. However, grazing management alone may not directly result in restoration. Restoration methods such as reseeding may be necessary. |
| T3A | - | The trigger is the presence of seeds or viable material of invasive species. This state has sufficient bare ground that the transition could occur simply due to the presence or introduction of invasive seeds or viable material. |
| T3B | - | This transition is being driven by 10 pounds per acre or more than two percent canopy cover of herbaceous naturalized plants. The trigger is the presence of seeds and/or other viable material of invasive species. |
| T3C | - | Rangeland is converted to production cropland for annual cropping, hay, or pasture. |
| R4A | - | The drivers for the restoration pathway are the removal of invasive species, restoration of native bunchgrass species, persistent management of invasive species, and proper grazing management. Without continued control, invasive species are likely to return (probably rapidly) due to the presence of seeds and/or other viable material in the soil and management practices that increase soil disturbance. |
| R4B | - | Persistent pest management is necessary to remove viable invasive species. |
| R4C | - | The driver for the reclamation pathway is weed management without reseeding. |
| T4D | - | An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan will be necessary to maintain and improve this state and any other state within this ecological site. |
| T4B | - | Rangeland is converted to production cropland for annual cropping, hay, or pasture. |
| R5A | - | Removal of non-native herbaceous plants via mechanical or herbicidal methods with grazing management. |
| R5B | - | The drivers for the restoration pathway are the removal of invasive species, persistent management of invasive species, and proper grazing management. |
| T5A | - | Rangeland is converted to production cropland for annual cropping, hay, or pasture. |
| R6A | - | The Converted Cropland state is restored to the Reference state via planting a mix of species similar to those listed in the Reference state. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
| 1.1A | - | The driver for community shift 1.1A is improper grazing management or prolonged drought. |
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| 1.1B | - | Conservative grazing management styles such as deferred or rest rotations utilizing moderate grazing (less than 50 percent grazing use) combined with time and favorable growing conditions such as cool, wet springs. |
State 2 submodel, plant communities
| 2.1A | - | This shift is triggered by the continued loss of bunchgrass vigor, especially the remaining Idaho fescue and needlegrasses |
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| 2.1B | - | Grazing management that tends to be light to moderate or follows short season grazing with amble rest post grazing event. |
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 4 submodel, plant communities
State 5 submodel, plant communities
State 6 submodel, plant communities
| P6.1 | - | The Annual Crop community is planted to the Forage Crop community for use as hay. |
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| P6.3 | - | The site is planted to permanent herbaceous cover for grazing |
| P6.2 | - | The site receives mechanical and chemical treatments to be planted to annual crops. |
| P6.4 | - | The Pasture community is planted to annual crops. |