Mountain Brush

Description

Continuous grazing during the growing season will cause the potential plant community to deteriorate. Most of the dominant grasses will decrease as ecological condition declines. Species most likely to invade under these conditions are ring muhly, pingue and sleepygrass. Species most likely to increase as the ecological condition declines are Gambel oak, threeawn spp., broom snakeweed and juniper spp. Under a deteriorated plant community, oak brush may completely dominate the plant community. A system of deferred grazing, which varies the time and season of grazing and rest in a pasture in successive years, is needed to maintain or to improve a healthy, well-balanced plant community. Rest during the late spring is needed for the cool-season species such as Arizona fescue, western wheatgrass, prairie junegrass and muttongrass to maintain its vigor and reproduction.

This state represents the natural range of variability on the site. The plant communities within the reference state were shaped and maintained by disturbances such as grazing, browsing, drought, wet years, and fire. The removal or alteration of these processes can cause a shift to an alternative state.

Submodel