Mountain Loam
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1A More details
- Transition T1B More details
- Transition T1D More details
- Transition T2A More details
- Restoration pathway R3A More details
- Restoration pathway R3B More details
- Transition T3A More details
- Restoration pathway R4A More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Submodel
Mechanism
Transition 1.1 to 2 Natural Succession and no wildfire or brush management practices will lead to the heavy sagebrush plant community.
Mechanism
Transition 1.1 to 3 Moderate, continuous season-long grazing with absence of wildfire or brush management practices will convert the plant community to the Mountain big sagebrush/Idaho fescue plant community.
Transition 1.2 to 3 Moderate season-long grazing and no wildfire or brush management activity may eventually lead to the Mountain Big Sagebrush/Idaho fescue plant community, as decreasers such as the needlegrasses are exposed to defoliation more than once due to desirability by livestock, while Idaho fescue and other low growing species are protected from grazing by their low growth form.
Mechanism
Transition 1.2 to 4 Continuous Season-Long grazing may convert the Mixed grass/perennial forbs plant community to the rabbitbrush/bluegrass/western wheatgrass plant community.
Mechanism
Brush management or Wildfire with season-long grazing may convert this plant community to the rabbitbrush/western wheatgrass/bluegrass Plant Community.
Mechanism
Long-Term Prescribed grazing plus brush management may eventually convert this plant community to near RPC as long as remnant mid-statured grasses exist at adequate levels prior to improved grazing management. Seeding may be required if less than 25% of the pre-treatment herbaceous component is made up of desirable cool-season grasses and perennial forbs. If prescribed fire is used as a means to reduce or remove the shrubs, sufficient fine fuels may not be present. This scenario will require deferment from grazing prior to treatment. Post management is critical to ensure success. This can range from two or more years of rest to partial growing season deferment, depending on the condition of the understory at the time of treatment and the growing conditions following treatment.
Mechanism
Without Brush Management or Wildfire this plant community will eventually convert to a Heavy Sagebrush Plant Community, as Mountain big sagebrush has an advantage with only early season competition for moisture and space from herbaceous species.
Mechanism
Brush Management or Wildfire with Continuous Season-Long grazing Management will convert this plant community to the rabbitbrush/western wheatgrass/bluegrass Plant Community. If shrubs such as Mountain snowberry, antelope bitterbrush, and serviceberry are present in the pre-fire plant community, these species may temporarily re-establish, however, rabbitbrush and Mountain snowberry will likely be the only long-term survivors if growing season long grazing occurs.
Mechanism
Long-term prescribed grazing plus brush management may eventually convert this plant community to a Mountain big sagebrush/bluegrass/western wheatgrass plant community. Controlling rabbitbrush, if present, is difficult as it is a strong re-sprouter. Reestablishing big sagebrush may be difficult and may take many years.
Model keys
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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.