Dry Mountain Loam

Description

The potential vegetation is about 60 to 75 percent grasses and grass-like plants, 5 to 10 percent forbs and 20 to 30 percent woody plants. Bluebunch wheatgrass/Indian ricegrass, pine needlegrass, needle and ­thread, Junegrass, streambank wheatgrass, squirrel tail, Nevada bluegrass(Sandberg bluegrass), muttongrass and sedges contribute toward a rather sparse grassland appearance.

Wyoming big sagebrush has a noticeable place on this site. Low (yellow) rabbitbrush, snowberry, serviceberry, and bitter­brush may be present in small amounts. Low phlox, pussytoes, buck­wheat, stonecrop and fringed sagewort are common.

Optimum ground cover is 35 percent. The following species are most likely to invade this site: Tall rabbitbrush. This plant community is diverse, stable, and productive. Litter is properly distributed with little movement off-site and natural plant mortality is low. Community dynamics, nutrient cycle, water cycle and energy flow are functioning properly.

Total Annual Production
Favorable years: 1000 pounds per acre
Median years: 750 pounds per acre
Unfavorable years: 500 pounds per acre

Submodel