Stony Foothill

Description

The Reference State is characterized by three distinct plant community phases; Reference Plant Community, At Risk Plant Community, and Decadent Plant Community. These plant communities, and the various secessional stages between them, represent the natural range of variability due to the disturbance regimes applicable to this site. This site has a rolling grassland aspect with mid/tall grasses dominating. Big bluestem, little bluestem, western wheatgrass and Montana (Griffith) wheatgrass clearly dominate the plant community. Other warm-season tallgrasses are also abundant. Blue grama, sideoats grama and needle and thread are secondary grasses on this site. Plants such as Sandberg bluegrass, sun sedge, American vetch and purple prairie clover also occur in the plant community. Prairie junegrass, buffalograss, bottlebrush squirreltail, Fendler threeawn, slimflower scurfpea, skunkbush sumac and alderleaf mountain mahogany occur in scattered distribution.

This site has a potential plant community which is transitional between Plains and Mountains and between grassland and woodland. As a result, there is a mixture of shrubs, grasses, forbs and occasional trees. Dominant grasses are big bluestem, little bluestem, Montana (Griffith's) wheatgrass, sideoats grama, needle and thread and western wheatgrass. Frequent shrubs are soapweed yucca, Rocky Mountain juniper, skunkbush sumac, American plum, wax currant, and alderleaf mountain mahogany. Forbs include Geyer larkspur, hairy false goldaster, mountain sunflower, small pod milk vetch, prairie spiderwort, deathcamas and buckwheat.

Following is the narrative for the reference plant community. This plant community may not represent every possibility, but it probably is the most prevalent and repeatable plant community. As more data are collected, some of these plant communities may be revised or removed, and new ones may be added. None of these plant communities should necessarily be thought of as “Desired Plant Communities”. According to the USDA NRCS National Range and Pasture Handbook, Desired Plant Communities will be determined by the decision-makers and will meet minimum quality criteria established by the NRCS. The main purpose for including any description of a plant community here is to capture the current knowledge and experience at the time of this revision.

Submodel