Saline Overflow (SOv) 10-14" p.z.

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List model

Ecosystem states

State 1

Reference State

State 2

State 2 - Plant Community B

State 3

State 3 - Plant Community C

14508

Circle-spoke model

Ecosystem states

State 1

State 2

State 3

14508

Scenario model

Ecosystem states

Current ecosystem state

Select a state

State 1
Reference State
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State 2
State 2 - Plant Community B
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State 3
State 3 - Plant Community C
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Management practices/drivers

Select a transition or restoration pathway

Transition T1A
Non-prescribed grazing, no fire, reduced run-in moisture from adjacent upland sites
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Transition T1B
Non-prescribed grazing, extended drought (>7 years), no fire, increase in subsurface water
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Restoration pathway R2A
Prescribed grazing, fire, favorable precipitation
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described

Target ecosystem state

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State 1
Reference State
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State 2
State 2 - Plant Community B
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State 3
State 3 - Plant Community C
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14508

State 1
Reference State

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Submodel

1.1. Historic Climax Plant Community (HCPC)

1.2. Short Warm-season Perennial Grasses/Salt-tolerant Native Shrubs

State 2
State 2 - Plant Community B

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Description

Inland saltgrass, sand dropseed, sandberg bluegrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, foxtail barley, and sedges dominate this community. In contrast to the HCPC, the mid and tall warm season perennial grasses (alkali sacaton, western/thickspike wheatgrasses, alkali cordgrass, etc.) are either significantly reduced or absent. Poverty weed, knotweed, seepweed, curlycup gumweed and other forbs account for about 10% of the annual production. Amount of bare ground is moderately higher than expected. Surface salts are quite extensive.
Most of the study sites examined on the Saline Overflow 10-14” p.z site during the range inventory of the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Reservations (2001-2004) had similarity indices of 0-25%. A lack of species diversity also characterizes the data. In most plots, fewer than 8-9 species were recorded. Shrubs were recorded at 3 of the 15 sampling locations.
In these inventories, which took place during a prolonged drought, the annual production varied from 53 to 1043 lbs/ac, and averaged 600 lbs/ac. The amount of bare ground was much higher than expected for the site.
This plant community is resistant to change. The short warm season perennial grasses are well-adapted to the salinity. It is believed that the seeds of native HCPC species are scarce or absent in the seedbank. Succession is not expected to occur within a reasonable length of time.

Submodel

2.1. Short Perennial Grasses

State 3
State 3 - Plant Community C

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Submodel

3.1. Salt-tolerant Native Shrub-dominated

Transition T1A

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Mechanism

Non-prescribed grazing, no fire, reduced run-in moisture from adjacent upland sites

*Transition from State #1 to States #2:
The reference state (State #1) will regress to States #2 under non-prescribed grazing, prolonged drought, and an extended period of no fire. The rate of regression varies with the kind, intensity, frequency and duration of the disturbances. The transition may end up as a warm season short grass dominated community (State #2).

Transition T1B

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Mechanism

Non-prescribed grazing, extended drought (>7 years), no fire, increase in subsurface water

*Transition from State #1 to States #3:
The reference state (State #1) will regress to State #3 under non-prescribed grazing, prolonged drought, and an extended period of no fire. The rate of regression varies with the kind, intensity, frequency and duration of the disturbances. The transition may end up as a salt-tolerant shrub-dominated community (State #3). The shrub dominated community is depicted within the dashed lines (in the state and transition diagram) because its ecological characteristics are not presently fully understood.

Restoration pathway R2A

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Mechanism

Prescribed grazing, fire, favorable precipitation

Transition from States #2 and #3 to the Reference state (State #1)
The implementation of prescribed grazing is not expected to move these plant communities toward a higher successional state. In comparison to the HCPC, annual production is about 25 percent of the site potential. It is theorized that the salinity of the site increased during the regression from the “Reference state” to early seral states. Thus, the lower-successional plants occurring on the site may be better-adapted than some of the original climax species. Because of the soil limitations, mechanical treatments and range seeding are not normally recommended.

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Saline Overflow (SOv) 10-14" p.z.

List model

Circle-spoke model

Scenario model

Current ecosystem state

Management practices/drivers

Target ecosystem state

State 1
Reference State

Submodel

State 2
State 2 - Plant Community B

Description

Submodel

State 3
State 3 - Plant Community C

Submodel

Transition T1A

Mechanism

Transition T1B

Mechanism

Restoration pathway R2A

Mechanism

Model keys

Briefcase

Ecological sites

Major Land Resource Areas