Saline Overflow (SOv) 10-14" p.z.
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Non-prescribed grazing, no fire, reduced run-in moisture from adjacent upland sites
More details -
Transition T1B
Non-prescribed grazing, extended drought (>7 years), no fire, increase in subsurface water
More details -
Restoration pathway R2A
Prescribed grazing, fire, favorable precipitation
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Submodel
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
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).
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.
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.
Model keys
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