Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site R053BY017ND

Very Shallow

Last updated: 1/11/2024
Accessed: 11/21/2024

Home / Esd catalog / MLRA 053B / Ecological site R053BY017ND

USC

Metric

General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

Click to explore map

Figure 1. Mapped extent

Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.

Classification relationships

Level IV Ecoregions of the Conterminous United States: 42a – Missouri Coteau; 42b – Collapsed Glacial Outwash; 42c – Missouri Coteau Slope; 42d – Northern Missouri Coteau; 42f – Southern Missouri Coteau Slope; 42g – Ponca Plains; and 42h – Southern River Breaks.

Associated sites

R053BY007ND	Sands
R053BY008ND	Sandy
R053BY009ND	Shallow Loamy
R053BY010ND	Shallow Gravel
R053BY011ND	Loamy
R053BY015ND	Thin Loamy

Similar sites

R053BY013ND	Thin Claypan [Well drained soils on uplands or terraces that don’t receive extra moisture with a dense sodic subsoil above 6 inches and with salts above 16 inches that restricts root penetration. Usually found in microrelief within Claypan site, indicator species are western wheatgrass, Sandberg’s bluegrass with an understory of blue grama and buffalograss, heath aster, cudweed sagewort and western yarrow along with shrubs such as fringed sagewort and brittle cactus. This site has no little bluestem, less steeper slopes, similar production, and a different restrictive layer.]
R053BY009ND	Shallow Loamy [Somewhat excessively well-drained soils more than 10 less than 20 inches to bedrock that restricts root penetration. Surface layer will ribbon less than 2 inches and greater than 1 inch. Upslope from Loamy site and some times down slope from Very Shallow site. Indicator species: needlegrasses, plains muhly and sideoats grama, with dotted gayfeather, pasqueflower, purple coneflower and purple prairie clover, and shrubs like broom snakeweed. This site has similar species but less needleandthread and blue grama, more plains muhly, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, restrictive layer below 10 inches down to 20 inches to bedrock, more production.]

R053BY013ND

Thin Claypan

[Well drained soils on uplands or terraces that don’t receive extra moisture with a dense sodic subsoil above 6 inches and with salts above 16 inches that restricts root penetration. Usually found in microrelief within Claypan site, indicator species are western wheatgrass, Sandberg’s bluegrass with an understory of blue grama and buffalograss, heath aster, cudweed sagewort and western yarrow along with shrubs such as fringed sagewort and brittle cactus. This site has no little bluestem, less steeper slopes, similar production, and a different restrictive layer.]

R053BY009ND

Shallow Loamy

[Somewhat excessively well-drained soils more than 10 less than 20 inches to bedrock that restricts root penetration. Surface layer will ribbon less than 2 inches and greater than 1 inch. Upslope from Loamy site and some times down slope from Very Shallow site. Indicator species: needlegrasses, plains muhly and sideoats grama, with dotted gayfeather, pasqueflower, purple coneflower and purple prairie clover, and shrubs like broom snakeweed. This site has similar species but less needleandthread and blue grama, more plains muhly, green needlegrass, western wheatgrass, restrictive layer below 10 inches down to 20 inches to bedrock, more production.]

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	(1) Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata (2) Bouteloua gracilis

Download full description

Physiographic features

This site typically occurs on level to very steep uplands.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Outwash plain (2) Beach ridge (3) Terrace
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Elevation	1,600 – 2,000 ft
Slope	35%
Water table depth	80 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

MLRA 53B is considered to have a continental climate – cold winters and hot summers, low humidity, light rainfall, and much sunshine. Extremes in temperature are characteristic. The climate is the result of this MLRA’s location in the geographic center of North America. There are few natural barriers on the northern Great Plains. The air masses move unobstructed across the plains and account for rapid changes in temperature.

Annual precipitation ranges from 15 to 20 inches per year. The normal average annual temperature is about 41° F. January is the coldest month with average temperatures ranging from about 4° F (Powers Lake, ND) to about 10° F (Pollock, SD). July is the warmest month with temperatures averaging from about 67° F (Powers Lake, ND) to about 72° F (Pollock, SD). The range of normal average monthly temperatures between the coldest and warmest months is about 62° F. This large annual range attests to the continental nature of this MLRA's climate. Winds average about 11 miles per hour annually, ranging from about 13 miles per hour during the spring to about 10 miles per hour during the summer. Daytime winds are generally stronger than nighttime and occasional strong storms may bring brief periods of high winds with gusts to more than 50 miles per hour.

Growth of native cool-season plants begins in late March and continues to early to mid July. Native warm-season plants begin growth in mid May and continue to the end of August. Green up of cool-season plants can occur in September and October when adequate soil moisture is present.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (average)	135 days
Freeze-free period (average)	156 days
Precipitation total (average)	20 in

Bar

Line

Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range

Bar

Line

Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Soil features

These are very deep, excessively drained, moderately coarse and medium textured soils that are very shallow to porcelanite or sand and/or sand and gravel. Saturated hydraulic conductivity is very rapid and available water capacity is low and very low. Salinity and sodicity are none. This site is on flats, rises, and ridges on outwash plains, beach ridges and terraces. Slope ranges from 0 to 35 percent. While a definite restrictive layer is not present, the presence of a high amount of gravels in the subsurface layers at a depth of 10 or less inches creates a droughty condition which acts like a restrictive layer to the majority of plants. This site should show no evidence of rills, wind scoured areas or pedestalled plants. Water flow paths are broken, irregular in appearance or discontinuous. The soil surface is very unstable but intact. Sub-surface soil layers are restrictive to water movement and root penetration.

Low available water capacity caused by the shallow rooting depth strongly influences the soil-water-plant relationship. Loss of the soil surface layer can result in a shift in species composition and/or production.

Major soil series correlated to this ecological site can be found in Section II of the Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office Technical Guide or the following web sites:
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/efotg/

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Loam (2) Very gravelly sandy loam (3) Stony
Family particle size	(1) Loamy
Drainage class	Excessively drained
Permeability class	Rapid to very rapid
Soil depth	80 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	10 – 50%
Surface fragment cover >3"	50%
Available water capacity (0-40in)	1 – 3 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in)	15%
Electrical conductivity (0-40in)	Not specified
Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in)	Not specified
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	6.6 – 8.4
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	20 – 90%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	65%

Ecological dynamics

The site developed under Northern Great Plains climatic conditions, and included natural influence of large herbivores and occasional fire. Changes will occur in the plant communities due to climatic conditions and/or management actions. Due to the nature of the soils, the site is considered very fragile. Under continued adverse impacts, a very rapid decline in vegetative vigor and composition will occur. Under favorable vegetative management treatments the site can very slowly return to the Historic Climax Plant Community (HCPC).

The plant community upon which interpretations are primarily based is the HCPC. The HCPC has been determined by study of rangeland relic areas, areas protected from excessive disturbance, and areas under long-term rotational grazing regimes. Trends in plant community dynamics ranging from heavily grazed to lightly grazed areas, seasonal use pastures, and historical accounts also have been considered. Subclimax plant communities, states, transitional pathways, and thresholds have been determined through similar studies and experience.

Continuous grazing without adequate recovery periods following each grazing occurrence over several years causes this site to depart from the HCPC. Species such as threadleaf sedge and blue grama will initially increase. Plains muhly, western wheatgrass, little bluestem and sideoats grama will decrease in frequency and production and later disappear. Heavy continuous grazing causes blue grama and/or threadleaf sedge to increase. In time, heavy continuous grazing will likely cause upland sedges and blue grama to dominate and pioneer perennials and annuals to increase. The resulting plant community is relatively stable and the competitive advantage prevents other species from establishing.

Extended periods of non-use and lack of fire will result in a plant community having low density with higher litter amounts, which favors an increase in cheatgrass, Sandberg bluegrass and sweetclover. In time, shrubs such as cactus, creeping juniper and skunkbrush sumac will increase.

The following diagram illustrates the common plant communities and vegetation states commonly occurring on the site and the transition pathways between communities and states. The ecological processes will be discussed in more detail in the plant community descriptions following the diagram.

State and transition model

Custom diagram

Standard diagram

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models

More interactive model formats are also available. View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text

State 1
Needleandthread/Blue Grama/Sedge (HCPC)

Community 1.1
Needleandthread/Blue Grama/Sedge (HCPC)

This is the interpretive plant community and is considered to be the Historic Climax Plant Community (HCPC). This community evolved with grazing by large herbivores and occasional prairie fire. It is well suited for grazing by domestic livestock and can be found on areas that are properly managed with prescribed grazing that allows for proper utilization, changes in season of use and adequate recovery periods following each grazing event. The potential vegetation is about 87% grasses or grass-like plants, 8% forbs and 5% shrubs. An even mix of both cool and warm-season grasses dominates this plant community. The major grasses and grass-likes include needleandthread, blue grama, western wheatgrass, threadleaf sedge and plains muhly. Other grasses occurring on the site include sideoats grama, little bluestem, slender wheatgrass, hairy grama and thickspike wheatgrass. The significant forbs include gayfeather, purple coneflower, prairie clover and cutleaf ironplant. Significant shrubs are fringed sagewort, creeping juniper and rose. This plant community is well adapted to the Northern Great Plains climatic conditions. Individual species can vary greatly in production depending on growing conditions (timing and amount of precipitation and temperature). Community dynamics, nutrient cycle, water cycle and energy flow are functioning at the sites potential. Plant litter is properly distributed with some movement off-site and natural plant mortality is low. The diversity in plant species allows for high drought tolerance.

Figure 4. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Table 5. Annual production by plant type

Plant type	Low (lb/acre)	Representative value (lb/acre)	High (lb/acre)
Grass/Grasslike	625	1080	1535
Forb	55	78	100
Shrub/Vine	20	42	65
Total	700	1200	1700

Figure 5. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). ND5303, Missouri Coteau, cool-season/warm-season co-dominant.. Cool-season, warm-season co-dominant..

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	2	6	21	40	20	6	4	1	0	0

State 2
Blue Grama/Sedge/Threeawn

Community 2.1
Blue Grama/Sedge/Threeawn

This plant community can very quickly develop from the adverse effects of long-term, heavy, continuous grazing and/or continuous seasonal grazing (annual, early spring seasonal grazing). Annual, grazing too early in the spring depletes stored carbohydrates, resulting in weakening and eventual death of the cool season mid-grasses. Short grasses and forbs increase to dominate the site and annual production decreases dramatically. Lack of litter and reduced vigor result in higher soil temperatures, poor water infiltration rates, and high evapotranspiration, which gives blue grama and sedges a highly competitive advantage over cool and warm-season mid-grasses. This plant community can occur throughout the pasture, on spot grazed areas, and around water sources where season-long grazing patterns occur. Blue grama, threadleaf sedge and red threeawn are the dominant grass/grass-like species. Other grasses include western wheatgrass, needleandthread, little bluestem, plains muhly, and prairie junegrass. Significant forbs include American pasqueflower, green sagewort, cutleaf ironplant, rush skeletonweed, prairie coneflower and scarlet globemallow. There is usually less than 20% bare ground. The significant shrubs include broom snakeweed, cactus and fringed sagewort. This plant community is relatively stable. The competitive advantage of blue grama and threadleaf sedge prevents other species from establishing. This plant community is less productive than the HCPC. Runoff has increases and infiltration has decreased. Soil erosion will be minimal due to the “sod-like” habit of blue grama.

Figure 6. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Table 6. Annual production by plant type

Plant type	Low (lb/acre)	Representative value (lb/acre)	High (lb/acre)
Grass/Grasslike	180	350	620
Forb	15	30	45
Shrub/Vine	5	20	35
Total	200	400	700

Figure 7. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). ND5303, Missouri Coteau, cool-season/warm-season co-dominant.. Cool-season, warm-season co-dominant..

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	2	6	21	40	20	6	4	1	0	0

State 3
Low Plant Denstiy, Sedge/Threeawn

Community 3.1
Low Plant Denstiy, Sedge/Threeawn

This plant community develops after an extended period of 15 or more years of non-use by herbivores and no fire. Plant litter may accumulate as this plant community first develops. Due to a lack of tiller stimulation and sunlight, native bunchgrasses typically develop dead centers and native rhizomatous grasses are limited to colonies. Standing decadent plants and moderate litter covers shorter understory species (i.e. short grasses and sedges), restricting their ability to capture adequate sunlight for photosynthesis. Vigor and diversity of native plants are reduced. Annual and/or biennial forbs, annual grasses, and cryptogams commonly fill interspaces once occupied by desirable species. Crested wheatgrass, cheatgrass and/or sweetclover may invade this plant community. All native plants present in the HCPC may be present in this state, but in less vigor and health. The common forbs include American pasqueflower, green sagewort, gayfeather and purple coneflower. Fringed sagewort, cactus, creeping juniper and skunkbrush sumac are the principal shrubs and tend to increase in density and cover. This plant community is resistant to change without prescribed grazing. Grazing is the most effective treatment in moving this plant community towards the HCPC. Soil erosion is low. Compared to the HCPC, infiltration and runoff is similar. Once this plant community is reached, any of the preferred treatments can readily return the diversity and production of the site.

Figure 8. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)

Table 7. Annual production by plant type

Plant type	Low (lb/acre)	Representative value (lb/acre)	High (lb/acre)
Grass/Grasslike	420	764	1210
Shrub/Vine	40	68	95
Forb	40	68	95
Total	500	900	1400

Figure 9. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). ND5302, Missouri Coteau, cool-season dominant, warm-season sub-dominant.. Cool-season dominant, warm-season sub-dominant..

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0	0	3	7	23	42	15	5	4	1	0	0

Additional community tables

Table 8. Community 1.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production (lb/acre)	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1	Needlegrass			180–300
	needle and thread	HECOC8	Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata	180–300	–
2	Grama			120–300
	blue grama	BOGR2	Bouteloua gracilis	60–240	–
	hairy grama	BOHI2	Bouteloua hirsuta	24–60	–
	sideoats grama	BOCU	Bouteloua curtipendula	24–60	–
3	Mid Warm-Season			36–96
	plains muhly	MUCU3	Muhlenbergia cuspidata	24–96	–
	little bluestem	SCSC	Schizachyrium scoparium	12–60	–
4	Wheatgrass			24–96
	western wheatgrass	PASM	Pascopyrum smithii	24–96	–
	thickspike wheatgrass	ELLAL	Elymus lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus	0–60	–
	slender wheatgrass	ELTR7	Elymus trachycaulus	0–60	–
5	Other Native Grasses			36–96
	Grass, perennial	2GP	Grass, perennial	0–36	–
	Fendler threeawn	ARPUL	Aristida purpurea var. longiseta	12–36	–
	prairie Junegrass	KOMA	Koeleria macrantha	12–24	–
	sand dropseed	SPCR	Sporobolus cryptandrus	12–24	–
	plains reedgrass	CAMO	Calamagrostis montanensis	0–12	–
6	Grass-Likes			60–156
	threadleaf sedge	CAFI	Carex filifolia	60–156	–
	Grass-like (not a true grass)	2GL	Grass-like (not a true grass)	0–60	–
Forb
8	Forbs			60–96
	prairie clover	DALEA	Dalea	12–36	–
	blacksamson echinacea	ECAN2	Echinacea angustifolia	12–36	–
	blazing star	LIATR	Liatris	12–36	–
	tarragon	ARDR4	Artemisia dracunculus	12–24	–
	lacy tansyaster	MAPI	Machaeranthera pinnatifida	12–24	–
	spiny phlox	PHHO	Phlox hoodii	12–24	–
	upright prairie coneflower	RACO3	Ratibida columnifera	12–24	–
	alpine golden buckwheat	ERFLF	Eriogonum flavum var. flavum	12–24	–
	Forb, annual	2FA	Forb, annual	12–24	–
	Forb, perennial	2FP	Forb, perennial	12–24	–
	white heath aster	SYER	Symphyotrichum ericoides	12–24	–
	onion	ALLIU	Allium	0–12	–
	pussytoes	ANTEN	Antennaria	0–12	–
	blanketflower	GAAR	Gaillardia aristata	0–12	–
	scarlet beeblossom	GACO5	Gaura coccinea	0–12	–
	scarlet globemallow	SPCO	Sphaeralcea coccinea	0–12	–
	eastern pasqueflower	PUPA5	Pulsatilla patens	0–12	–
	plains milkvetch	ASGI5	Astragalus gilviflorus	0–12	–
	rush skeletonplant	LYJU	Lygodesmia juncea	0–12	–
Shrub/Vine
9	Shrubs			24–60
	Subshrub (<.5m)	2SUBS	Subshrub (<.5m)	0–36	–
	leadplant	AMCA6	Amorpha canescens	12–24	–
	prairie sagewort	ARFR4	Artemisia frigida	12–24	–
	pricklypear	OPUNT	Opuntia	12–24	–
	rose	ROSA5	Rosa	12–24	–
	soapweed yucca	YUGL	Yucca glauca	12–24	–
	skunkbush sumac	RHTR	Rhus trilobata	0–12	–
	creeping juniper	JUHO2	Juniperus horizontalis	0–12	–

Table 9. Community 2.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production (lb/acre)	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1	Needlegrass			4–20
	needle and thread	HECOC8	Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata	4–20	–
2	Grama			60–120
	blue grama	BOGR2	Bouteloua gracilis	40–120	–
	hairy grama	BOHI2	Bouteloua hirsuta	0–40	–
	sideoats grama	BOCU	Bouteloua curtipendula	0–20	–
4	Wheatgrass			4–20
	western wheatgrass	PASM	Pascopyrum smithii	4–20	–
	thickspike wheatgrass	ELLAL	Elymus lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus	0–8	–
5	Other Native Grasses			16–40
	Fendler threeawn	ARPUL	Aristida purpurea var. longiseta	8–40	–
	sand dropseed	SPCR	Sporobolus cryptandrus	4–20	–
	Grass, perennial	2GP	Grass, perennial	0–12	–
	prairie Junegrass	KOMA	Koeleria macrantha	4–8	–
6	Grass-Likes			60–120
	threadleaf sedge	CAFI	Carex filifolia	60–120	–
	Grass-like (not a true grass)	2GL	Grass-like (not a true grass)	0–20	–
7	Non-Native Grasses			0–8
	cheatgrass	BRTE	Bromus tectorum	0–8	–
	Kentucky bluegrass	POPR	Poa pratensis	0–8	–
Forb
8	Forbs			20–40
	sweetclover	MELIL	Melilotus	0–20	–
	Forb, annual	2FA	Forb, annual	0–20	–
	Forb, perennial	2FP	Forb, perennial	0–20	–
	tarragon	ARDR4	Artemisia dracunculus	4–12	–
	curlycup gumweed	GRSQ	Grindelia squarrosa	4–12	–
	yellow salsify	TRDU	Tragopogon dubius	0–12	–
	blazing star	LIATR	Liatris	4–8	–
	pussytoes	ANTEN	Antennaria	4–8	–
	lacy tansyaster	MAPI	Machaeranthera pinnatifida	4–8	–
	prairie clover	DALEA	Dalea	4–8	–
	alpine golden buckwheat	ERFLF	Eriogonum flavum var. flavum	0–8	–
	spiny phlox	PHHO	Phlox hoodii	4–8	–
	eastern pasqueflower	PUPA5	Pulsatilla patens	4–8	–
	upright prairie coneflower	RACO3	Ratibida columnifera	4–8	–
	white heath aster	SYER	Symphyotrichum ericoides	4–8	–
	common dandelion	TAOF	Taraxacum officinale	4–8	–
	scarlet globemallow	SPCO	Sphaeralcea coccinea	0–4	–
	onion	ALLIU	Allium	0–4	–
	rush skeletonplant	LYJU	Lygodesmia juncea	0–4	–
Shrub/Vine
9	Shrubs			8–32
	prairie sagewort	ARFR4	Artemisia frigida	4–20	–
	pricklypear	OPUNT	Opuntia	4–16	–
	creeping juniper	JUHO2	Juniperus horizontalis	0–12	–
	Subshrub (<.5m)	2SUBS	Subshrub (<.5m)	0–12	–
	rose	ROSA5	Rosa	4–12	–
	soapweed yucca	YUGL	Yucca glauca	4–12	–
	skunkbush sumac	RHTR	Rhus trilobata	0–4	–

Table 10. Community 3.1 plant community composition

Group	Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Annual production (lb/acre)	Foliar cover (%)
Grass/Grasslike
1	Needlegrass			18–90
	needle and thread	HECOC8	Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata	18–90	–
2	Grama			45–135
	blue grama	BOGR2	Bouteloua gracilis	45–90	–
	hairy grama	BOHI2	Bouteloua hirsuta	0–45	–
	sideoats grama	BOCU	Bouteloua curtipendula	0–45	–
3	Mid Warm-Season			0–27
	little bluestem	SCSC	Schizachyrium scoparium	0–27	–
4	Wheatgrass			18–90
	western wheatgrass	PASM	Pascopyrum smithii	18–90	–
	thickspike wheatgrass	ELLAL	Elymus lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus	0–27	–
	slender wheatgrass	ELTR7	Elymus trachycaulus	0–9	–
5	Other Native Grasses			36–153
	Fendler threeawn	ARPUL	Aristida purpurea var. longiseta	18–135	–
	sand dropseed	SPCR	Sporobolus cryptandrus	9–45	–
	Grass, perennial	2GP	Grass, perennial	0–27	–
	prairie Junegrass	KOMA	Koeleria macrantha	9–18	–
6	Grass-Likes			45–135
	threadleaf sedge	CAFI	Carex filifolia	45–135	–
	Grass-like (not a true grass)	2GL	Grass-like (not a true grass)	0–45	–
7	Non-Native Grasses			18–90
	Kentucky bluegrass	POPR	Poa pratensis	9–90	–
	cheatgrass	BRTE	Bromus tectorum	9–72	–
Forb
8	Forbs			45–90
	sweetclover	MELIL	Melilotus	0–63	–
	Forb, annual	2FA	Forb, annual	0–45	–
	Forb, perennial	2FP	Forb, perennial	0–45	–
	tarragon	ARDR4	Artemisia dracunculus	9–36	–
	common dandelion	TAOF	Taraxacum officinale	9–36	–
	yellow salsify	TRDU	Tragopogon dubius	0–27	–
	curlycup gumweed	GRSQ	Grindelia squarrosa	0–27	–
	white heath aster	SYER	Symphyotrichum ericoides	9–27	–
	blazing star	LIATR	Liatris	9–18	–
	upright prairie coneflower	RACO3	Ratibida columnifera	9–18	–
	prairie clover	DALEA	Dalea	9–18	–
	blacksamson echinacea	ECAN2	Echinacea angustifolia	0–9	–
	alpine golden buckwheat	ERFLF	Eriogonum flavum var. flavum	0–9	–
	blanketflower	GAAR	Gaillardia aristata	0–9	–
	scarlet beeblossom	GACO5	Gaura coccinea	0–9	–
	plains milkvetch	ASGI5	Astragalus gilviflorus	0–9	–
	scarlet globemallow	SPCO	Sphaeralcea coccinea	0–9	–
	spiny phlox	PHHO	Phlox hoodii	0–9	–
	eastern pasqueflower	PUPA5	Pulsatilla patens	0–9	–
	rush skeletonplant	LYJU	Lygodesmia juncea	0–9	–
	lacy tansyaster	MAPI	Machaeranthera pinnatifida	0–9	–
Shrub/Vine
9	Shrubs			45–90
	prairie sagewort	ARFR4	Artemisia frigida	9–45	–
	creeping juniper	JUHO2	Juniperus horizontalis	9–36	–
	rose	ROSA5	Rosa	9–36	–
	Subshrub (<.5m)	2SUBS	Subshrub (<.5m)	0–27	–
	pricklypear	OPUNT	Opuntia	9–27	–
	soapweed yucca	YUGL	Yucca glauca	0–18	–
	skunkbush sumac	RHTR	Rhus trilobata	0–9	–

Interpretations

Animal community

Wildlife Interpretations:
Under development.

Grazing Interpretations:
This site is well adapted to managed grazing by domestic livestock. The predominance of herbaceous plants across all plant community phases best lends these sites to grazing by cattle but other domestic grazers with differing diet preferences may also be a consideration depending upon management objectives. Often, the current plant community does not entirely match any particular plant community (as described in the ecological site description). Because of this, a resource inventory is necessary to document plant composition and production. Proper interpretation of this inventory data will permit the establishment of a safe, initial stocking rate for the type and class of animals and level of grazing management. More accurate stocking rate estimates should eventually be calculated using actual stocking rate information and monitoring data.

Hydrological functions

Water is the principal factor limiting herbage production on this site. The site is dominated by soils in hydrologic group A. Infiltration varies from rapid to very rapid and runoff varies from negligible to low depending on soil hydrologic group, slope and ground cover. In many cases, areas with greater than 75% ground cover have the greatest potential for high infiltration and lower runoff. An exception would be where short grasses form a dense sod and dominate the site. Areas where ground cover is less than 50% have the greatest potential to have reduced infiltration and higher runoff (refer to Section 4, NRCS National Engineering Handbook for runoff quantities and hydrologic curves).

Recreational uses

This site provides hunting opportunities for upland game species. The wide varieties of plants, which bloom from spring until fall, have an esthetic value that appeals to visitors.

Wood products

No appreciable wood products are present on the site.

Other products

Selected seed harvest of certain unique native plant species can provide additional income.

Supporting information

Inventory data references

Information presented here has been derived from NRCS clipping and other inventory data. Also, field knowledge of range-trained personnel was used. All descriptions were peer reviewed and/or field-tested by various private, state and federal agency specialists. Those involved in developing this site description include: Stan Boltz, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Michael D. Brand, State Land Dept., Director Surface Management; David Dewald, NRCS State Biologist; Paul Drayton, NRCS District Conservationist; Jody Forman, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Dennis Froemke, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Jeff Printz, NRCS State Range Management Specialist; Josh Saunders, NRCS Range Management Specialist; Kevin Sedivec, Extension Rangeland Management Specialist; Darrell Vanderbusch, NRCS Resource Soil Scientist; and Lee Voigt, NRCS Range Management Specialist.
Data Source Number of Records Sample Period State County
SCS-RANGE-417 1 1969 ND Emmons

Other references

High Plains Regional Climate Center, University of Nebraska, 830728 Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0728. (http://hprcc.unl.edu)
USDA, NRCS. National Water and Climate Center, 101 SW Main, Suite 1600, Portland, OR 97204-3224. (http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. National Range and Pasture Handbook, September 1997
USDA, NRCS. National Soil Information System, Information Technology Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Fort Collins, CO 80526. (http://nasis.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
USDA, NRCS, Various Published Soil Surveys.

Contributors

Jeff Printz
Jeff Printz/Stan Boltz

Approval

Suzanne Mayne-Kinney, 1/11/2024

Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Author(s)/participant(s)	Jeff Printz, Stan Boltz, Lee Voigt, Jody Forman
Contact for lead author	Jeff.printz@nd.usda.gov 701-530-2080
Date	01/17/2012
Approved by	Suzanne Mayne-Kinney
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Due to the wide slope range associated with this site, the number and extent of rills will vary from none on sites with slopes of < 15% to occasionally present but short (12 to 20 inches) on slopes > 15%.
Presence of water flow patterns:
Due to the wide slope range associated with this site, water flow patterns will vary from barely observable on sites with slopes of < 15% from broken and irregular in appearance on slopes > 15%.
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Not evident on slopes < 15%. Erosional pedestals will be present with terracettes present at debris dams on slopes >15%.
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
20 to 35%.
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
None.
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
None.
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
None on slopes < 15%. Movement of small size litter (i.e. forb leaves) for short distances (12 to 24 inches) does occur on slopes > 15%.
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil aggregate stability ratings should typically be 5 or greater. Soil surface fragments will typically retain structure indefinitely when dipped in distilled water.
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Use soil series description for depth, color and structure of A horizon/surface layer.
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Combination of shallow and deep rooted species (mid rhizomatous and tufted perennial cool- and warm-season grasses) with fine and coarse roots positively influences infiltration.
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
None.
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

Dominant:
Mid cool-season bunchgrasses = short warm-season grasses

Sub-dominant:
Grass-likes > mid warm-season grasses

Other:
Mid cool-season rhizomatous = forbs > shrubs > short cool-season grasses

Additional:
Due to differing root structure and distribution, Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass do not fit into reference plant community F/S groups.
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
None.
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Plant litter is in contact with
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Representative value = 1200 lbs./ac air dry with a range of 700 to 1700 lbs./ac air dry depending upon growing conditions
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
State and local noxious, Kentucky bluegrass, smooth bromegrass
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
All species exhibit high vigor relative to site limitations and climatic condition. Do not rate based solely on seed production. Perennial grasses should have vigorous rhizomes or tillers.

Download reference sheet

Search

Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site R053BY017ND

Very Shallow

Last updated: 1/11/2024 Accessed: 11/21/2024

General information

Figure 1. Mapped extent

Classification relationships

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Ecosystem states

State 1 submodel, plant communities

State 2 submodel, plant communities

State 3 submodel, plant communities

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 1/11/2024
Accessed: 11/21/2024