Shallow Sandy
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Introduction of exotic cool-season grasses
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Transition T2A
Extended periods of non-use or very light grazing, no fire.
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Transition T2B
Long-term lack of fire
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Restoration pathway R3A
Long-term prescribed grazing and prescribed burning with possible range planting
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Transition T3A
Long-term lack of fire.
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Restoration pathway R4A
Brush management or stand-replacing wildfire
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Restoration pathway R4B
Brush management or stand-replacing wildfire
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Restoration pathway R5A
Successful range planting with prescribed grazing and prescribed burning
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Restoration pathway R5B
Failed range planting and/or secondary succession
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Transition T6A
Cessation of annual cropping.
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
This state represents the natural range of variability that dominated the dynamics of this ecological site prior to European influence. The primary disturbance mechanisms for this site in the reference condition included frequent fire and grazing by large herding ungulates. Timing of fires and grazing, coupled with weather events, dictated the dynamics that occurred within the natural range of variability. These factors likely caused the community to shift both spatially and temporally between four community phases.
Characteristics and indicators
Because of changes in disturbances and other environmental factors (particularly the widespread occurrence of exotic species), the Reference State is considered to no longer exist.
Resilience management
If intact, the reference state should probably be managed with current disturbance regimes which has permitted the site to remain in reference condition as well as maintaining the quality and integrity of associated ecological sites. Maintenance of the reference condition is contingent upon a monitoring protocol to guide management.
Submodel
Description
This state is very similar to the Reference State, but the invasion of exotic cool-season grasses has altered the natural range of variability for this ecological site. The state is still dominated by native grasses, but exotic cool-season grasses are now present in all community phases. The primary disturbance mechanisms for this state include grazing by domestic livestock, infrequent fires, and possibly prairie dogs. Timing and duration of grazing, coupled with weather events, dictate the dynamics that occur within this state. Cool-season and warm-season native grasses can decline and an increase in exotic grasses will occur. Often this state appears as a mosaic of community phases caused primarily by continuous season- long grazing.
Characteristics and indicators
The presence of trace amounts of exotic cool-season grasses indicates a transition from State 1 to State 2. The presence of exotic biennial or perennial leguminous forbs (i.e., sweet clover, black medic) may not, on their own, indicate a transition from State 1 to State 2 but may facilitate that transition.
Resilience management
To slow or limit the invasion of these exotic grasses, it is imperative that managerial options (e.g., prescribed grazing, prescribed burning) be carefully constructed and evaluated with respect to that objective.
Grazing management should be applied that enhances the competitive advantage of native grass and forb species. This may include: (1) grazing when exotic cool-season grasses are actively growing and native cool- season grasses are dormant; (2) applying proper deferment periods allowing native grasses to recover and maintain or improve vigor; (3) adjusting overall grazing intensity to reduce excessive plant litter (above that needed for rangeland health indicator #14 – see Rangeland Health Reference Worksheet); (4) incorporating early heavy spring utilization which focuses grazing pressure on exotic cool-season grasses and reduces plant litter, provided that livestock are moved when grazing selection shifts from exotic cool-season grasses to native grasses.
Prescribed burning should be applied in a manner that maintains or enhances the competitive advantage of native grass and forb species. Prescribed burns should be applied as needed to adequately reduce/remove excessive plant litter and maintain the competitive advantage for native species. Timing of prescribed burns (spring vs. summer vs. fall) should be adjusted to account for differences in annual growing conditions and applied during windows of opportunity to best shift the competitive advantage to the native species.
Submodel
Description
This state is the result of invasion and dominance by the exotic cool-season grasses (commonly Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and/or crested wheatgrass). The exotic leafy spurge may also invade the site. These exotic cool-season grasses can be quite invasive on the site and are particularly well adapted to heavy grazing. They also often form monotypic stands. As these exotic cool-season grasses increase, both forage quantity and quality become increasingly restricted to late spring and early summer due to the monotypic nature of the stand, even though annual production may increase. Native forbs generally decrease in production, abundance, diversity, and richness compared to that of State 1: Reference State. Common forbs often include white heath aster, goldenrod, common yarrow, and white sagebrush. Shrubs, such as western snowberry and rose, may show marked increases. Once the state is well established, prescribed burning and grazing techniques have been largely ineffective in suppressing or eliminating these species, even though some short-term reductions may appear successful. Annual production of this state may vary widely, in part due to variations in the extent of invasion by exotic cool-season grasses.
Characteristics and indicators
This site is characterized by exotic cool-season grasses constituting greater than 30 percent of the annual production and native grasses constituting less than 40 percent of the annual production.
Resilience management
Light or moderately stocked continuous, season-long grazing or a prescribed grazing system which incorporates adequate deferment periods between grazing events and proper stocking rate levels will maintain this State. Application of herbaceous weed treatment, occasional prescribed burning and/or brush management may be needed to manage noxious weeds and increasing shrub (e.g., western snowberry) populations.
Submodel
Description
This state is often characterized by dominance of Rocky Mountain juniper and/or ponderosa pine in all layers. Common juniper, creeping juniper, or perhaps eastern red cedar may also be present. Depending upon tree density, an herbaceous understory of grasses and forbs can be minimal to non-existent. The combination of factors including a detritus layer of juniper or pine needles, shading, changes to soil chemistry, interception of rainfall by tree canopies, and shallow rooting morphology of the juniper and/or pine inhibit the herbaceous layer.
Characteristics and indicators
The dominance of woody species (by cover and production) distinguishes this state from other herbaceously dominated states.
Resilience management
This state is resistant to change in the long-term absence of fire. Restoration efforts would require the use of prescribed fire, mechanical treatment, and prescribed grazing. Considerable time and effort will be required to restore to other States.
Submodel
Description
This state is highly variable depending on the level and duration of disturbance related to the T6A transitional pathway. In this MLRA, the most probable origin of this state is plant succession following cropland abandonment. This plant community will initially include a variety of annual forbs and grasses, some of which may be noxious weeds and need control. Over time, the exotic cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and/or crested wheatgrass) will likely predominate.
Submodel
Mechanism
This is the transition from the State 1: Reference State to the State 2: Native/Invaded State due to the introduction and establishment of exotic cool-season grasses (typically Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, and/or crested wheatgrass). This transition was probably inevitable and corresponded to a decline in native warm-season and cool-season grasses; it may have been exacerbated by chronic season-long or heavy late season grazing. Complete rest from grazing and suppression of fire could also have hastened the transition. The threshold between states was crossed when Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, crested wheatgrass, or other exotic species became established on the site.
Constraints to recovery
Current knowledge and technology will not facilitate a successful restoration to Reference State.
Mechanism
This transition from State 2: Native/Invaded State to State 3: Invaded State often occurs during extended periods of no use or very light grazing, and no fire. Complete rest or low intensity (<20% utilization) grazing and elimination of fire are the two major contributors to this transition, especially when exotic cool-season grasses (e.g., Kentucky bluegrass, smooth brome, crested wheatgrass) are present. Preliminary studies indicate this threshold may exist when both exotic cool-season grasses exceed 30 percent of the plant community, and native grasses represent less than 40 percent of the plant community composition.
Constraints to recovery
Variations in growing conditions (e.g., cool, wet spring) will influence effects of various management activities on exotic cool-season grass populations.
Mechanism
This transition from State 2: Native/Invaded State to State 4: Invaded Conifer State results from long-term lack of fire. This leads to the site becoming dominated by junipers and/or ponderosa pine.
Constraints to recovery
The extended fire interval may make recovery doubtful due to the abundance of exotic cool-season grasses and lack of native grasses. Fire intensity along with consumption of available fuels may cause incomplete or patchy burns. Ladder fuel and/or fuel loading are required for successfully controlling ponderosa pine (crown vs. ground fire). Continued recruitment of seeds (juniper and pine) from adjacent sites will hamper site restoration.
Constraints to recovery include reticence to undertake tree removal and the perception that trees may be a desirable vegetation component for wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, etc. Managing the site for mule deer, big horn sheep, livestock, or grassland nesting birds will need to consider the intensive management required to restore and maintain the site in State 2. The disturbance regime necessary to restore this site to State 2: Native/Invaded State is very labor intensive and costly; therefore, addressing woody removal earlier in the encroachment phase is the most cost-effective treatment for woody control.
Mechanism
This restoration from State 3: Invaded State to State 2: Native/Invaded State may be accomplished with the implementation of long-term prescribed grazing and prescribed burning. Depending upon the abundance of exotic cool-season grass, a successful range planting may be necessary to complete the restoration.
The success of this restoration pathway depends on the presence of a remnant population of native grasses in Community Phase 3.1. This remnant population may not be readily apparent without close inspection. The application of prescribed burning may be necessary at relatively short intervals in the early phases of this restoration process. Some previous efforts have shown promise with early season prescribed burning; however, summer or fall burning may also be effective under certain circumstances. Prescribed grazing and burning in conjunction with a subsequent successful range planting may be necessary to successfully complete this restoration pathway.
Context dependence
Grazing management should be applied in a manner that enhances/maximizes the competitive advantage of native grass and forb species over the exotic species. This may include the use of prescribed grazing to reduce excessive plant litter accumulations above that needed for rangeland health indicator #14 (see Rangeland Health Reference Worksheet). Increasing livestock densities may facilitate the reduction in plant litter provided length and timing of grazing periods are adjusted to favor native species.
Grazing prescriptions designed to address exotic grass invasion and favor native species may involve earlier, short, intense grazing periods with proper deferment to improve native species health and vigor. Fall (e.g., September, October) prescribed burning followed by an intensive, early spring graze period with adequate deferment for native grass recovery may shift the competitive advantage to the native species, facilitating the restoration to State 2: Native/Invaded.
Prescribed burning should be applied in a manner that enhances the competitive advantage of native grass and forb species over the exotic species. Prescribed burns should be applied at a frequency which mimics the natural disturbance regime, or more frequently as is ecologically (e.g., available fuel load) and economically feasible. Burn prescriptions may need adjustment to: (1) account for change in fine fuel orientation (e.g., “flopped” Kentucky bluegrass); (2) fire intensity and duration by adjusting ignition pattern (e.g., backing fires vs head fires); (3) account for plant phenological stages to maximize stress on exotic species while favoring native species (both cool- and warm-season grasses).
Mechanism
This Transition from State 3: Invaded State to State 4: Invaded Conifer State results from long-term lack of fire. This leads to the site becoming dominated by junipers and/or ponderosa pine.
Constraints to recovery
Lack of fine fuels in the tree understory limits fire intensity causing incomplete or patchy burns. Ladder fuels and/or fuel loading are required, but are limited, for successfully controlling ponderosa pine (crown vs. ground fire). Cost of mechanical and/or chemical treatment may be prohibitive. Continued recruitment of seeds (juniper and pine) from adjacent sites and sprouting nature of deciduous trees and shrubs will hamper site restoration. Existing herbaceous vegetation (native grasses and cool-season exotics) may be lacking allowing for invasive species (e.g., Canada thistle, leafy spurge) to dominate after a prescribed fire.
Constraints to recovery include reticence to undertake tree removal and the perception that trees may be a desirable vegetation component for wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, aesthetics, etc. Managing the site for mule deer, big horn sheep, livestock, or grassland nesting birds will need to consider the intensive management required to restore and maintain the site in State 3. The disturbance regime necessary to restore this site to State 2: Native/Invaded State is very labor intensive and costly; therefore, addressing woody removal earlier in the encroachment phase is the most cost-effective treatment for woody control.
Mechanism
This restoration from State 4: Invaded Conifer State to State 2: Native/Invaded State is initiated by brush management (i.e., chemical/mechanical/prescribed burning) or a stand-replacing wildfire which removes or greatly reduces the non-sprouting trees and shrubs. The fire-tolerant (sprouting) shrubs will initially increase but will eventually decrease if the necessary fire frequency is maintained or brush management is applied. As shrubs decrease, the remnant herbaceous component will increase. The amount of native versus exotic herbaceous component remaining will determine whether this pathway leads to the State 2: Native/Invaded State, or State 3: Invaded State. In this case, the amounts of native species present results in a shift to State 2: Native/Invaded State. This may also occur if range planting is implemented successfully to re-establish a native plant community.
Context dependence
Fire intensity along with consumption of available fuels may cause incomplete or patchy burns. Ladder fuel and/or fuel loading are required for successfully controlling ponderosa pine (crown vs. ground fire). Continued recruitment of seeds (juniper and pine) from adjacent sites will hamper site restoration. Intensive management is required to restore and maintain the site in State 2: Native/Invaded State.
Mechanism
This restoration from State 4: Invaded Conifer State to State 3: Invaded State is initiated by brush management (i.e., chemical/mechanical/prescribed burning) or a stand-replacing wildfire which removes or greatly reduces the non-sprouting trees and shrubs (e.g., juniper species, Ponderosa pine) component. The fire-tolerant (sprouting) shrubs will initially increase but will eventually decrease if the necessary fire frequency is maintained or brush management is applied. As the shrubs decrease, the remnant herbaceous component will increase. The amount of native versus exotic herbaceous component remaining will determine whether this pathway leads to State 2: Native/Invaded State or State 3: Invaded State. In this case, the amounts of exotic species present results in a shift to State 3: Invaded State. This may also occur if range planting is used as an attempt to re-establish a native plant community but, due to various factors (i.e., drought), the planting fails, and exotic species increase and dominate.
Context dependence
Fire intensity along with consumption of available fuels may cause incomplete or patchy burns. Ladder fuel and/or fuel loading are required for successfully controlling ponderosa pine (crown vs. ground fire). Continued recruitment of seeds (juniper and pine) from adjacent sites will hamper site restoration. Intensive management is required to restore and maintain the site in State 3: Invaded State.
Mechanism
This restoration from State 5: Go-Back State to the State 2: Native/Invaded State can be accomplished with a successful range planting. Following seeding, prescribed grazing, prescribed burning, haying, or use of herbicides will generally be necessary to achieve the desired result and control any noxious weeds.
It may be possible using selected plant materials and agronomic practices to approach something very near the functioning of State 2: Native/Invaded State. Application of chemical herbicides and the use of mechanical seeding methods using adapted varieties of the dominant native grasses are possible and can be successful. After establishment of the native plant species, prescribed grazing should include adequate recovery periods following each grazing event and stocking levels which match the available resources; management objectives must include the maintenance of those species, the associated reference state functions, and continued treatment of exotic grasses.
Context dependence
A successful range planting will include proper seedbed preparation, weed control (both prior to and after the planting), selection of adapted native species representing functional/structural groups inherent to the State 1, and proper seeding technique. Management (e.g., prescribed grazing, prescribed burning) during and after establishment must be applied in a manner that maintains the competitive advantage for the seeded native species. Adding non-native species can impact the above and below ground biota. Elevated soil nitrogen levels have been shown to benefit smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass more than some native grasses. As a result, fertilization, exotic legumes in the seeding mix, and other techniques that increase soil nitrogen may promote smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass invasion.
The method or methods of herbaceous weed treatment will be site specific to each situation; but generally, the goal would be to apply the pesticide, mechanical control, or biological control (either singularly or in combination) in a manner that shifts the competitive advantage from the targeted species to the native grasses and forbs. The control method(s) should be as specific to the targeted species as possible to minimize impacts to non-target species.
Mechanism
A failed range planting and/or secondary succession will lead to State 3: Invaded State.
Context dependence
Failed range plantings can result from many causes (both singularly and in combination) including drought, poor seedbed preparation, improper seeding methods, seeded species not adapted to the site, insufficient weed control, herbicide carryover, poor seed quality (purity & germination), and/or improper management.
Mechanism
This transition from any plant community to State 5: Go-Back State. It is most commonly associated with the cessation of cropping without the benefit of range planting, resulting in a “go-back” situation. Soil conditions can be quite variable on the site, in part due to variations in the management/cropping history (e.g., development of a plowline, erosion, fertility, herbicide/pesticide carryover). Thus, soil conditions should be assessed when considering restoration techniques.
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