Saline Lowland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition 1.2 to 2 More details
- Transition 1 to 3 More details
- Restoration pathway 2 to 1.2 More details
- Restoration pathway 3 to 1 More details
- Transition 3 to 2 More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Grassland State is supported by empirical data, historical data, local expertise, and photographs. This state is defined by three native plant communities that are a result of periodic fire, drought, and grazing. These events are part of the natural disturbance regime and climatic process. The Reference Plant Community consists of both warm- and cool-season, tall- and midgrasses, forbs, and shrubs. The saltgrass plant community consists of warm- and cool-season salt-tolerant grasses and grasslikes. Plant Community 3 consists of decadent plants or excessive litter, and few remnant native grasses and forbs.
Submodel
Description
The Saltgrass State is supported by empirical data, historical data, local expertise, and photographs. This state represents a plant community change as well as changes to the energy flow and nutrient cycling processes. This state is defined by one plant community.
Submodel
Description
The Annual/Pioneer State is supported by empirical data, historical data, local expertise, and photographs. This State represents a plant community change as well as changes to the energy flow and nutrient cycling processes. This State is defined by one plant community.
Submodel
Mechanism
Heavy, continuous grazing without adequate recovery opportunity between grazing events or continuous, seasonal (i.e. spring) grazing will move this plant community across an ecological threshold to the Inland Saltgrass Sod, Foxtail Barley, Bare Ground Plant Community.
Mechanism
Excessive defoliation (i.e., areas of heavy animal concentration,) or cropped go-back land with continuous grazing will convert the plant community to the Annual/Pioneer Perennial Plant Community.
Mechanism
Long-term prescribed grazing with adequate recovery periods between grazing events and proper stocking will shift this plant community toward the Inland Saltgrass/Western Wheatgrass Plant Community, and eventually to the Reference Plant Community or associated successional plant community stages, assuming an adequate seed/vegetative source is available. This transition may take up to 40 years or more to accomplish, depending on the degree of degradation.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Prescribed Grazing |
Mechanism
Under long-term prescribed grazing and/or removal of disturbance, including adequate rest periods, this plant community will move through the successional stages, and may eventually lead to a plant community resembling the Western Wheatgrass/Nuttall’s Alkaligrass/Cordgrass Plant Community. This process will take a long period of time (25+ years).
Range seeding into mulch followed with prescribed grazing can be used to convert this plant community to one that may resemble the Reference Plant Community.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Prescribed Grazing |
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.