Thin Upland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
-
Transition T1A
Long-term (> 10 years) heavy grazing during the summer with inadequate growing season recovery periods.
More details -
Transition T1B
Long-term (> 10 years) continuous season long grazing or rotational grazing with inadequate growing season recovery periods.
More details -
Transition T1C
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Transition T1D
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
More details -
Restoration pathway R2A
Long-term (> 15 years) prescribed grazing with adequate growing season recovery periods. This restoration may not be feasible.
More details -
Transition T2A
Long-term (> 10 years) continuous grazing or rotational grazing with inadequate growing season recovery periods .
More details -
Transition T2B
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Transition T2C
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
More details -
Restoration pathway R3A
Long-term (> 15 years) prescribed grazing with concentrated, spring grazing with no summer grazing. This restoration may not be feasible.
More details -
Transition T3A
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
Transition T3B
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
More details -
Restoration pathway R4A
Long-term (>15 years) prescribed grazing with adequate growing season recovery periods.
More details -
Transition T4A
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details - Transition T4B More details
-
Restoration pathway R5A
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R5B
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R5C
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R5D
Prescribed burning, wildfire, mechanical harvest, brush management.
More details - Restoration pathway R5E More details
-
Transition T6A
Woody encroachment with no fire or brush management.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Reference State (1) describes the range of vegetative communities that occur on the Thin Upland ecological site where the range of natural variability under historic conditions and disturbance regimes is mostly intact. The Reference State developed under the combined influences of climatic conditions, periodic fire activity, grazing by large herbivores, and impacts from small mammals and insects. High perennial grass cover and production allows for increased soil moisture retention, vegetative production and overall soil quality.
The Reference State includes the Reference Community (1.1), the At-Risk Community (1.2), and the Excessive Litter Community (1.3). The Reference Community (1.1) serves as a description of the native plant community that naturally occurs on the site when the natural disturbance regimes are intact or closely mimicked by management practices. The At-Risk Community results from management actions that are unfavorable for a healthy Reference Community. The Excessive Litter Community results when herbivory and fire are removed from the site. All community phases are susceptible to eastern redcedar invasion and subject to crossing a threshold into the Invaded Woody State (4).
Submodel
Description
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) has been degraded from the Reference State (1) and much of the native warm-season grass community has been replaced by native cool-season grasses and non-native cool-season grasses. Non-native species are typically 15 percent or less of the annual production. The Native/Invaded Grass State occurs with either continuous seasonal grazing during the summer months or with prolonged periods of non-use with no fire.
The loss of warm-season, tall- and midgrasses has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. Water infiltration is reduced due to the shallow root system and rapid runoff characteristics of the current plant communities. The Native/Invaded Grass State includes the Native Cool-Season-Invasive Grass Community (2.1).
Submodel
Description
The Invaded Grass State (3) occurs when non-native cool-season grasses have invaded and dominate the site. Non-native cool-season grasses make up more than thirty percent of the plant community. Smooth brome tends to dominate the site with long term heavy grazing. Kentucky bluegrass tends to dominate the site when the site is unused and fire is also eliminated from the system due to the buildup of thatch which effectively prevents other plants from establishing.
The loss of warm-season, tall- and midgrasses and increase of non-native cool-season grasses has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. Water infiltration is reduced due to the shallow root system and rapid runoff characteristics of the current plant community.
Long term (more than 15 years) prescribed grazing which includes concentrated grazing in the spring and fall and no grazing during the summer months may restore the plant community to the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). The feasibility of this restoration depends upon the amount of native grasses remaining in the plant community. The fewer the native grasses present, the less feasible the restoration. The Invaded Grass State includes the Invasive Grass Community (3.1).
Submodel
Description
The Shortgrass Sod State (4) has been degraded from the Reference State (1) and most of the native warm-season tall- and midgrasses and cool-season bunchgrasses have been replaced by warm-season shortgrasses and sedges. The loss of most of the native grass component has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. Water infiltration has been reduced while runoff has been increased due to the shallow root systems of existing plant community. The Shortgrass Sod State includes the Shortgrass Sod Community (4.1).
Submodel
Description
The Invaded Woody State (5) is the result of woody encroachment. Once the tree canopy cover reaches 15 percent with an average tree height exceeding five feet, the threshold to the Invaded Woody State has been crossed. Woody species are increasing due to the lack of prescribed fire, brush management, or other woody tree removal. Typical ecological impacts are a loss of native grasses, reduced diversity of functional and structural groups, reduced forage production, and reduced soil quality.
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State toward a grass dominated state. If the Invaded Woody State transitioned from Native/Invaded Grass State (2), Invaded Grass State (3), Shortgrass Sod State (4), or the Sodbusted State (6), the land cannot return to the Reference State (1) as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function had been too severely impacted prior to the woody encroachment to allow the return to the Reference State through woody species removal alone. The Invaded Woody State includes one community, the Invaded Woody Community (5.1).
Submodel
Description
The threshold to the Sodbusted State (6) is crossed as a result of mechanical tillage to facilitate production agriculture. When the land is no longer cropped, the resulting state is the Sodbusted State. When farming operations are suspended, the site can seeded to native grasses and forms resulting in the Reseeded Native Grass Community (6.1), be seeded to a tame pasture forage mixture resulting in the Seeded Pasture Community (6.2) or be abandoned with no seeding which will result in the Natural Reclamation Community (6.3).
Permanent alterations of the soil community and the hydrologic cycle make restoration to the Reference State (1) extremely difficult, if not impossible. Formation of a compacted plowpan in the soil profile is likely.
Submodel
Mechanism
Long-term (more than ten years) heavy continuous grazing or heavy rotational grazing with inadequate growing season recovery periods during the summer will cause the Reference State (1) to lose a significant proportion of the warm-season grass species and cross a threshold to the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root-matting presence of sod-forming grasses. With the decline and loss of deeper-penetrating root systems, soil structure and biotic integrity are significantly degraded. This transition may also occur when non-use without implementing prescribed fire is continued long-term.
Mechanism
The Reference State (1) will transition to the Shortgrass Sod State (4) with long-term (more than ten years), continuous, growing season long grazing or rotational grazing with inadequate growing season recovery periods. Continuous seasonal grazing (grazing during the same time frame each year) in the spring will also case this transition.
Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root-matting presence of sod-forming grasses. With the decline and loss of deeper-penetrating root systems, soil structure and biological integrity may be degraded to the point that recovery is unlikely. Once this occurs, it is highly unlikely that grazing management alone will return the community to the Reference State.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody specie can cause the Reference State (1) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (5).
Mechanism
The Reference State (1) has been significantly altered by tillage to allow the site to be placed into production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil, and the hydrology of the system make restoration to the Reference State unlikely.
Mechanism
Long-term ( 15 or more years) prescribed grazing with adequate growing season recovery periods and appropriate stocking rates timed to coincide with the rapid growth phase of the cool-season grasses will return the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) to the Reference State (1). The length of time required depends upon the amount of native grasses remaining in the plant community. This restoration may not be feasible if soils and hydrology have been degraded to the extent that the site cannot support a plant community of the Reference State (1). Appropriately timed prescribed burning may accelerate this process.
Mechanism
Continued long-term (more than ten years) continuous grazing or rotational grazing with inadequate growing season recovery periods during the summer will cause the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) to lose a significant proportion of the native grass species and cross a threshold to the Invaded Grass State (3). Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root-matting presence of sod-forming grasses. With the decline and loss of deeper-penetrating root systems, soil structure and biotic integrity are catastrophically degraded.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody specie can cause the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (5).
Mechanism
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) has been significantly altered by tillage to allow the site to be placed into production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil, and the hydrology of the system make restoration to the Native/Invaded Grass State unlikely.
Mechanism
With long-term (15 or more years) seasonal prescribed grazing in the spring or in the spring and fall the amount of non-native cool-season grasses can be reduced and be replaced by native grasses if an adequate amount of remnant native grasses are present in the plant community. This restoration will not be feasible when native grasses have been eliminated or nearly eliminated from the plant community or if soils and hydrology have been degraded to the extent that the site cannot support a plant community of the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). Appropriately timed prescribed burning may accelerate this process.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody specie can cause the Invaded Grass State (3) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (5).
Mechanism
The Invaded Grass State (3) has been significantly altered by tillage to allow the site to be placed into production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil, and the hydrology of the system make restoration to the Invaded Grass State unlikely.
Mechanism
Long term (more than 15 years) prescribed grazing with adequate growing season recovery periods may move the Shortgrass Sod State (4) to the Reference State (1) if adequate amounts of native, warm-season, tall- and midgrasses and native cool-season grasses remain in the plant community. This transition will not be feasible when the warm-season tall- and midgrasses and native cool-season grasses have been reduced to trace levels or if soils and hydrology have been degraded to the extent that the site cannot support a plant community of the Reference State (1).
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody specie can cause the Shortgrass Sod State (4) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (5).
Mechanism
The Shortgrass Sod State (4) has been significantly altered by tillage to allow the site to be placed into production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, the soil, and the hydrology of the system make restoration to the Shortgrass Sod State unlikely.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (5) toward the Reference State (1). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment.
Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2), Invaded Grass State (3), Shortgrass Sod State (4), or Sodbusted State (6), cannot transition to the Reference State through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment.
Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State, Invaded Grass State (3), Shortgrass Sod State (4), or Sodbusted State (6), cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Invaded Grass State (3). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment.
Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2), Invaded Grass State, Shortgrass Sod State (4), or Sodbusted State (6), cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (5) toward the Shortgrass Sod State (4). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment.
Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2), Invaded Grass State (3), Shortgrass Sod State, or Sodbusted State (6), cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (5) toward the Sodbusted State (1). The forb component may initially increase following tree removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State. The heavier the existing canopy cover, the greater the energy input required to return to the Reference State by management practices. The amount of time required for this restoration to occur depends on the severity and duration of the encroachment.
Land that transitioned to the Woody Invaded State from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2), Invaded Grass State (3), Shortgrass Sod State (4), or Sodbusted State, cannot transition to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted for that restoration to occur.
Model keys
Briefcase
Add ecological sites and Major Land Resource Areas to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase (
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
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.