Basalt Breaks
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
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- Transition T1 More details
- Restoration pathway R1 More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
The plant community is about 71-80% grasses, 12-15% forbs, and 21-25% shrubs air dry weight.
The production is predominately made up of grasses; however its appearance is that of being dominated by woody species. This is especially apparent on the north facing slopes having large patches of Gambel oak, true mountain mahogany, oneseeded junipers and other shrubs.
The dominant grasses are tall and mid-grasses. The most abundant of the grasses are little bluestem, big bluestem, blue grama, hairy grama, sideoats grama and western wheatgrass. Less abundant grasses are spike muhly, wolftail, prairie junegrass, switchgrass, New Mexico feahthergrass and Indian ricegrass. Forbs that make up the plant community are dotted gayfeather, threadleaf groundsel, purple prairieclover, scarlet globemallow and Louisiana sagebrush.
Shrubs that occur on this site are Gambel oak, New Mexico hoptree, skunkbush sumac, true mountain mahogany, oneseed juniper, Rocky Mountain juniper, wax currant and small soapweed. An occasional pinyon and ponderosa pine may occur on the north facing slope.
Submodel
Description
This state will have an increase in shrubs such as oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, and gambel oak. Tall, warm season grasses will be mostly absent from the site.
Characteristics and indicators
Other plant indicators of this state include: spike muhly, sleepygrass, plains pricklypear, walkingstick cholla, threeawn, threadleaf groundsel, wooly loco and annuals such as Russian thistle, cheatgrass, annual sunflower, and fetid marigold.
Mechanism
Season-long cattle grazing with little rest and recovery and a moderate to heavy stocking rate.
Constraints to recovery
Distribution of domestic livestock is a problem on this site due to the slopes. All ages and classes of livestock tend to graze the flatter slopes, leaving the steeper slopes ungrazed. The site is better suited to be grazed by younger age of livestock due to the slope and roughness.
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.