Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R070AY008NM
Sandstone Breaks
Last updated: 9/12/2023
Accessed: 12/21/2024
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.
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.
Ecological site concept
From an old ESD key for MLRA 70A:
15. Slopes usually 35 to 60 percent, but range from 20 to 75 percent. Soils are shallow to deep, with various textures, usually stony. Parent material is sandstone. Vegetation includes little bluestem, sideoats grama, blue grama, hairy grama, common wolftail, spike muhly, deergrass, piñon ricegrass, switchgrass, needle and thread, wavyleaf buckwheat, wild buckwheat, piñon, juniper, oak, mountain mahogany, fringed sagewort, skunkbush sumac, and cliffrose.
This site correlates to the Mesozoic Canyons and Breaks LRU of MLRA 70A, and to the Shallow Ecological Site Group (GX070A01XESG02).
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
Not specified |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
Not specified |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Schizachyrium scoparium |
Physiographic features
Site occurs on steep and very steep slopes and escarpments. The landscape consists of interbedded sandstone, limestone and shale on steep fans, escarpments, scarps mesa cliffs and hill slopes. Slopes are usually 35 to 60 percent but range from 20 to 75 percent. Slopes are on all aspects and vegetation varies with aspect. North and east-facing slopes have lower temperatures and rainfall is more effective than on the south and west-facing slopes. Elevation differences on individual areas range from 150 to 800 feet. This site is a barrier to the movement of livestock. Elevation ranges from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above sea level.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Escarpment
(2) Scarp (3) Erosion remnant |
|---|---|
| Flooding frequency | None |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 4,000 – 7,000 ft |
| Slope | 20 – 75% |
| Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
The climate of this area can be classified as “semi-arid continental”.
Precipitation averages 14 to 16 inches. Seventy seven percent of the year’s moisture normally falls during the period of May through October. Practically all of it is brought by brief afternoon and evening thunderstorms. In July and August, normally the wettest months of the year, one can expect about one day in five when rainfall exceeds one-tenth inch. Early spring precipitation in May benefits the cool-season plants. Winter precipitation, supplying 24 percent of the year’s moisture, normally has no more than two days a month with as much as one-tenth inch of moisture. Much of the winter precipitation falls as snow.
Air temperatures vary from a monthly mean of 20 degrees F in January to 69 degrees F in July. Daily high temperatures average in the 80’s and low 90’s during the summer. Winter low temperatures fall below the freezing mark much of the time from November through March with minimum temperatures approaching 25 degrees F below zero. Dates of the last killing frost may vary from May 9th through May 17th, and the first killing frost from September 27th to October 8th. The frost-free season ranges from 141 days to 153 days from early May to early October.
Wind velocities for the area average 10 to 12 miles per hour and prevail from the south and southwest. Generally, March is the windiest month. Strong winds during the spring cause rapid drying of the soil surface.
Nearby mountains to the west intercept much of the precipitation from the Pacific storms coming through this area during the winter. About 70 percent of the 14 to 16 inches of annual precipitation falls in the form of rainfall during the frost-free season. About 40 percent of the annual precipitation benefits cool-season plants, 50 percent benefits warm-season plants and 10 percent falls during the season of plant dormancy. Relative humidity is moderately low. The sun shines approximately 75 percent of the time.
Climate data was obtained from http://www.wrcc.sage.dri.edu/summary/climsmnm.html web site using 50 percent probability for freeze-free and frost-free seasons using 28.5 degrees F and 32.5 degrees F respectively.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (average) | 149 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (average) | 171 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 16 in |
Figure 2. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 3. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Influencing water features
This site is not influenced by water from a wetland or stream.
Soil features
Soils are very shallow to shallow. Surface texture are stony sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, cobbly sandy loam, extremely sandy loam, cobbly fine sandy loam, gravelly silt loam, or channery loam. Subsoil textures are stony sandy loam, gravelly sandy loam, cobbly sandy loam, extremely sandy loam, cobbly fine sandy loam, gravelly silt loam, or channery loam. Sandstone bedrock is at depths of less than 20 inches. Permeability is moderate. The available water-holding capacity is low. Effective rooting depth is 6 to 20 inches. Air-water relationship is favorable for plant growth. Rock fragments make up 5 to 25 percent of the soil profile and occupy 5 to 25 percent of the surface.
Minimum and maximum values listed below represent the characteristic soils for this site.
Characteristic soils:
Travessilla
Rizozo
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Stony sandy loam (2) Gravelly sandy loam (3) Extremely gravelly sandy loam |
|---|---|
| Family particle size |
(1) Sandy |
| Drainage class | Well drained |
| Permeability class | Moderate to rapid |
| Soil depth | 10 – 60 in |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 10 – 25% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 5 – 15% |
| Available water capacity (0-40in) |
1 – 4 in |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in) |
30% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-40in) |
2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in) |
4 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in) |
7 – 8.4 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
10 – 25% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
5 – 15% |
Ecological dynamics
This site has the potential to support piñon-juniper stands, and typically does. Fire does kill tree species, and has the potential to temporarily convert the plant community to a grassland dominated sideoats grama and little bluestem.
Text from the Grazing Section that is relevant to plant ecology:
Approximately 70 percent of the total annual yield are from species that furnish forage for livestock when accessible. The potential plant community has a large variety of grasses, forbs and shrub species that provide a well-balanced feed and good nutrition for livestock and wildlife. Continuous grazing will cause the plant community to deteriorate and little bluestem, sideoats grama, blue grama, piñon ricegrass, New Mexico feathergrass, and hairy mountain mahogany to decrease. Meanwhile, piñon pine, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, threeawns, and ring muhly increase. Sleepygrass will invade the site as the plant community deteriorates.
State and transition model
Figure 4. Generalized STM for shallow sites in 70A. Refer to the interactive STM for more site-specific information.
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
Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State
Community 1.1
Reference Plant Community
The vegetation of this site is dominated by grasses but may have the appearance of being dominated by woody species. Warm-season mid-grasses dominate the annual grass production. Piñon pine, oneseed juniper, oak, and hairy mountain mahogany are the main woody species.
Forest understory. Other grasses that could appear include: threeawn spp., galleta, ring muhly, and bottlebrush squirreltail.
Other shrubs that could appear include: broom snakeweek, choilla cactus, and plains pricklypear cactus.
Other forbs that could appear include: fetid marigold and aster.
Figure 5. 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 | 380 | 570 | 760 |
| Shrub/Vine | 140 | 210 | 280 |
| Forb | 50 | 70 | 100 |
| Total | 570 | 850 | 1140 |
Table 6. Ground cover
| Tree foliar cover | 5-10% |
|---|---|
| Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover | 10-15% |
| Grass/grasslike foliar cover | 30-35% |
| Forb foliar cover | 0% |
| Non-vascular plants | 0% |
| Biological crusts | 0% |
| Litter | 5-10% |
| Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" | 0-15% |
| Surface fragments >3" | 0-35% |
| Bedrock | 0% |
| Water | 0% |
| Bare ground | 10-15% |
Figure 6. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM3708, R070AY008NM Sandstone Breaks HCPC. R070AY008NM Sandstone Breaks HCPC Grassland with a major component of shrubs and a minor component of forbs..
| 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 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 25 | 30 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
State 2
Degraded
Common plants in this state are: piñon pine, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, threeawns, and sleepygrass.
Transition T1A
State 1 to 2
Season-long grazing providing little rest and recovery for preferred grazed plants during critical growing periods, coupled with high utilization.
Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1
Restoration pathway resulting from the implementation of prescribed grazing.
Conservation practices
| Grazing Management Plan - Applied |
|---|
Additional community tables
Table 7. Community 1.1 plant community composition
| Group | Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Annual production (lb/acre) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 1 | 180–220 | |||||
| little bluestem | SCSC | Schizachyrium scoparium | 180–225 | – | ||
| 2 | 180–220 | |||||
| sideoats grama | BOCU | Bouteloua curtipendula | 180–225 | – | ||
| 3 | 130–180 | |||||
| blue grama | BOGR2 | Bouteloua gracilis | 135–180 | – | ||
| hairy grama | BOHI2 | Bouteloua hirsuta | 135–180 | – | ||
| 4 | 30–40 | |||||
| common wolfstail | LYPH | Lycurus phleoides | 27–45 | – | ||
| 5 | muwr | 30–40 | ||||
| spike muhly | MUWR | Muhlenbergia wrightii | 27–45 | – | ||
| 6 | 30–40 | |||||
| deergrass | MURI2 | Muhlenbergia rigens | 27–45 | – | ||
| 7 | 30–40 | |||||
| pinyon ricegrass | PIFI | Piptochaetium fimbriatum | 27–45 | – | ||
| 8 | 30–40 | |||||
| switchgrass | PAVI2 | Panicum virgatum | 27–45 | – | ||
| 9 | 30–40 | |||||
| needle and thread | HECO26 | Hesperostipa comata | 27–45 | – | ||
| 10 | 30–40 | |||||
| Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 2GRAM | Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 27–45 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 11 | 30–40 | |||||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 27–45 | – | ||
| 12 | 30–40 | |||||
| Forb, annual | 2FA | Forb, annual | 27–45 | – | ||
| 13 | 30–40 | |||||
| Forb, perennial | 2FP | Forb, perennial | 27–45 | – | ||
|
Tree
|
||||||
| 14 | 90–130 | |||||
| juniper | JUNIP | Juniperus | 90–135 | – | ||
| twoneedle pinyon | PIED | Pinus edulis | 90–135 | – | ||
| 15 | 45–90 | |||||
| oak | QUERC | Quercus | 45–90 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 16 | 30–40 | |||||
| hairy mountain mahogany | CEMOP | Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus | 27–45 | – | ||
| 17 | 10–40 | |||||
| prairie sagewort | ARFR4 | Artemisia frigida | 9–45 | – | ||
| Mexican cliffrose | PUME | Purshia mexicana | 9–45 | – | ||
| skunkbush sumac | RHTR | Rhus trilobata | 9–45 | – | ||
| 18 | 10–40 | |||||
| Shrub, deciduous | 2SD | Shrub, deciduous | 9–45 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
Habitat for Wildlife: This site provides habitats which support a resident animal community that is characterized by mule deer, bobcat, gray fox, spotted skunk, eastern cottontail, rock squirrel, pinyon mouse, southern plains woodrat, great horned owl, ferruginous hawk, plain titmouse, brown towhee, scrubjay, western diamondback rattlesnake, and red-spotted toad. The mountain lion hunts through these habitats. There is seasonal use by band-tailed pigeons in years of heavy mast production.
Hydrological functions
Hydrology Functions: The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series----- Hydrologic Group
Travessilla----- D
Recreational uses
This site has good aesthetic appeal and natural beauty. It has a large variety of plants. It is fair to good for hiking and poor to fair for camping and picnicking. Hunting for deer is good.
Wood products
Some piñon and juniper can be harvested for fence posts and as firewood.
Other products
Grazing:
Distribution of domestic livestock is a problem on this site. All ages and classes of livestock will graze the flatter slopes, leaving the steeper slopes ungrazed. Younger livestock tend to graze the steeper slopes better than the older cows. This site can be grazed during the spring, summer and fall. Approximately 70 percent of the total annual yield are from species that furnish forage for livestock when accessible. The potential plant community has a large variety of grasses, forbs and shrub species that provide a well-balanced feed and good nutrition for livestock and wildlife. Continuous grazing will cause the plant community to deteriorate and little bluestem, sideoats grama, blue grama, piñon ricegrass, New Mexico feathergrass, and hairy mountain mahogany to decrease. Pinyon pine, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, threeawns, and ring muhly to increase. Sleepygrass will invade the site as the plant community deteriorates.
Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index---- Ac/AUM
100 - 76------------ 3.3 – 4.4
75 – 51------------- 4.3 – 6.5
50 – 26------------- 6.4 – 12.6
25 – 0-------------- 12.6+
Supporting information
Contributors
Christine Bishop
Don Sylvester
Elizabeth Wright
John Tunberg
Approval
Kendra Moseley, 9/12/2023
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) | |
|---|---|
| Contact for lead author | |
| Date | 09/16/2023 |
| Approved by | Kendra Moseley |
| Approval date | |
| Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
-
Number and extent of rills:
-
Presence of water flow patterns:
-
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
-
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
-
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
-
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
-
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
-
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
-
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
-
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
-
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
-
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:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
-
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
-
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
-
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
-
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:
-
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
Print Options
Sections
Font
Other
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.
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.