Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R070AY010NM
Malpais Breaks
Last updated: 9/12/2023
Accessed: 11/21/2024
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
This site occurs on basalt-capped escarpments. Soils have high fragment content in surface layers, and are quite variable in depth.
This site correlates to the Upland ecological site group.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Juniperus |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Quercus gambelii |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Schizachyrium scoparium |
Physiographic features
This site is on steep to very steep sides of basalt-capped mesas. These soils are on alluvial fans and valley sideslopes. It consists of a series of ridges, benches and escarpments. The site is 20 to 35 percent basalt, sandstone and limestone outcrop and 65 to 80 percent soil. The soil is on fans and benches. This site is on all aspects. Areas with north and east aspects have greater density of vegetation. Elevation differences range from 100 to 800 feet. Elevation ranges from 4,900 to 8,200 feet above sea level.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Ridge
(2) Escarpment (3) Scarp slope |
|---|---|
| Flooding frequency | None |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Elevation | 1,494 – 2,499 m |
| Slope | 10 – 40% |
| 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) | 406 mm |
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 shallow to deep. Surface textures are very stony loam, very cobbly loam or very stony silty clay with clay content of 18 to 35 percent and rock fragments, dominantly cobbles and stones. Subsoil textures range from very stony sandy clay loam, silt loam, very stony loam, or very stony clay loam with rock fragment dominantly stones and cobbles. Visible calcium carbonate in the form of coatings on rock fragments. Permeability is moderate to very slow. Available water-holding capacity is low to high. Effective rooting depth is 10 to more than 60 inches. These soils generally have air-water relationships beneficial to plant growth. However, some of the shallow stony soils are droughty. These soils are not usually classified to the series or family level because of variability.
Minimum and maximum values listed below represent the characteristic soils for this site.
Characteristic soils
Ayon
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Surface texture |
(1) Extremely stony loam (2) Very cobbly loam (3) Very stony silty clay |
|---|---|
| Family particle size |
(1) Clayey |
| Drainage class | Moderately well drained to well drained |
| Permeability class | Very slow to moderate |
| Soil depth | 25 – 183 cm |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 10 – 25% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 35 – 50% |
| Available water capacity (0-101.6cm) |
7.62 – 30.48 cm |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-101.6cm) |
15 – 50% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 1 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-101.6cm) |
7.4 – 9 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
10 – 20% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
35 – 60% |
Ecological dynamics
Text from the Grazing Section that is relevant to plant ecology:
Approximately 80 percent of the total annual yield are from species that furnish forage for grazing animals. Continuous grazing during the growing season will cause the more desirable forage plants such as little bluestem, big bluestem, sideoats grama, western wheatgrass, and mountain mahogany to decrease. Species most likely to increase are blue grama, threeawn, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, oak brush, and cholla cactus. Rest during April, May and June benefits needle and thread, New Mexico feathergrass, and Indian ricegrass. Rest during late spring and early summer is beneficial to species such as big bluestem and switchgrass.
State and transition model
Figure 4. Generalized STM for upland sites in 70A. Note that
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Ecosystem states
State 1 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State
Community 1.1
Reference Plant Community
The vegetative production on this site is predominantly made up of grasses; however, the appearance is that of being dominated by woody species. This is especially apparent on the north and east facing slopes having mottles or large patches of oak, mountain mahogany, skunkbush, juniper, and other shrubs, which make up approximately 20 to 25 percent of the composition. Annual and perennial forbs are evenly distributed and make up approximately 15 percent of the plant community.
Figure 5. Annual production by plant type (representative values) or group (midpoint values)
Table 5. Annual production by plant type
| Plant type | Low (kg/hectare) |
Representative value (kg/hectare) |
High (kg/hectare) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grass/Grasslike | 426 | 661 | 908 |
| Shrub/Vine | 168 | 269 | 359 |
| Forb | 90 | 146 | 202 |
| Total | 684 | 1076 | 1469 |
Table 6. Ground cover
| Tree foliar cover | 3-5% |
|---|---|
| Shrub/vine/liana foliar cover | 15-20% |
| Grass/grasslike foliar cover | 25-30% |
| Forb foliar cover | 0% |
| Non-vascular plants | 0% |
| Biological crusts | 0% |
| Litter | 10-15% |
| Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" | 0% |
| Surface fragments >3" | 0% |
| Bedrock | 0% |
| Water | 0% |
| Bare ground | 15-20% |
Figure 6. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). NM3710, R070AY010NM Malpais Breaks HCPC. R070AY010NM Malpais Breaks HCPC Grassland with major components of shrubs and 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
This state is generally dominated by blue grama, threeawn, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, oak brush, and cholla.
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 (kg/hectare) | Foliar cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grass/Grasslike
|
||||||
| 1 | 168–230 | |||||
| little bluestem | SCSC | Schizachyrium scoparium | 173–230 | – | ||
| 2 | 168–230 | |||||
| blue grama | BOGR2 | Bouteloua gracilis | 173–230 | – | ||
| 3 | 56–112 | |||||
| western wheatgrass | PASM | Pascopyrum smithii | 57–115 | – | ||
| 4 | 56–112 | |||||
| sideoats grama | BOCU | Bouteloua curtipendula | 57–115 | – | ||
| 5 | 56–112 | |||||
| big bluestem | ANGE | Andropogon gerardii | 57–115 | – | ||
| 6 | 34–56 | |||||
| hairy grama | BOHI2 | Bouteloua hirsuta | 35–57 | – | ||
| 7 | 34–56 | |||||
| needle and thread | HECO26 | Hesperostipa comata | 35–57 | – | ||
| New Mexico feathergrass | HENE5 | Hesperostipa neomexicana | 35–57 | – | ||
| 8 | 34–56 | |||||
| Indian ricegrass | ACHY | Achnatherum hymenoides | 35–57 | – | ||
| switchgrass | PAVI2 | Panicum virgatum | 35–57 | – | ||
| 9 | 34–56 | |||||
| Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 2GRAM | Graminoid (grass or grass-like) | 35–57 | – | ||
|
Forb
|
||||||
| 10 | 34–56 | |||||
| prairie clover | DALEA | Dalea | 35–57 | – | ||
| 11 | 34–56 | |||||
| globemallow | SPHAE | Sphaeralcea | 35–57 | – | ||
| 12 | 34–56 | |||||
| buckwheat | ERIOG | Eriogonum | 35–57 | – | ||
| upright prairie coneflower | RACO3 | Ratibida columnifera | 35–57 | – | ||
| 13 | 34–56 | |||||
| Forb, annual | 2FA | Forb, annual | 35–57 | – | ||
| 14 | 34–56 | |||||
| Forb, perennial | 2FP | Forb, perennial | 35–57 | – | ||
|
Shrub/Vine
|
||||||
| 15 | 112–168 | |||||
| oak | QUERC | Quercus | 115–173 | – | ||
| 16 | 90–112 | |||||
| hairy mountain mahogany | CEMOP | Cercocarpus montanus var. paucidentatus | 92–115 | – | ||
| 17 | 34–56 | |||||
| skunkbush sumac | RHTR | Rhus trilobata | 35–57 | – | ||
| 18 | 34–56 | |||||
| 19 | 34–56 | |||||
| Shrub, deciduous | 2SD | Shrub, deciduous | 35–57 | – | ||
|
Tree
|
||||||
| 18 | 34–56 | |||||
| juniper | JUNIP | Juniperus | 35–57 | – | ||
Interpretations
Animal community
Habitat for Wildlife:
This site provides habitats which support a resident animal community that is characterized by mule deer, bobcat, desert cottontail, brush mouse, rock mouse, rock squirrel, great horned owl, sparrow hawk, scrub jay, rufous-sided towhee, garter snake, and fence lizard.
There is seasonal use by the blue grouse, turkey, and mountain lion. The Lewis woodpecker breeds in these habitats. Band-tailed pigeons will flock to these habitats during years of heavy mast production.
Hydrological functions
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series----- Hydrologic Group
Ayon------------ B
Recreational uses
Due to the break in the physiographic features, this site has good aesthetic appeal and natural beauty. It is fair for screening, fair to good for hiking and picnicking and fair to poor for camping. Hunting is fair to good for deer and rabbits. This is excellent winter range for deer.
Wood products
This site produces no significant wood except for fuel for campfires.
Other products
Grazing:
This site is best suited for grazing during spring, summer and fall. Distribution of livestock is a problem on this site due to the slope. All ages and classes of livestock tend to graze the flatter slopes leaving the steeper slopes ungrazed. It is better suited to grazing by a younger age of livestock due to the slopes and rocks on the surface. Approximately 80 percent of the total annual yield are from species that furnish forage for grazing animals. These species are a large variety of grasses, forbs, and shrubs that provide good nutrition for grazing animals. Continuous grazing during the growing season will cause the more desirable forage plants such as little bluestem, big bluestem, sideoats grama, western wheatgrass, and mountain mahogany to decrease. Species most likely to increase are blue grama, threeawn, oneseed juniper, broom snakeweed, oak brush, and cholla cactus. A system of deferred grazing, which varies the season of grazing and rest in a pasture during successive years, is needed to maintain or improve the plant community. Rest during different seasons of the year will benefit different species. Deferment during the late winter and early spring reduces competition between cattle and deer for the palatable shrubs and early forbs. Rest during April, May and June benefits needle and thread, New Mexico feathergrass, and Indian ricegrass. Rest during late spring and early summer is beneficial to species such as big bluestem and switchgrass.
Other information
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index--- Ac/AUM
100 - 76----------- 2.9 – 3.6
75 – 51------------ 3.7 – 5.8
50 – 26------------ 5.7 – 10.6
25 – 0------------- 10.6+
Supporting information
Type locality
| Location 1: Colfax County, NM | |
|---|---|
| Location 2: Mora County, NM | |
| Location 3: Union County, NM |
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 | 11/21/2024 |
| 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:
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