Physiographic features

This site occurs on level to moderately sloping uplands in elevations ranging from 5,500 to 6,500 feet. The site may occur in concave depressions but receives little or no additional moisture. The site is differentiated from the other upland sites because of the moderate to strong salinity/alkalinity in the soil profile.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

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

Influencing water features

Site receives run-on water from associated upland sites.

Soil features

The soils on this site are deep. They are moderately well drained to well drained, and have medium to slow runoff. The surface texture ranges from silty clay loam and saline silty clay loam. The substratum is clay loam and clay. These soils are slow to very slow permeability. The available water holding capacity is high. The hazard of soil erosion is moderate to high and hazard of soil blowing is moderate. These soils are effected by salt. Where adequate soil surface cover is lacking, the soils of this site develop a dispersed surface condition which decreases their infiltration rate.

Characteristic soils are:
La Brier Silty Clay Loam Saline
Swastika Silty Clay Loam Saline
Vermejo Silty Clay Loam Saline

Table 4. Representative soil features

Animal community

This site provides habitat which supports a resident animal community that is characterized by coyote, desert cottontail, meadow mole, sparrow hawk, mourning dove, bull snake and rattlesnake, and Great Plains skunk. There is seasonal use by pronghorn antelope.

Hydrological functions

Soil Series---------------Hydrologic Group
--------------------------------------------
La Brier Silty Clay loam Saline-----C
Swastika Silty Clay loam Saline-----C
Vermejo Silty Clay loam Saline-----C

Recreational uses

Hunting for rabbit, antelope, and quail is fair.
Limited aesthetic appeal.

Wood products

No wood products.

Other products

Grazing: This site is suitable for late winter, spring, and early summer grazing. Forage can be best utilized by grazing cattle or horses due to the coarse nature of the forage produced by alkali sacaton. Maximum available forage production can be achieved by mowing in late winter and stocking with cows in the summer, and alternately resting the pasture in the following year. Approximately 80 percent of the total annual yield is from species that produce forage for livestock. Continuous grazing in the spring and summer will cause the more desirable forage plants like alkali sacaton, western wheatgrass, blue grama, vine mesquite, and fourwing saltbush to decrease. The species most likely to invade this site are ring muhly, broom snakeweed, Astragalus species, cholla cactus, and plains pricklypear. Species most likely to increase from small amounts are inland saltgrass, alkali and mat muhly, and rabbitbrush. As ecological conditions deteriorate it is accompanied by a sharp increase in saltgrass. Inland saltgrass may come to completely dominate the site and their is a reduction in overall ground cover. A system of deferred grazing that varies the time of grazing and rest in a pasture during successive years is needed to maintain or improve the plant community. Spring rest will allow alkali sacaton sufficient time to green up and will benefit the cool-season grasses such as western wheatgrass. Occasional summer deferment is needed to maintain the alkali sacaton, especially where cattle are concentrated for periods of time during the growing season.

Other information

Guide to Intitail Stocking Rates expressed as Acres per Animal Unit Month.
Range Similarity index-----------Acres/AUM
90+------------------------------2.5 to 3.5
75-------------------------------3.3 to 4.4
50-------------------------------4.3 to 8
25-------------------------------8.1 plus

Type locality

Contributors

Don Sylvester
John Tunberg

Approval

Kendra Moseley, 9/12/2023