Loamy Upland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1A More details
- Transition T1B More details
- Transition T1C More details
- Transition T1D More details
- Restoration pathway R2A More details
- Transition T2A More details
- Transition T2B More details
- Restoration pathway R3A More details
- Transition T3A More details
- Restoration pathway R4A More details
- Restoration pathway R4B More details
- Restoration pathway R4C More details
- Restoration pathway R5A More details
- Transition T5A More details
- Restoration pathway R6B More details
- Restoration pathway R6A 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
This state comprises the communities within the range of natural variability under historic conditions and disturbance regimes. The vegetation is predominately native, warm season, tall, and mid-grasses.
Submodel
Description
This state consists of one plant community phase. The state has very little native tall and mid warm season grasses remaining. Less productive grasses such as blue grama remain and Kentucky bluegrass has invaded the site. Forb diversity is low and Cuman ragweed is the dominant forb species.
Submodel
Description
This state consists of four community phases that have been altered and are highly variable. One consists of seeded pastureland, the second consists of invaded smooth bromegrass. The third is abandoned farmland and the fourth is annual forbs and grasses. The community phases in this state are primarily introduced grasses and/or low succession forbs. They are derived through four distinct management scenarios and may not be related in terms of succession. Infiltration, runoff and soil erosion varies depending on the vegetation present.
Submodel
Description
This state can develop when brush management, harvest, prescribed burning and wildfire is absent over an extended period of time. Generally, this state is very conducive to cedar seedling invasion. Cedars will eventually dominate the site, over time resulting in a closed canopy. This will reduce grass production and limit grazing potential. In southern and eastern portions of the MLRA honey locust encroachment may occur.
Submodel
Description
This state consists of three community phases that represent a progressive increase in the amount of woody species present. The community phases range from a mixture of shrub, tree seedlings and grasses to a phase dominated by shrubs and immature trees, to a plant community dominated by mature trees and shrubs.
Submodel
Description
This state consists of one plant community which is a result of continuous season long grazing or continuous seasonal grazing. There is little regeneration of trees mainly due to grazing of seedlings and saplings.
Submodel
Mechanism
Continuous Heavy Grazing without adequate recovery periods will cause this plant community to lose a significant proportion of tall warm season grass species and cross a threshold to a Blue Grama/Kentucky Bluegrass/Ragweed plant community. Once this occurs it will require considerable time (more than 40 years) and expense to return this site to a more productive plant community. Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root matting presence of sod-forming grasses.
Mechanism
No-Fire, No-Use, and Encroachment will allow an increase of Eastern red cedar and deciduous trees such as locusts in the plant community.
Mechanism
Long-term prescribed grazing and lack of fire may shift this plant community toward a plant community dominated by trees. See the plant community descriptions for areas on lower and upper reaches of drainages.
Mechanism
No fire, encroachment and no brush management can cause the reference state to transition to the Grass/Hardwood State.
Mechanism
Prescribed Grazing with adequate recovery periods, will allow perennial plants to increase in the plant community and move toward the Sideoats grama/ Blue grama/Western wheatgrass community as long as there is a remnant warm-season plant component within the plant community.
Mechanism
Continuous Heavy Grazing without adequate recovery periods will cause this plant community to shift toward an Annuals plant community. The loss of perennial vegetation will increase the potential for soil erosion, and reduce water infiltration, and other biotic, soil, and hydrologic functions.
Mechanism
Encroachment of woody species, no grazing and no fire will cause the Native/ Invaded Grass State to transition to the Invaded Woody State
Mechanism
Prescribed Grazing with adequate recovery periods, will allow the sod-forming grasses to increase in composition and help move the plant community back toward the Native/Invaded state over a long period of time (more than 15 years).
Mechanism
Encroachment of woody species, no grazing, and no fire will cause the Invaded Grass-Seeded State to transition to the Invaded Woody State.
Mechanism
Harvest,wildfire, prescribed burning or brush management of eastern red cedar and other woody plants will maintain the reference plant community and control woody plant encroachment. Eastern red cedar control can usually be accomplished with a prescribed burn while the trees are six foot tall or less and fine fuel production is over 1500 pounds per acre. Mechanical removal followed by a chemical treatment on stumps is effective on honey locust. Prescribed grazing or targeted grazing with browsing animals may also help maintain a grass-dominant plant community.
Mechanism
Harvest,wildfire, prescribed burning or brush management of eastern red cedar and other woody plants will maintain the reference plant community and control woody plant encroachment. Eastern red cedar control can usually be accomplished with a prescribed burn while the trees are six foot tall or less and fine fuel production is over 1500 pounds per acre. Mechanical removal followed by a chemical treatment on stumps is effective on honey locust. Prescribed grazing or targeted grazing with browsing animals may also help maintain a grass-dominant plant community.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Brush Management |
|
|
Prescribed Burning |
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Prescribed Grazing |
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, continuous heavy grazing, brush management, plowing, and/or seeding can cause the Invaded Woody State to be restored back to the Invaded Grass-Seeded State.
Mechanism
Wildfire, prescribed burning, brush management and long term prescribed grazing will cause the Lower Woody Draw State to shift back to the Mixed Native Grass Reference State.
Mechanism
Long term prescribed grazing, wildfire, prescribed burn, and heavy browsing can all cause the Lower Woody Draw state to transition to the Grass/Hardwood State.
Mechanism
Timber harvest, prescribed burn, brush management, and long term prescribed grazing can cause the Grass/Hardwood State to shift back to the Mixed Native Grass Reference State.
Model keys
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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.