The Reference State is a dynamic state that encompasses the reference community, and the phases it may undergo in response to alterations in the environment. It serves as the base state for the subsequent states depicted in the model.
In the absence of the historical primary intensive grazing bison and elk herds, and the disruption of the fire regime, land managers have intentionally engaged in practices to create and maintain a more disturbed phase within the reference state to achieve wildlife management goals.
The Reference State of the Deep Depression site harbors the Shallow Cattail Marsh Phase as the Reference Phase, the Degraded Phase, and the Managed Phase.
More severe disturbances, such as plowing, ditching or excavating can negatively impact the hydrological, soil and vegetative components of the system to the degree that they cross a threshold to a more degraded state.
This site has often been mechanically altered to either drain it to allow the land to be placed into production agriculture or excavated to increase the water holding capacity of the basin as a re-use pit. These actions disrupt the ecological balance of the site to a degree that forces the site across the state threshold to the mechanically altered state. The magnitude of disruption of the soil processes and the hydrological cycle make it unlikely that return to the reference state is possible.
Mechanical alteration to either drain the site to allow the land to be placed into production agriculture or excavated to increase the water holding capacity of the basin as a re-use pit.
Model keys
Briefcase
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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.
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
