![2192](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/large/es/pc/2192.jpg)
Shallow 25-28" PZ
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Absence of disturbance and natural regeneration over time, may be coupled with excessive grazing pressure
More details -
Transition T1B
Extensive soil disturbance followed by seeding
More details -
Restoration pathway R2A
Adequate rest from defoliation, followed by reintroduction of historic disturbance regimes
More details -
Transition T2A
Extensive soil disturbance followed by seeding
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Midgrass Prairie Community (1.1) is the reference plant community of the Shallow Ecological Site. It is estimated to have been an open prairie, dominated primarily by warm-season midgrasses, such as little bluestem, sideoats grama, and plains bristlegrass, with scattered tallgrasses, such as big bluestem and Indiangrass, as well as a fair component of cool-season plants including Texas wintergrass and sedges. Shortgrasses, such as curlymesquite and buffalograss made up a minor component of the plant community. The plant community also included a wide variety of perennial forbs such as bushsunflower, Engelmann’s daisy, dotted gayfeather, and halfshrub sundrop. The site would have had less than 5% woody canopy, including low shrubs and a few scattered trees. The tallgrasses and woody species usually occurred in the vicinity of limestone outcrops, drainageways, and hillside crests.
The Shortgrass/Shrub-Dominant Community (1.2) was dominated by less palatable species of shortgrasses. Woody species, including honey mesquite, catclaw and lotebush increase in canopy cover and density. Texas wintergrass increased considerably in the shadier understory and became a co-dominant with the shortgrasses, which began to dominate the more open areas.
Submodel
Description
The Mesquite/Pricklypear/Shortgrass Community would be dominated by an overstory of honey mesquite. The increased canopy of woody plants would create a cooler understory, in which Texas wintergrass would increase significantly. Pricklypear, tasajillo, and Texas wintergrass would co-dominate the understory, replacing many of the remaining warm-season midgrasses. Shortgrasses, including curlymesquite, buffalograss, slim tridens, and hairy tridens would greatly increase and become the dominant warm-season grass component of this plant community. Midgrasses, which dominated the reference plant community, will be scarce but remnants will remain due to their resilience and presence in soil seed banks. The tallgrasses would no longer occur in this degraded state. The more palatable forbs would be replaced by less preferred species.
Submodel
State 3
Converted Land State
![2195](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/large/es/pc/2195.jpg)
![2195](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/thumb/es/pc/2195.jpg)
![4201](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/thumb/es/pc/4201.jpg)
![4202](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/thumb/es/pc/4202.jpg)
![2198](https://edit.jornada.nmsu.edu/uploads/thumb/es/pc/2198.jpg)
Description
The Native Seeding Community is the use of adapted native grass mixtures, such as sideoats grama, plains bristlegrass, and green sprangletop which are commonly used. Forbs and shrubs, such as bush sunflower and fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), respectively, have been used in native mixtures, with limited success. Commercial seed sources of adapted forbs and shrubs generally are scarce. Seeded range provides forage production similar to or sometimes greater than most natural grassland communities of the Shallow Ecological Site. Annual production generally ranges from 2000 to 3000 pounds air-dry biomass per acre. Native grasses can successfully compete with the annual grasses and forbs, which often appear during initial establishment. Native grasses are somewhat slower than some of the introduced pasture grasses in establishing viable stands. However, once established and with proper grazing management, native grasses have greater longevity and sustained productivity without high-level energy inputs.
The Introduced Seeding Community is a management-induced vegetative state. It is the result of intensive cultural practices designed to speed the vegetative transformation of a natural plant community, primarily to produce a more economically desired plant community. Seeded pasture usually consists of a monoculture of grasses, such as kleingrass, old-world bluestem, or weeping lovegrass, or a mixture of two or three compatible species. These are generally introduced or improved cultivars, having characteristics desired for forage, erosion control, water conservation, or wildlife habitat. In most cases seeded pastureland is management-oriented for forage production, but may have secondary benefits. Such plant communities usually provide higher levels of production than degraded natural plant communities on this site. Although this vegetative state may provide productive and seasonally nutritious forage for livestock, it may lack the biodiversity of natural plant communities, more essential to many wildlife species.
The Annual Crop Community is a management-induced state produced through transformation of a natural plant community or another management-induced plant community, through plowing and cultivation. These areas are seeded to cash or forage crops, primarily small grains, forage sorghum, and grain sorghum. Small grains generally include wheat and oats, either for grain or forage, and sometimes both in years of favorable rainfall. Many of these areas have been successfully cultivated for production of small grains, forage sorghums, and grain sorghum. Cool-season crops generally do better than warm-season crops, due to the droughty nature of the site.
Submodel
Mechanism
With heavy continuous grazing, no brush management, brush invasion, and no fires, the Grassland State will transition into the Shrubland State.
Mechanism
With the conversion of the Grassland State to the Converted Land State, various treatments are needed: Pasture Planting, Crop Cultivation, Range Planting, Pest Management, Nutrient Management, Plowing, and Prescribed Grazing.
Mechanism
With the implementation of various conservation practices including Prescribed Grazing, Brush Management (IPT), Range Planting, and Prescribed Burning, the Shrubland State can be restored to the Grassland State.
Relevant conservation practices
Practice | External resources |
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Brush Management |
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Prescribed Burning |
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Prescribed Grazing |
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Range Planting |
Mechanism
With the conversion of the Shrubland State to the Converted Land State, various treatments are needed such as Pasture Planting, Crop Cultivation, Range Planting, Pest Management, Nutrient Management, Plowing, and Prescribed Grazing in order for the transition to occur.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
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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.