Clay Flat 14-19 PZ
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Absence of disturbance and natural regeneration over time
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Transition T2A
Removal of woody canopy and reintroduction of natural disturbance regimes
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Transition T3A
Absence of disturbance and natural regeneration over time
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Mechanism
The changes in species composition are small initially, but unless proper grazing and prescribed burning are initiated, the invading species continue to increase in size and density. When the canopy of the woody plants becomes dense enough (15 percent) or tall enough (greater than five feet) to suppress grass growth and resist fire damage, a threshold in ecological succession is crossed. This threshold can also occur when the fine fuel load provided by grasses is too low to control brush effectively with fire. The Mixed-grass Savannah Community (1.2) then becomes the Shortgrass Mesquite/Mixed-Brush Community (2.1). In this plant community, normal range management practices, such as prescribed grazing, cannot reverse the trend to woody plant dominance.
Mechanism
Brush management is the primary driver for this transition. Once the woody species have been removed, range planting, return of natural fire intervals, and prescribed grazing are needed.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
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.