Once the woody canopy exceeds approximately 20 percent and is taller than three feet the site transitions to the Shrubland State (2). In this case energy in the form of heavy equipment and/or herbicides will be required along with prescribed grazing to shift the plant community back to the Grassland State (1).
The Grassland State (1) can be converted to the Converted Land State (3) by controlling the brush and seeding to native or introduced grasses. It may also be plowed and converted to cropland.
Aggressive brush and grazing management is required to revert the system back to the Grassland State. Re-seeding may be necessary if the grassy matrix is dominated by shortgrasses and annual forbs. Herbaceous production following brush management can be elevated owing to shrub-induced enhancements of soil nutrients. However, most shrubs are capable of regenerating by sprouting, so treatment effects are short lived. Allowances for follow-up treatments should be made. In the absence of follow-up treatments, woody cover and density may increase relative to pre-treatment conditions with adverse effects on forage production and wildlife.
The Shrubland State (2) can be converted to the Converted Land State (3) by controlling the brush and seeding to native or introduced grasses. It may also be plowed and converted to cropland.
If the Abandoned Land Community (3.2) is left alone, eventually the woody plants will create a moderate to heavy canopy. At this point, the desired understory grasses, forbs, and/or crops will be shaded out and the site will transition into a Shrubland State (2).
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.
) 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.
