Clay Upland 38-42 PZ

Description

This is the reference state for the Clay Upland ecological site. It represents the historic range of variability in the plant communities with the periodic disturbance of fire and grazing. It is dominated by herbaceous plants with few woody species.

The dominant grasses are big bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass and little bluestem. Other grasses include Texas cupgrass, sideoats grama, dropseeds, silver bluestem and Scribner’s panicum. Dominant forbs include compassplant, Engelmann daisy, sunflowers, western ragweed, heath aster, poppymallows and pitcher sage. Legumes include wild indigo, leadplant, Illinois bundleflower, scurfpea, and native lespedezas. Few woody species persist in reference condition but may include sumacs, sand plum, coralberry, persimmon and blackberry. The Clay Upland site is estimated to produce between 3,500 – 7,000 pounds of vegetative production per year in reference condition.

Tallgrasses Midgrasses Forbs
Shrubs and Trees are a minor component of these sites.

Submodel

Description

This state represents a change in land use from rangeland to pastureland. The soil structure and biology has been altered and the site is dominated by introduced species. Management of introduced forages requires more inputs than native grasses. Careful consideration should be taken prior to planting to ensure the result meets the desired use. Ratings for forage yields can be found under the non-irrigated crop yield section in web soil survey. As with any fertility management program, current soil tests should be taken before planting and subsequent fertilization of introduced pastures.

The most common forage species on these sites include Bermudagrass and Old World Bluestems(eg. KR Bluestem).

Without brush management, woody species such as mesquites, junipers, elms, or honey locust may invade these sites.

There may be opportunities to plant native grass species on these sites to restore the reference plant communities. The success of this type of restoration is highly variable and depends on the remaining soil resources and past management. This type of endeavor often requires site specific planning and evaluation. However, the species described in the reference state are a good resource for initial planning of any restoration project.

Description

This state describes the invaded, woody dominated plant community of the Clay Upland site. The ecological processes are dominated by woody species including mesquite, honey locust, elm, and juniper species. Some herbaceous plants persist under the woody canopy or in interspaces. Usually, shade tolerant species like Texas wintergrass are prominent herbaceous components in this community. There may also be an increase in prickly pear in this state.