Sandy Upland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Clear cutting or stand-replacing fire.
More details -
Transition T1B
Removal of forest vegetation and tilling.
More details -
Restoration pathway R2A
Disturbance-free period 70+ years.
More details -
Transition T2A
Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production.
More details -
Restoration pathway R3A
Cessation of agricultural practices leads to natural reforestation, or site is replanted.
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Transition T3A
Removal of forest vegetation and tilling.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
Reference state is a forest community dominated by Red maple (Acer rubrum) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Depending on history of disturbance, two community phases can be distinguished largely by differences in dominance of tree species and community age structure.
Submodel
Description
Following disturbances described in Transition T1A a wide range of forest community phases may come into temporary existence, the three most common ones are described here.
Submodel
Mechanism
Clear cutting with initial control of competing vegetation, or stand-replacing fire, prepare the site for occupancy by shade intolerant species. This may occur through natural regeneration or by planting.
Mechanism
Removal of forest cover, tilling and application of other agricultural techniques to grow agricultural crops.
Mechanism
A period of some 70-100 years without major stand disturbance, especially fire, leads to decreased presence, through natural mortality, of early successional species and the dominance of moderately shade tolerant red maple and red oak and a sub-canopy of shade tolerant sugar maple, returning the community to Reference State.
Mechanism
Removal of forest cover, tilling and application of other agricultural techniques to grow agricultural crops.
Mechanism
Abandonment of agricultural practices and allowing natural vegetation to colonize the site or apply artificial afforestation. The time required for forest community to reach the reference state conditions may exceed 100 years. This direct restoration pathway is likely slow and uncommon unless there has been drainage and adjacent seed sources exist.
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.