This state describes the range of vegetative community phases that occur on the Shallow Savannah site where the natural processes are mostly intact.
The Reference Community is a representation of the native plant community phase that occupies a site that has been minimally altered by management. The Degraded Savannah, the At-Risk, and the Excessive Litter Communities are the phases that result from management decisions that are unfavorable for a healthy Reference Community. The Ephemeral Forb Community is the result of a high intensity disturbance event.
High perennial grass cover and production allows for increased soil moisture retention, vegetative production, and overall soil quality.
This state has been degraded from the Reference State and much of the native warm-season grass community has been replaced by less desirable plants. The loss of tall and mid- warm-season grasses has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. The woody component has expanded significantly, and shading due to the overstory has increased. Water infiltration is reduced due to the shallow root system and rapid runoff characteristics of the grazing-evasive plant communities. Alteration of the soil, and the hydrological processes make return to reference state unlikely.
The Invasive Woodies and the Eastern Redcedar are the communities in this state.
Heavy grazing or haying without adequate recovery periods will cause this state to lose a significant proportion of tall and mid- warm-season grass species and cross a threshold to the Native/Invaded State. Water infiltration and other hydrologic functions will be reduced due to the root matting presence of sod-forming grasses. With the decline and loss of deeper penetrating root systems, soil structure and biological integrity are catastrophically degraded to the point that recovery is unlikely. Once this occurs, it is highly unlikely that grazing management alone will return the community to the Reference State. Additionally, increasing woody encroachment also results from overgrazing and lack of fire. The expansion of the overstory blocks more of the sunlight, creating a more competitive environment for a shade tolerant understory. Mechanical removal with follow-up stump treatment of the root-sprouting species and implementation of a prescribed burning regime will alleviate the invasion of woodies..
Model keys
Briefcase
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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.
