Limy Upland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Heavy grazing or haying with inadequate recovery periods.
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Transition T1B
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
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Transition T1C
Woody encroachment with no fire, harvest, or woody species management.
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Transition T2A
Tillage to facilitate production agriculture.
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Transition T2B
Woody encroachment with no fire, harvest, or woody species management.
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Transition T3A
Woody encroachment with no fire, harvest, or woody species management.
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Restoration pathway R4A
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, brush management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R4B
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, brush management.
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Restoration pathway R4C
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, brush management.
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
State 1
Reference State
Description
The Reference State (1) describes the range of vegetative community phases that occur on the Limy Upland ecological site where the natural processes are mostly intact. The Reference State (1) includes the Reference Community (1.1), the Degraded Native Grass Community (1.2), the At-Risk Community (1.3), and the Excessive Litter Community (1.4). The Reference Community (1.1) is a representation of the native plant community phase that occupies a site that has been minimally altered by management. The Degraded Native Grass (1.2), the At-Risk (1.3), and the Excessive Litter (1.4) Communities result from management decisions that are unfavorable for a healthy Reference Community (1.1). High perennial grass cover and production allows for increased soil moisture retention, vegetative production, and overall soil quality.
Submodel
Description
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) has been degraded from the Reference State (1) and much of the native warm-season, tall and mid grass community has been replaced by warm-season short grasses and cool-season grasses. The loss of warm-season, tall and mid grasses has negatively impacted energy flow and nutrient cycling. Water infiltration is reduced due to the shallow root system and rapid runoff characteristics of the grazing evasive plant communities. The Shortgrass Sod/Invaded Grass (2.1) and the Non-Native Cool-Season Grass (2.2) Communities are the components of the Native/Invaded Grass State (2).
Submodel
Description
The threshold to the Sod-busted State (3) is crossed as a result of mechanical disturbance to facilitate production agriculture. Extensive areas of this ecological site were plowed and converted to crop production by early European settlers and their subsequent generations. In addition to permanently altering the existing vegetative community, repeated tillage negatively impacted soil properties. Reductions in organic matter, mineral levels, soil structure, oxygen levels, and water holding capacity along with increased runoff and erosion as well as shifts in the populations of soil dwelling organisms were common on these sites. The extent of these changes depended upon the duration of cropping as well as crops grown and other management practices.
If farming operations are suspended, the site can be abandoned or seeded to permanent vegetation. Seedings are either a tame pasture forage mixture, the Seeded Pasture Community (3.2), or a mixture of native grasses and forbs, the Reseeded Native Grass Community (3.1). Abandonment results in the Natural Reclamation Community (3.3). Permanent alterations of the soil, plant community, and the hydrologic cycle make restoration to the Reference State (1) extremely difficult, if not impossible.
Submodel
Description
The Invaded Woody State (4) is the result of woody encroachment. Once the tree canopy cover reaches 15 percent with an average tree height exceeding five feet, the threshold is crossed. Woody species are encroaching due to lack of prescribed fire and other brush management practices. Bur oak, eastern red cedar, coralberry, Osage orange, roughleaf dogwood, and honey locust are some of the first species to increase. Although these plants are native to North America, they were not historically a significant part of this reference state. If allowed to continue with little or no disturbance, eastern red cedar, oaks and elm trees will eventually dominate. If eastern red cedar is present, the transition to eastern red cedar forest is thought to occur when canopy cover reaches approximately 30 percent. As the overstory closes, various processes serve to increase woody dominance. Woody foliage shades the understory and intercepts rainfall increasing evaporative loss. Litterfall acts similarly and further reduces effective precipitation while also creating a less uniform resource distribution with nutrients concentrated under individual trees. At some critical point, the understory becomes incapable of carrying a fire of the intensity needed to kill the woody species, and the disturbance response is now dictated by the overstory. Mature oak forests are nearly invulnerable to stand replacement fire, while established eastern red cedar stands can only burn as crown fires. Typical ecological impacts are a loss of native grasses, degraded forage productivity, and reduced soil quality. This state consists of the Invaded Woody Community (4.1)
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest and brush management will move this state toward a grass dominated state. If the Invaded Woody State (4) transitioned from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sod-busted State (3), the land cannot be restored to the Reference State (1) as the native plant community, soils, and hydrologic function have been too severely impacted prior to the woody encroachment to allow restoration to the Reference State (1).
Submodel
Mechanism
Heavy grazing or haying with inadequate recovery periods will cause the Reference State (1) to lose most of warm-season tall and mid grass species and cross a threshold to the Native/Invaded State (2). 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 (1).
Mechanism
The Reference State (1) is significantly altered by mechanical tillage converting site to the Sod-busted State (3) to facilitate production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, soils, and hydrology of the system make restoration to a true Reference State (1) unlikely.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Reference State (1) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Mechanism
The Native/Invaded Grass State (2) is significantly altered by mechanical tillage converting site to the Sod-busted State (3) to facilitate production agriculture. The disruption to the plant community, soils, and hydrology of the system make restoration unlikely.
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Mechanism
Disruption of the natural fire regime and encroachment of invasive exotic and native woody species can cause the Sodbusted State (3) to transition to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Reference State (1). The forb component of a site with heavy tree density or canopy cover may initially increase following tree removal through mechanical brush management treatments and prescribed fire. If re-sprouting brush is present, stumps must be chemically treated immediately after mechanical removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Land that transitioned to the Invaded Woody State (4) from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sod-busted State (3) cannot be restored to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Brush Management |
|
|
Prescribed Burning |
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Native/Invaded Grass State (2). The forb component of a site with heavy tree density or canopy cover may initially increase following tree removal through mechanical brush management treatments and prescribed fire. If resprouting brush is present, stumps must be chemically treated immediately after mechanical removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Land that transitioned to the Invaded Woody State (4) from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sod-busted State (3) cannot be restored to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Brush Management |
|
|
Prescribed Burning |
Mechanism
Prescribed burning, wildfire, timber harvest, and brush management will move the Invaded Woody State (4) toward the Sod-busted State (3). The forb component of a site with heavy tree density or canopy cover may initially increase following tree removal through mechanical brush management treatments and prescribed fire. If resprouting brush is present, stumps must be chemically treated immediately after mechanical removal. Ongoing brush management such as hand cutting, chemical spot treatments, or periodic prescribed burning is required to prevent a return to the Invaded Woody State (4).
Land that transitioned to the Invaded Woody State (4) from the Native/Invaded Grass State (2) or the Sod-busted State (3) cannot be restored to the Reference State (1) through removal of woody species.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Brush Management |
|
|
Prescribed Burning |
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.