The reference plant community is categorized as an open woodland community, dominated by scrubby woody and herbaceous vegetation. The two community phases within the reference state are dependent on a combination of surface, mixed, and replacement fires. Low intensity surface fires are the dominant fire regime, comprising approximately 60 percent of all fires and occurring every five years. Mixed and replacement fires comprise the remaining 40 percent, occurring approximately every 15 and 19 years, respectively (LANDFIRE 2009). Fire intensity and return intervals alter species composition, cover, and extent. Episodic droughts and storm damage have more localized impacts in the reference phases, but do contribute to overall species composition, diversity, cover, and productivity.
Long-term fire suppression can transition the reference plant community into a closed canopy state dominated by eastern redcedar (Briggs et al. 2002; Anderson 2003). Eastern redcedar is a species native to the eastern half of North America with a range spanning from Ontario east to Nova Scotia, south across the Great Plains into eastern Texas, and east to the Atlantic coast (Lawson 1990; Lee 1996). It is a long-lived (450+ years), slow-growing, fire-intolerant dioecious conifer historically found in areas that were protected from fire (e.g., bluffs, rocky hillsides, sandstone cliffs, granite outcrops, etc.) (Ferguson et al. 1968; Anderson 2003). Today, however, decades of fire suppression have allowed this species to spread, and it can now be found occupying sites with highly variable aspects, topography, soils, and formerly stable plant communities (Anderson 2003).
Submodel
2.1. Chinquapin Oak – Eastern Redcedar/Sideoats Grama
Selective removal of eastern redcedars and re-establish natural fire regime will transition the site to the reference state (1).
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.
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