This is the reference or diagnostic plant community for this site. In reference condition, this site was dominated by tall prairie grass, principally big bluestem, prairie cordgrass, and switchgrass. Secondary forb species include dense blazing star and Virginia mountainmint as two of the more abundant. Herbaceous species dominance was maintained by a, mostly annual, wet and dry cycle and fire. Absence of fire allows the state to transition to the woodland state.
Absence of fire or lack of woody species management will move this site to a woodland state. The understory would contain many of the prairie species until the canopy closed.
This site has largely been converted to agricultural use. Most (<90%) of the historic acres are now in row crop agricultural use. Most common is a corn and soybean rotation of various types.
Remove drainage, plant trees, implement forestry practices that do not include fire.
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.
) 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.
