Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F116BY017MO
Gravelly/Loamy Upland Drainageway Woodland
Last updated: 10/07/2020
Accessed: 11/23/2024
General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 116B–Springfield Plain
The Springfield Plain is in the western part of the Ozark Uplift. It is primarily a smooth plateau with some dissection along streams. Elevation is about 1,000 feet in the north to over 1,700 feet in the east along the Burlington Escarpment adjacent to the Ozark Highlands. The underlying bedrock is mainly Mississippian-aged limestone, with areas of shale on lower slopes and structural benches, and intermittent Pennsylvanian-aged sandstone deposits on the plateau surface.
Classification relationships
Terrestrial Natural Community Type in Missouri (Nelson, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Dry-Mesic Bottomland Woodland.
Missouri Department of Conservation Forest and Woodland Communities (Missouri Department of Conservation, 2006):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Bottomland Woodland.
National Vegetation Classification System Vegetation Association (NatureServe, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Quercus alba - Quercus stellata - Quercus velutina / Schizachyrium scoparium Woodland (CEGL002150).
Geographic relationship to the Missouri Ecological Classification System (Nigh & Schroeder, 2002):
This ecological site occurs throughout the Springfield Plain Subsection.
Ecological site concept
NOTE: This is a “provisional” Ecological Site Description (ESD) that is under development. It contains basic ecological information that can be used for conservation planning, application and land management. After additional information is collected, analyzed and reviewed, this ESD will be refined and published as “Approved”.
Gravelly/Loamy Upland Drainageway Woodlands occur throughout the Springfield Plain, in narrow upland drainageways. Soils range from loamy to very gravelly, and are subject to flooding. The reference plant community is woodland with an overstory dominated by a variety of trees, including white oak, black oak, elm and hickory, an understory dominated by common serviceberry and eastern redbud, and a dense herbaceous layer dominated by wildrye and sedge.
Associated sites
| F116BY010MO |
Low-Base Chert Protected Backslope Woodland Low-base Chert Protected Backslope Woodlands and other upland ecological sites are upslope. |
|---|---|
| F116BY033MO |
Low-Base Chert Exposed Backslope Woodland Low-base Chert Exposed Backslope Woodlands and other upland ecological sites are upslope. |
Similar sites
| F116BY029MO |
Sandy/Gravelly Floodplain Forest Sandy/Gravelly Floodplain Forests are found in higher order streams with more developed floodplains. |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Quercus alba |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Amelanchier arborea |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Elymus virginicus |
Physiographic features
This site is in narrow drainageways in the uplands, with slopes of 1 to 5 percent. The site receives runoff from adjacent upland sites. Most areas are subject to frequent, brief flooding.
The adjacent figure (adapted from Aldrich, 1989) shows the typical landscape position of this ecological site, and landscape relationships with other ecological sites. It is within the area labeled “3”, and is typically in narrow drainageways of uplands dominated by Chert or Low-base Chert ecological sites.
Figure 2. Landscape relationships for this ecological site.
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
| Landforms |
(1)
Drainageway
|
|---|---|
| Flooding duration | Very brief (4 to 48 hours) to brief (2 to 7 days) |
| Flooding frequency | Occasional to frequent |
| Ponding frequency | None |
| Slope | 1 – 5% |
| Aspect | Aspect is not a significant factor |
Climatic features
The Springfield Plain has a continental type of climate marked by strong seasonality. In winter, dry-cold air masses, unchallenged by any topographic barriers, periodically swing south from the northern plains and Canada. If they invade reasonably humid air, snowfall and rainfall result. In summer, moist, warm air masses, equally unchallenged by topographic barriers, swing north from the Gulf of Mexico and can produce abundant amounts of rain, either by fronts or by convectional processes. In some summers, high pressure stagnates over the region, creating extended droughty periods. Spring and fall are transitional seasons when abrupt changes in temperature and precipitation may occur due to successive, fast-moving fronts separating contrasting air masses.
The Springfield Plain experiences few regional differences in climates. The average annual precipitation in this area is 41 to 45 inches. Snow falls nearly every winter, but the snow cover lasts for only a few days. The average annual temperature is about 55 to 58 degrees F. The lower temperatures occur at the higher elevations. Mean July maximum temperatures have a range of only one or two degrees across the area.
Mean annual precipitation varies along a west to east gradient. Seasonal climatic variations are more complex. Seasonality in precipitation is very pronounced due to strong continental influences. June precipitation, for example, averages three to four times greater than January precipitation. Most of the rainfall occurs as high-intensity, convective thunderstorms in summer.
During years when precipitation comes in a fairly normal manner, moisture is stored in the top layers of the soil during the winter and early spring, when evaporation and transpiration are low. During the summer months the loss of water by evaporation and transpiration is high, and if rainfall fails to occur at frequent intervals, drought will result. Drought directly affects plant and animal life by limiting water supplies, especially at times of high temperatures and high evaporation rates.
Superimposed upon the basic MLRA climatic patterns are local topographic influences that create topoclimatic, or microclimatic variations. In regions of appreciable relief, for example, air drainage at nighttime may produce temperatures several degrees lower in valley bottoms than on side slopes. At critical times during the year, this phenomenon may produce later spring or earlier fall freezes in valley bottoms. Deep sinkholes often have a microclimate significantly cooler, moister, and shadier than surrounding surfaces, a phenomenon that may result in a strikingly different ecology. Higher daytime temperatures of bare rock surfaces and higher reflectivity of these unvegetated surfaces may create distinctive environmental niches such as glades and cliffs. Slope orientation is an important topographic influence on climate. Summits and south-and-west-facing slopes are regularly warmer and drier than adjacent north- and-east-facing slopes. Finally, the climate within a canopied forest is measurably different from the climate of a more open grassland or savanna areas.
Source: University of Missouri Climate Center - http://climate.missouri.edu/climate.php; Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin, United States Department of Agriculture Handbook 296 - http://soils.usda.gov/survey/geography/mlra/
Table 3. Representative climatic features
| Frost-free period (characteristic range) | 144-165 days |
|---|---|
| Freeze-free period (characteristic range) | 185-191 days |
| Precipitation total (characteristic range) | 1,168-1,219 mm |
| Frost-free period (actual range) | 142-169 days |
| Freeze-free period (actual range) | 182-192 days |
| Precipitation total (actual range) | 1,168-1,219 mm |
| Frost-free period (average) | 155 days |
| Freeze-free period (average) | 188 days |
| Precipitation total (average) | 1,194 mm |
Figure 3. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 4. Monthly minimum temperature range
Figure 5. Monthly maximum temperature range
Figure 6. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Figure 7. Annual precipitation pattern
Figure 8. Annual average temperature pattern
Climate stations used
-
(1) CASSVILLE RANGER STN [USC00231383], Cassville, MO
-
(2) NEOSHO [USC00235976], Neosho, MO
-
(3) LOCKWOOD [USC00235027], Lockwood, MO
-
(4) SPRINGFIELD [USW00013995], Springfield, MO
Influencing water features
This ecological site contains first- and second-order streams, which originate from headslope positions at the upper reaches of the units, and are fed from smaller headslopes in the adjacent uplands. These streams are ephemeral in most years, with flow in the late fall, winter, and spring months, generally disappearing in the summer, or reduced to isolated pools in the lower reaches. Stream levels typically respond quickly to storm events, especially in watersheds where surface runoff is dominant. Short-duration flooding is common in many areas. Streambeds are typically incised into the surrounding floodplain by as much as 10 feet.
Soil features
These soils have no rooting restrictions, although many areas have low plant-available water capacity, due to an abundance of coarse fragments. They were formed under a mixture of prairie and woodland vegetation. Parent material is alluvium. They have silt loam surface horizons that are often gravelly, and loamy subsoils with abundant gravel and cobbles in many places. They are not affected by seasonal wetness. Soil series associated with this site include Cedargap, Pinerun, and Secesh.
The accompanying picture of the Cedargap series shows the abundant gravel and cobble content that characterizes these skeletal soils. Scale is in feet. Picture courtesy of John Preston, NRCS.
Figure 9. Cedargap series
Table 4. Representative soil features
| Parent material |
(1)
Alluvium
|
|---|---|
| Surface texture |
(1) Very gravelly silt loam |
| Family particle size |
(1) Loamy |
| Drainage class | Moderately well drained to somewhat excessively drained |
| Permeability class | Moderately slow to moderately rapid |
| Soil depth | 183 cm |
| Surface fragment cover <=3" | 0 – 30% |
| Surface fragment cover >3" | 0 – 5% |
| Available water capacity (0-101.6cm) |
5.08 – 20.32 cm |
| Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-101.6cm) |
0% |
| Electrical conductivity (0-101.6cm) |
0 – 2 mmhos/cm |
| Sodium adsorption ratio (0-101.6cm) |
0 |
| Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-101.6cm) |
5.2 – 7.3 |
| Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 70% |
| Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
0 – 30% |
Ecological dynamics
Information contained in this section was developed using historical data, professional experience, field reviews, and scientific studies. The information presented is representative of very complex vegetation communities. Key indicator plants, animals and ecological processes are described to help inform land management decisions. Plant communities will differ across the MLRA because of the naturally occurring variability in weather, soils, and aspect. The Reference Plant Community is not necessarily the management goal. The species lists are representative and are not botanical descriptions of all species occurring, or potentially occurring, on this site. They are not intended to cover every situation or the full range of conditions, species, and responses for the site.
Gravelly/Loamy Upland Drainageway Woodlands occur throughout the Springfield Plain as a very common linear feature along many low order streams. Because many of the streams are relatively high gradient, they have a rather flashy flood regime, and movement and deposition of coarse alluvial materials is common. They are well drained and drier, thus supporting more drought resistant white oak and black oak along with a variety of other trees.
The reference community is a well-developed woodland with a rather tall, developed canopy (60 to 80 feet and 80 to 100 percent canopy closure), a complex understory and a dense herbaceous ground flora. Gaps in all three layers are common due to flash flooding. White oak and black oak dominate along with a variety of tree species, including eastern redcedar, elm, shortleaf pine and hickory. Common serviceberry and eastern redbud are part of a well-developed understory with a dense herbaceous layer dominated by wildrye and sedge. Because of the narrow floodplain setting, frequent flooding and rather droughty soils, many upland drainageway woodlands remain. They often occur as a rather narrow band of timber traversing the headwater streams, often in a matrix of upland woodlands and forests.
Domestic grazing has also impacted these communities, further diminishing the diversity of native plants and introducing species that are tolerant of grazing, such as coralberry, gooseberry, and Virginia creeper. Grazed sites also have a more open understory. In addition, soil compaction and soil erosion can be a problem and lower productivity.
Some carefully planned timber harvest might be tolerated by this system, but high grading of the timber can also degrade the system. Re-establishment of these drainageway woodlands is important for stream quality and health, as well as for migratory birds. Replanting of these systems has proven to be quite successful, but species selection needs to pay attention to local soil and moisture conditions.
A State and Transition Diagram follows. Detailed descriptions of each state, transition, plant community, and pathway follow the model. This model is based on available experimental research, field observations, professional consensus, and interpretations. It is likely to change as knowledge increases.
State and transition model
Figure 10. State and transition diagram for this ecological site
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
More interactive model formats are also available.
View Interactive Models
Click on state and transition labels to scroll to the respective text
Ecosystem states
State 2 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference
The reference community is a well-developed woodland with a rather tall, developed canopy (60 to 80 feet and 80 to 90 percent canopy closure), a complex understory and a dense herbaceous ground flora. Gaps in all three layers are common due to flash flooding. White oak and black oak dominate along with a variety of mixed hardwood tree species, including elm and hickory.
Community 1.1
White Oak – Black Oak/Common Serviceberry – Eastern Redbud/Virginia Wildrye – Sedge
Forest overstory. The Overstory Species list is based on field reconnaissance as well as commonly occurring species listed in Nelson 2010; names and symbols are from USDA PLANTS database.
Forest understory. The Understory Species list is based on field reconnaissance as well as commonly occurring species listed in Nelson 2010; names and symbols are from USDA PLANTS database.
Community 1.2
White Oak – Black Oak/Hickory Saplings – Eastern Redbud/Virginia Wildrye – Sedge
Pathway P1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2
Flooding disturbance
Pathway P1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1
No flooding disturbance
State 2
High-Graded/Grazed Woodland
Gravelly Upland Drainageway Woodlands subjected to repeated, high-graded timber harvests and domestic grazing transition to this state. This state exhibits an over-abundance of less desirable tree species, and weedy understory species such as coralberry. The vegetation offers little nutritional value for cattle, and excessive stocking damages tree boles, degrades understory species composition, destabilizes stream banks and results in soil compaction and accelerated erosion and runoff during flood events. Restoration of this state can be facilitated by exclusion of cattle coupled with tree planting.
Dominant resource concerns
-
Ephemeral gully erosion
-
Plant productivity and health
-
Plant structure and composition
-
Plant pest pressure
-
Wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation
-
Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates
Community 2.1
Black Oak – Hickory/ Coralberry /Sedge
State 3
Grassland
Conversion of Gravelly Upland Drainageway Woodlands to non-native pasture species such as tall fescue has been common in the Springfield Plain. Frequent flooding and low available water capacity make non-native pastures difficult to maintain in a healthy, productive state on this ecological site. Restoration of this state is time consuming and costly but can be achieved over time by discontinuing grazing and active pasture management and tree planting.
Dominant resource concerns
-
Plant structure and composition
-
Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates
Community 3.1
Tall Fescue – Red Clover
Transition T1B
State 1 to 2
Poorly planned harvest (high grading); uncontrolled grazing
Transition T1A
State 1 to 3
Clearing; grassland planting; prescribed grazing; grassland management
Restoration pathway R2A
State 2 to 1
Grazing exclusion; access control; tree planting; forest stand improvement
Transition T2B
State 2 to 3
Clearing; grassland planting; prescribed grazing; grassland management
Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1
Tree planting; long term succession (60-70 years); forest stand improvement
Restoration pathway T3A
State 3 to 2
Intermittent uncontrolled grazing; woody invasion (30-50 years)
Additional community tables
Table 5. Community 1.1 forest overstory composition
| Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Nativity | Height (m) | Canopy cover (%) | Diameter (cm) | Basal area (square m/hectare) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tree
|
|||||||
| white oak | QUAL | Quercus alba | Native | – | 20–40 | – | – |
| black oak | QUVE | Quercus velutina | Native | – | 20–40 | – | – |
| slippery elm | ULRU | Ulmus rubra | Native | – | 5–20 | – | – |
| mockernut hickory | CATO6 | Carya tomentosa | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
| northern red oak | QURU | Quercus rubra | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
| shagbark hickory | CAOV2 | Carya ovata | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
| eastern redcedar | JUVI | Juniperus virginiana | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
| shortleaf pine | PIEC2 | Pinus echinata | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
| post oak | QUST | Quercus stellata | Native | – | 5–10 | – | – |
Table 6. Community 1.1 forest understory composition
| Common name | Symbol | Scientific name | Nativity | Height (m) | Canopy cover (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Grass/grass-like (Graminoids)
|
||||||
| hairy woodland brome | BRPU6 | Bromus pubescens | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| Pennsylvania sedge | CAPE6 | Carex pensylvanica | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| parasol sedge | CAUM4 | Carex umbellata | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| Virginia wildrye | ELVI3 | Elymus virginicus | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| eastern bottlebrush grass | ELHY | Elymus hystrix | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| nodding fescue | FESU3 | Festuca subverticillata | Native | – | 5–20 | |
|
Forb/Herb
|
||||||
| pointedleaf ticktrefoil | DEGL5 | Desmodium glutinosum | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| white snakeroot | AGAL5 | Ageratina altissima | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| clustered blacksnakeroot | SAOD | Sanicula odorata | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| Canadian clearweed | PIPU2 | Pilea pumila | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| largeflower yellow false foxglove | AUGR | Aureolaria grandiflora | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| American lopseed | PHLE5 | Phryma leptostachya | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| Canadian wildginger | ASCA | Asarum canadense | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| American bellflower | CAAM18 | Campanulastrum americanum | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| carpenter's square | SCMA2 | Scrophularia marilandica | Native | – | 5–20 | |
| Carolina elephantsfoot | ELCA3 | Elephantopus carolinianus | Native | – | 5–20 | |
|
Fern/fern ally
|
||||||
| rattlesnake fern | BOVI | Botrychium virginianum | Native | – | 5–20 | |
|
Shrub/Subshrub
|
||||||
| American hazelnut | COAM3 | Corylus americana | Native | – | 10–20 | |
|
Tree
|
||||||
| common serviceberry | AMAR3 | Amelanchier arborea | Native | – | 10–20 | |
| eastern redbud | CECA4 | Cercis canadensis | Native | – | 10–20 | |
Interpretations
Animal community
Wildlife (MDC 2006)
Wild turkey, white-tailed deer, and eastern gray squirrel depend on hard and soft mast food sources and are typical upland game species of this type.
Oaks provide hard mast; scattered shrubs provide soft mast; native legumes provide high-quality wildlife food.
Sedges and native cool-season grasses provide green browse; patchy native warm-season grasses provide cover and nesting habitat; and a diversity of forbs provides a diversity and abundance of insects.
Post-burn areas can provide temporary bare-ground – herbaceous cover habitat important for turkey poults and quail chicks.
Bird species associated with mature communities include Indigo Bunting, Red-headed Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Bobwhite, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Broad-winged Hawk, Great-Crested Flycatcher, Summer Tanager, and Red-eyed Vireo.
Reptile and amphibian species associated with this ecological site include tiger salamander, small-mouthed salamander, ornate box turtle, northern fence lizard, five-lined skink, broad-headed skink, flat-headed snake, and rough earth snake.
Other information
Forestry (NRCS 2002; 2014)
Management: Field measured site index values average 58 for northern red oak. Create group openings of at least 2 acres. Large clearcuts should be minimized if possible to reduce impacts on wildlife and aesthetics. Uneven-aged management using single tree selection or small group selection cuttings of ½ to 1 acre are other options that can be used if clear cutting is not desired or warranted. Maintain adequate riparian buffer areas.
Limitations: Wetness from flooding – short duration; coarse fragments in profile; excessive drainage. The use of equipment may be restricted in spring and other excessively wet periods. Disturbing the surface excessively in harvesting operations and building roads increases soil losses, which may leave a greater amount of coarse fragments on the surface. Tree planting is difficult during spring flooding periods. Mechanical tree planting may be limited due to coarse fragments on surface.
Supporting information
Inventory data references
Potential Reference Sites: Gravelly/Loamy Upland Drainageway Woodland
No quality reference sites are known to exist.
Other references
Aldrich, Max W. 1989. Soil Survey of Newton County, Missouri. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Soil Conservation Service.
Anderson, R.C. 1990. The historic role of fire in North American grasslands. Pp. 8-18 in S.L. Collins and L.L. Wallace (eds.). Fire in North American tallgrass prairies. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.
Batek, M.J., A.J. Rebertus, W.A. Schroeder, T.L. Haithcoat, E. Compas, and R.P. Guyette. 1999. Reconstruction of early nineteenth-century vegetation and fire regimes in the Missouri Ozarks. Journal of Biogeography 26:397-412.
Harlan, J.D., T.A. Nigh and W.A. Schroeder. 2001. The Missouri original General Land Office survey notes project. University of Missouri, Columbia.
Ladd, D. 1991. Reexamination of the role of fire in Missouri oak woodlands. Pp. 67-80 in G.V. Brown, James K.; Smith, Jane Kapler, eds. 2000. Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on flora. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-42-vol. 2. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 257 p.
Missouri Department of Conservation. 2006. Missouri Forest and Woodland Community Profiles. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2002. Woodland Suitability Groups. Missouri FOTG, Section II, Soil Interpretations and Reports. 30 pgs.
Natural Resources Conservation Service. Site Index Reports. Accessed May 2014. https://esi.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESI_Forestland/pgFSWelcome.aspx
NatureServe. 2010. Vegetation Associations of Missouri (revised). NatureServe, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Nelson, Paul W. 2010. The Terrestrial Natural Communities of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Nigh, Timothy A., and Walter A. Schroeder. 2002. Atlas of Missouri Ecoregions. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
Schoolcraft, H.R. 1821. Journal of a tour into the interior of Missouri and Arkansas from Potosi, or Mine a Burton, in Missouri territory, in a southwest direction, toward the Rocky Mountains: performed in the years 1818 and 1819. Richard Phillips and Company, London.
United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS). 2006. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Basin. U.S. Department of Agriculture Handbook 296. 682 pgs.
Contributors
Fred Young
Doug Wallace
Approval
Nels Barrett, 10/07/2020
Acknowledgments
Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Natural Resources personnel provided significant and helpful field and technical support in the development of this ecological site.
Rangeland health reference sheet
Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.
| Author(s)/participant(s) | |
|---|---|
| Contact for lead author | |
| Date | 09/25/2020 |
| Approved by | Nels Barrett |
| Approval date | |
| Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
-
Number and extent of rills:
-
Presence of water flow patterns:
-
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
-
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
-
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
-
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
-
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
-
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
-
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
-
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
-
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
-
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):
Dominant:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
-
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
-
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
-
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
-
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
-
Perennial plant reproductive capability:
Print Options
Sections
Font
Other
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.
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.