Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F119XY023AR
Loamy Shallow Backslope
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): 119X–Ouachita Mountains
This ecological site is found in MLRA 119: Ouachita Mountains.
This area is in the Ouachita Mountains Section of the Ouachita Province of the Interior Highlands. The steep mountains are underlain by folded and faulted sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Most of the stream valleys are narrow and have steep gradients, but wide terraces and flood plains border the Ouachita River in western Arkansas. Elevation ranges from 330 feet (100 meters) on the lowest valley floors to 2,625 feet (800 meters) on the highest mountain peaks. Local relief is generally 100 to 200 feet (30 to 60 meters), but it can exceed 980 feet (300 meters).
Classification relationships
Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland
Summary: This system represents woodlands of the Ouachita and Ozark mountains region of Arkansas, adjacent Oklahoma, and southern Missouri in which Pinus echinata is the canopy dominant, and the understory is characterized by Andropogon gerardii, Schizachyrium scoparium, and other prairie plants. Although examples of this system occur throughout this region, there is local variation in the extent to which they were present. The center of distribution is the northern and western Ouachita Mountains, and it is best developed in large, dry, and flat to gently undulating portions of the landscape which carry fire well, creating extensive natural fire compartments. In the Ouachitas, the system occurs on the northern Hogback Ridges excluding the Novaculite areas to the south. These are large, gently sloping, east/west-trending ridges of sandstone and shale, the south-facing slopes of which constitute large fire compartments. In nearly all examples, Pinus echinata occurs with a variable mixture of hardwood species. The exact composition of the hardwoods is much more closely related to aspect and topographic factors than is the pine component. In the Ozark Highlands this system is less extensive but was historically prominent where sandstone-derived soils are common. In Missouri and Oklahoma, this system occurs on gently dissected upland cherty plains (in addition to sandstone ridges).
Ecological site concept
this site is on > 15 percent slopes on backslopes with udic moisture and thermic temperature regimes. it has shallow loamy soils with low available water.
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Pinus echinata |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
Not specified |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Andropogon |
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