Ecological site F134XY004MO

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.

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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): 134X–Southern Mississippi Valley Loess

The Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (outlined in red on the map; northern portion only) is a relatively narrow strip of the coastal plain bordering the Mississippi River valley, that is blanketed with loess. The northern part of this MLRA, discussed here, is locally referred to as Crowley’s Ridge. Elevation ranges from about 300 feet on the footslopes to nearly 600 feet on the highest ridges. Loess caps the summits and upper slopes, and Pliocene-aged sand and gravel deposits of the coastal plain influence soils on lower, steeper slopes.

Classification relationships

Terrestrial Natural Community Type in Missouri (Nelson, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to an Upland Flatwoods.

Missouri Department of Conservation Forest and Woodland Communities (Missouri Department of Conservation, 2006):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to an Upland Woodland.

National Vegetation Classification System Vegetation Association (NatureServe, 2010):
The reference state for this ecological site is most similar to a Quercus stellata - Quercus falcata / Ostrya virginiana Forest (CEGL004064).

Geographic relationship to the Missouri Ecological Classification System (Nigh & Schroeder, 2002):
This Ecological Site occurs throughout the Crowley’s Ridge Subsection, and in the Black River Ozark Border Subsection.

Ecological site concept

Fragipan Upland Woodlands are within the green areas on the map (Missouri portion only; distributions farther south are currently under review). These sites are widespread in the uplands of Crowley’s Ridge in Stoddard and Dunklin counties, Missouri, and in the southeastern edge of the Ozark Highlands in Butler and Ripley counties, Missouri. Soils have root-restricting fragipans. The reference plant community is woodland with an overstory dominated by post oak and black oak, and a ground flora of native grasses and forbs.

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	(1) Quercus alba (2) Quercus velutina
Shrub	(1) Rhus aromatica
Herbaceous	(1) Elymus hystrix (2) Helianthus

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Physiographic features

This site is on convex upland summit crests and shoulders with slopes of 1 to 15%. The site generates runoff to adjacent, downslope ecological sites. This site does not flood.
The adjacent figure (adapted from Butler, 1985) shows the typical landscape position of this ecological site, and landscape relationships with other ecological sites. It is within the area labeled “2” on the figure, on upland summit crests, shoulders, and gently sloping backslopes. Deep Loess Upland and Deep Loess Backslope sites, labeled “1” on the figure, are closely associated with the Fragipan Upland Woodland sites. Footslope ecological sites, labeled “3” on the figure, are often downslope.

Figure 2. Typical landscape relationships for this ecologica

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Landforms	(1) Ridge (2) Interfluve (3) Divide
Flooding frequency	None
Ponding frequency	None
Slope	1 – 15%
Water table depth	24 – 48 in
Aspect	Aspect is not a significant factor

Climatic features

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	185-191 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	212-220 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	48-49 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	184-193 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	210-222 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	48-49 in
Frost-free period (average)	188 days
Freeze-free period (average)	216 days
Precipitation total (average)	48 in

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 3. Monthly precipitation range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 4. Monthly minimum temperature range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 5. Monthly maximum temperature range

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Figure 6. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Figure 7. Annual precipitation pattern

Figure 8. Annual average temperature pattern

Climate stations used

(1) POPLAR BLUFF [USC00236791], Poplar Bluff, MO
(2) POPLAR BLUFF MUNI AP [USW00003975], Poplar Bluff, MO
(3) WAPPAPELLO DAM [USC00238700], Wappapello, MO

Soil features

These soils have a root-restricting fragipan at about 24 inches. They were formed under woodland vegetation, and have thin, light-colored surface horizons. They have silt loam surface horizons, and loamy subsoils. Parent material is loess. A seasonal high water table is perched above the fragipan during the spring months, but has little effect on native vegetation. Soil series associated with this site include Loring.
The accompanying picture of the Loring series shows a thin surface horizon and a light-colored albic horizon over a brown silt loam subsoil at about 20 cm. A fragipan is below about 55 cm in this picture. The fragipan is a barrier to roots. Picture courtesy of Kevin Godsey and Dan Childress; scale is in centimeters.

Figure 9. Loring series

Table 4. Representative soil features

Surface texture	(1) Silt loam
Family particle size	(1) Loamy
Drainage class	Moderately well drained
Permeability class	Not specified
Soil depth	14 – 30 in
Surface fragment cover <=3"	Not specified
Surface fragment cover >3"	Not specified
Available water capacity (0-40in)	6 – 7 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in)	Not specified
Electrical conductivity (0-40in)	2 mmhos/cm
Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in)	Not specified
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	4.5 – 6
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified)	Not specified
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified)	Not specified

Ecological dynamics

State and transition model

Custom diagram

Standard diagram

Figure 10. Loess Fragipan Upland Flatwoods

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

1. Upland Flatwoods

State 1 submodel, plant communities

1.1. Post Oak-Blackjack Oak//Little Bluestem Flatwoods

State 1
Upland Flatwoods

Community 1.1
Post Oak-Blackjack Oak//Little Bluestem Flatwoods

Figure 11. St. Francois State Park, MDNR, St. Francois Co.

Additional community tables

Table 5. Community 1.1 forest overstory composition

Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Nativity	Height (ft)	Canopy cover (%)	Diameter (in)	Basal area (square ft/acre)
Tree
post oak	QUST	Quercus stellata	Native	–	–	–	–
blackjack oak	QUMA3	Quercus marilandica	Native	–	–	–	–
black hickory	CATE9	Carya texana	Native	–	–	–	–

Table 6. Community 1.1 forest understory composition

Common name	Symbol	Scientific name	Nativity	Height (ft)	Canopy cover (%)
Grass/grass-like (Graminoids)
little bluestem	SCSC	Schizachyrium scoparium	Native	–	–
fuzzy wuzzy sedge	CAHI6	Carex hirsutella	Native	–	–
limestone meadow sedge	CAGR3	Carex granularis	Native	–	–
eastern star sedge	CARA8	Carex radiata	Native	–	–
blue sedge	CAGL6	Carex glaucodea	Native	–	–
oval-leaf sedge	CACE	Carex cephalophora	Native	–	–
sweet woodreed	CIAR2	Cinna arundinacea	Native	–	–
inland rush	JUIN2	Juncus interior	Native	–	–
Forb/Herb
American ipecac	GIST5	Gillenia stipulata	Native	–	–
hairy bedstraw	GAPI2	Galium pilosum	Native	–	–
elmleaf goldenrod	SOUL2	Solidago ulmifolia	Native	–	–
hairy sunflower	HEHI2	Helianthus hirsutus	Native	–	–
arrowleaf violet	VISA2	Viola sagittata	Native	–	–
late purple aster	SYPAP2	Symphyotrichum patens var. patens	Native	–	–
smooth violet prairie aster	SYTU2	Symphyotrichum turbinellum	Native	–	–
Shrub/Subshrub
St. Andrew's cross	HYHYM	Hypericum hypericoides ssp. multicaule	Native	–	–
blackberry	RUBUS	Rubus	Native	–	–

Supporting information

Other references

Butler, E. Rex. 1985. Soil Survey of Stoddard County, Missouri. U.S. Dept. of Agric. Soil Conservation Service.

MDC, 2010. Missouri Forest and Woodland Community Profiles. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.
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., & Walter A. Schroeder. 2002. Atlas of Missouri Ecoregions. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri

Contributors

Fred Young

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
Approved by
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:

Download reference sheet

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Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site F134XY004MO

Fragipan Upland Woodland

Accessed: 04/26/2024

General information

Figure 1. Mapped extent

MLRA notes

Classification relationships

Ecological site concept

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Ecosystem states

State 1 submodel, plant communities

Natural Resources
Conservation Service