Silty
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1A More details
- Transition T1B More details
- Restoration pathway R2A More details
- Transition T2A More details
- Restoration pathway R3B More details
- Restoration pathway R3A More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The soils of this site are deep, silty loams with very few rock fragments. These soils formed in lakebed sediments in areas where glacial meltwater once collected. As glacial lakes dried out, some areas were bisected by streams and rivers which persist today. In these cases, this site occurs on stream terraces. This site is no longer flooded or ponded, and the former lakebeds are now dry and moderately well to well drained.
Plant communities are conifer-dominated mixedwood forests. Common conifer species on the site are white pine, red spruce, balsam fir, hemlock, and northern white cedar. Hardwood species are red maple, yellow birch, white birch, bigtooth aspen, and black cherry.
Resilience management
Abandoned cropland may transition to pine, spruce-fir, or reference conifer-dominated mixedwood forests.
This site is subject to logging, wind, insects and disease, and other natural and human disturbances resulting in a variety of alternative states.
When managed for timber production, several different ecological states are possible. The pine forest state, reference conifer-dominated mixedwood state, and spruce-fir state are managed to maintain dominance of their respective timber species, and to facilitate profitable harvests along predictable timelines. Hemlock forests may also result from logging practices, though these are typically less-desirable and may result from selective harvest of more valuable species, leaving the hemlock behind. As hemlock increases on the site, it inhibits the establishment of other species by shading, reducing soil moisture availability to other plants, and especially by acidifying the soil.
With sufficient economic inputs, any of the states that occur on this site may transition from one to another, however, due to cost limitations, forests are typically managed for whatever timber species are currently present on the site.
Submodel
Description
Shifts in ecological site composition, functionality, and dynamics driven by natural disturbances, processes, and pressures (may have some anthropogenic influences). More research is needed to determine the extent of the Semi-natural state associated with this ecological site.
Submodel
Description
Shifts in ecological site composition, functionality, and dynamics that are primary driven by anthropogenic disturbances and pressures (may have some associated natural influences). More research is needed to determine the extent of the cultural state associated with this ecological site.
Submodel
Mechanism
Introduction of invasive species, pests, and/or pathogens that alter ecological site functions, dynamics, and properties.
Mechanism
Cultivation, management, and production of timber or crops through landscape clearing, mechanical landscape alteration, mechanical harvesting, mechanical soil disturbance, planting, seeding, etc.…
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
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Land Clearing |
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Precision Land Forming |
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Irrigation Land Leveling |
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Land Smoothing |
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Grazing Land Mechanical Treatment |
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Stripcropping |
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Stripcropping, Field |
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Tree/Shrub Establishment |
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Agroforestry Planting |
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Land Grading |
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Agro Tillage |
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Silvopasture Establishment |
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Silvopasture Establishment |
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Hardwood Crop Tree Release |
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Intensive Management of Rotational Grazing |
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Continuous no till with high residue |
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Continuous No Till Organic System |
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Continuous cover crops |
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Use of Cover Crop Mixes |
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Use deep rooted crops to breakup soil compaction |
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Conversion of cropped land to grass-based agriculture |
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Intercropping to improve soil quality and increase biodiversity |
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Creating forest openings to improve hardwood stands |
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Continuous No Till |
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Conversion of cropped land to grass-based agriculture |
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Intensive no-till (Organic or Non-organic systems) |
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Crop management system on crop land acres recently converted |
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Cover cropping in orchards, vineyards and other woody perennial horticultural crops |
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Intensive cover cropping in annual crops |
Mechanism
Removal, remediation, or control of invasive species, pests, and/or pathogens through mechanical, biological, or chemical management; establishment of native plants through seeding and/or planting
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
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Critical Area Planting |
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Obstruction Removal |
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Vegetated Treatment Area |
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Restoration and Management of Rare and Declining Habitats |
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Early Successional Habitat Development/Management |
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Forest Stand Improvement |
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Restoration and Management of Natural Ecosystems |
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Native Plant Community Restoration and Management |
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Forest Land Management |
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Invasive Plant Species Control |
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Pathogen Management |
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Prescribed Forestry |
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Invasive Species Pest Management |
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Forest stand improvement for habitat and soil quality |
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Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats |
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Multi-species Native Perennials for Biomass/Wildlife Habitat |
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Establish pollinator habitat |
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Hardwood Crop Tree Release |
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Biological suppression and other non-chemical techniques to manage herbaceous weeds invasive species |
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Monitoring and Evaluation |
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Forest Stand Improvement for Soil Quality |
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Establish pollinator and/or beneficial insect habitat |
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Creating forest openings to improve hardwood stands |
Mechanism
Cultivation, management, and production of timber or crops through landscape clearing, mechanical landscape alteration, mechanical harvesting, mechanical soil disturbance, planting, seeding, etc.…
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
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Cover Crop |
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Land Clearing |
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Precision Land Forming |
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Irrigation Land Leveling |
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Land Smoothing |
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Restoration of Compacted Soils |
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Silvopasture Establishment |
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Invasive Plant Species Control |
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Multi-Story Cropping |
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Prescribed Forestry |
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Invasive Species Pest Management |
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Extending existing field borders for water quality protection and wildlife habitat |
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Improve the plant diversity and structure of non-cropped areas for wildlife food and habitat |
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Silvopasture for wildlife habitat |
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Multi-story cropping, sustainable management of nontimber forest plants |
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Continuous no till with high residue |
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Continuous No Till Organic System |
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Continuous cover crops |
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Use of Cover Crop Mixes |
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Intensive rotational grazing |
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Creating forest openings to improve hardwood stands |
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Continuous No Till |
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Conversion of cropped land to grass-based agriculture |
Mechanism
Restoration of native plant communities and landscape properties through planting, seeding, removal of obstructions or barriers
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Critical Area Planting |
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Restoration and Management of Rare and Declining Habitats |
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Early Successional Habitat Development/Management |
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Restoration and Management of Natural Ecosystems |
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Native Plant Community Restoration and Management |
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Restoration of Compacted Soils |
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Forest stand improvement for habitat and soil quality |
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Restoration and Management of Rare or Declining Habitats |
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Multi-species Native Perennials for Biomass/Wildlife Habitat |
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Monitoring and Evaluation |
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Establish pollinator and/or beneficial insect habitat |
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|
Creating forest openings to improve hardwood stands |
Mechanism
Restoration of native plant communities and landscape properties through planting, seeding, removal of obstructions or barriers
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Critical Area Planting |
|
|
Obstruction Removal |
|
|
Tree/Shrub Establishment |
|
|
Early Successional Habitat Development/Management |
|
|
Agroforestry Planting |
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|
Restoration and Management of Natural Ecosystems |
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Native Plant Community Restoration and Management |
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Restoration of Compacted Soils |
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Monitoring and Evaluation |
Model keys
Briefcase
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
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.