Shallow stony, 6000-7600 feet

Description

State 1 Narrative:
State 1 represents grassland steppe with no invasive or exotic weed species. Each functional, structural group would have one or more native species. Communities with a dominance of annual grasses are not known to occur on High Mountain Shallow Stony sites.

Transitions from State to State:
There are no transitions for Shallow Stony, 6,000 – 7,600 feet, as there is no experience with invasive species.


Recovery:
Recovery is not necessary for Shallow Stony, 6,000 – 7,600 feet. Invasive species are not adapted to the harsh conditions and short growing season.

If invasive species established dominance, it would be considered non-reversible. Due to shallow soil depth, surface rock and rock within the soil profile, and the equipment limitations thereof, seeding is not practical for the Shallow Stony ecological site.

Restoration of native grasses and sedges, sagebrush, native forbs and the soil biotic crust would be very problematic at best on Shallow Stony, 6,000 – 7,600 feet. Seeds must germinate. Seedlings and plugged plants need soil moisture and time to become established. In most years, seeds and plugs may not have a chance as site conditions on Shallow Stony can change quickly. Drying winds and bright sun can turn a snowy or muddy site into a hard crust before plants are established. So, the timing of all recovery efforts would have an extremely narrow window of opportunity on Shallow Stony. Perhaps the only avenue for recovery would be to plant plugs of native species which is a very costly and risky proposition.

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