Loamy, 14-20" ppt., Goldendale Prairie
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
- Transition T1 More details
- Transition T2 More details
- Restoration pathway R1 More details
- Restoration pathway R2 More details
- Transition T3 More details
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
Note: most sites on the Goldendale Prairie have already crossed the threshold into State 3
State 1 Narrative:
State 1 represents grassland steppe with no invasive or exotic weed species. Each functional, structural group has one or more native species. The Goldendale Prairie has no sagebrush or bitterbrush, and except for a spot along a road cut, also has no rabbitbrush.
Reference State Community Phases:
1.1 Reference Bluebunch wheatgrass-Idaho fescue
Dominate Reference State Species:
Bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue
At-risk Communities:
• Note: most sites on the Goldendale Prairie have already crossed the threshold into State 3
Pathways within State 1
There are no pathways in Reference State for this grassland steppe Loamy ecological site.
Submodel
Description
Note: most sites on the Goldendale Prairie have already crossed the threshold into State 3
State 2 Narrative:
State 2 represents grassland steppe with the inclusion of invasive annual grasses such as annual bromes. All the native functional, structural groups are still represented by one or more species.
Annual grasses are a minor component in State 2. Once a community has been invaded by cheatgrass the chance of going back to State 1 is small.
Dominate State 2 Species:
Bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue
Community Phases for State 2:
2.1 Bunchgrass Bluebunch wheatgrass
In Community 2.1, the reference community has been invaded by some annual grasses such as annual bromes. Annual grasses are a minor component in State 2. Once a community has been invaded by cheatgrass the chance of going back to State 1 is small.
Pathways within State 2
There are no pathways in State 2 for this grassland steppe Loamy ecological site.
Submodel
Description
Note: most sites on the Goldendale Prairie have already crossed the threshold into State 3
State 3 Narrative:
State 3 represents sites dominated by invasive annual species and has crossed a biological threshold. As State 1 or State to unravels the dominant bunchgrasses decline while invasive grasses become more and more prominent. Virtually all the native functional, structural groups are missing in State 3.
Community Phases for State 3:
3.1 Annual Grass annual bromes
Dominate State 3 Species:
Cheatgrass
Other important invasive species can include medusahead, ventenata, mustard, prickly lettuce and diffuse knapweed.
Pathways within State 3
There are no pathways in State 3 for this grassland steppe Loamy ecological site.
Submodel
Description
State 4 Narrative:
State 4 represents a site that has been seeded to desirable grasses such as Secar. Snake River wheatgrass, Sherman big bluegrass, or intermediate wheatgrass. State 4 is stable if 0.8 plant per sq. ft. or greater of the desired bunchgrasses is maintained.
Community Phases for State 4:
1.1 Seeded Grasses
Dominate State 4 Species:
Desirable seeded grasses with or without legumes
Pathways within State 4:
There are no pathways in State 4 for this grassland steppe Loamy ecological site.
Submodel
Mechanism
Note: most sites on the Goldendale Prairie have already crossed the threshold into State 3
Transitions from State to State
T1 Result: transition from Reference State to State 2 (grassland steppe w/ a few annuals). The Reference State does not have invasive species. State 2 has the same communities but with minor additions of invasive annual grasses such as annual bromes.
Ecological process. Most sites in the Reference State have some scattered annual grass seed that has blown onto the site. This seed is waiting for seed-to-soil contact to enable germination.
Primary Trigger: Soil disturbances from rodents or badgers.
Indicators: The occurrence of annual grasses on sites where they had been absent.
Mechanism
T2 Result: Transition from State 2 to State 3 which is dominated by annuals. This transition occurs once the cover of bluebunch wheatgrass-Idaho fescue declines to less than 10% while invasive species cover is 40% or more.
Primary Trigger: Chronic heavy grazing, season-long grazing, or late spring grazing. Note: chronic season-long grazing in 1880s-1940s created thousands of acres of annual grass dominated communities.
Ecological Process: Consistent defoliation pressure to bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue causes poor vigor, shrinking crowns and plant mortality. Native species are all but eliminated while invasive species such as annual bromes have the competitive advantage.
With more and more of the soil surface and upper soil rooting surface open, opportunistic, exotic weeds take advantage of the available niche space to colonize and expand until they dominate the community.
The site has lost its primary species that stabilize and protect the soil from wind and water erosion and has also lost the ability to retain sufficient soil moisture for many of the native perennial species.
Indicators: Decreasing cover of bluebunch wheatgrass and Idaho fescue, increasing cover of invasive annual species. Increasing distance between bunchgrass plants. Decreasing soil organic matter, soil water retention, limited water infiltration and percolation in the soil profile
Mechanism
R1 Transition from State 3 (a community dominated by invasive annual species) to State 4, which is predominately desirable seeded grasses.
This restoration transition does not occur without significant time and inputs to control weeds, prepare a seedbed, seed desirable species, and post-seeding weed control and management. This requires a commitment of two years or more for weed control. Care must be taken to maintain soil structure so that the seedbed has many safe sites for the seed. Seed placement must be managed to achieve seed-soil contact at very shallow depth (about 1/8 inch is desired). Proper grazing management is essential to maintain the stand post-seeding. Secar Snake River wheatgrass, thickspike wheatgrass, Sherman big bluegrass, Sandberg bluegrass, and intermediate wheatgrass are typical species seeded on Loamy ecological site.
The actual transition occurs when the seeded species have successfully established and are outcompeting the annual species for cover and dominance of resources.
Mechanism
R2 Result: Shift from State 4 back to State 2. This restoration transition does not occur without a significant commitment of time & resource inputs to restore ecological processes, native bunchgrasses and native forb species.
Shifting from State 3 to State 4: If the goal is to restore back to a native plant community, State 3 must first be shifted to State 4. It will take two years or longer to kill annual species and to exhaust the seedbank of invasive species. Site will then need to be seeded to perennial species such as Snake River wheatgrass to restore soil properties before native species can survive and thrive on site. The seeded species rebuild some of the basic soil properties including increased soil organic matter, increased soil moisture, and likely would also require the soil’s pore spaces, bulk density and soil microorganisms to return before the native species that used to survive in this ecological site can return. The site would also need several years of no significant fires and proper grazing management as well. See narrative for R1 transition above.
Shifting from State 4 to State 2: This assumes that the shift from State 3 to State 4 has been successful. State 4 stand must be killed before proceeding. The seeding of native species should occur in two steps: (1) a seeding of native bunchgrasses so that broadleaf weeds may be controlled, (2) a re-introduction of native forbs. The site would also need several years of no significant fires and proper grazing management as well to ensure plant establishment and vigor.
Mechanism
T3 Result: shift from seeded grass State 4 to State 3 which is dominated by invasive annual species.
Primary Trigger: This transition occurs when chronic heavy grazing has removed too much of the perennial bunchgrass cover allowing invasive annual species to colonize the site. As this continues the competitive advantage goes to the exotic species which are opportunistic and take most of the site’s resources. Little of the resources remain for the desirable species.
Secondary Trigger: Frequent fires or a severe fire that removes too much of the perennial bunchgrass cover and gives the competitive advantage back to the invasive species.
Indicators: shrinking crowns and mortality of desirable species, increasing caps gaps between perennial species, increasing cover by annual grasses.
References:
Boling M., Frazier B., Busacca, A., General Soil Map of Washington, Washington State University, 1998
Daubenmire, R., Steppe Vegetation of Washington, EB1446, March 1968
Davies, Kirk, Medusahead Dispersal and Establishment in Sagebrush Steppe Plant Communities, Rangeland Ecology & Management, 2008
Environmental Protection Agency, map of Level III and IV Ecoregions of Washington, June 2010
Miller, Baisan, Rose and Pacioretty, “Pre and Post Settlement Fire regimes in mountain Sagebrush communities: The Northern Intermountain Region
Natural Resources Conservation Service, map of Common Resource Areas of Washington, 2003
Rapid Assessment Reference Condition Model for Wyoming sagebrush, LANDFIRE project, 2008
Rocchio, Joseph & Crawford, Rex C., Ecological Systems of Washington State. A Guide to Identification. Washington State Department of Natural Resources, October 2015. Pages 156-161 Inter-Mountain Basin Big Sagebrush.
Rouse, Gerald, MLRA 8 Ecological Sites as referenced from Natural Resources Conservation Service-Washington FOTG, 2004
Soil Conservation Service, Range Sites for MLRA 8 from 1980s and 1990s
Tart, D., Kelley, P., and Schlafly, P., Rangeland Vegetation of the Yakima Indian reservation, August 1987, YIN Soil and Vegetation Survey
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