Ecological site group description

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.

Physiography

Hierarchical Classification
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 8 – Columbia Plateau

LRU – Common Resource Areas (CRA):
8.5 - Moist Yakima Folds


Site Concept Narrative:

Note: For MLRA 8 there are four ecological sites with the name ‘Loamy’.
1. One for the sagebrush steppe region
2. One specifically for grasslands on Goldendale Prairie (Klickitat Co.)
3. One specifically for grasslands on south side of Columbia Hills (Klickitat Co.)
4. One for other grassland regions in MLRA 8 including
a. SE portion of MLRA 8 includes portions of Adams, Franklin, Walla Walla, Asotin, Columbia and Garfield counties
b. Area above Coulee Dam in Douglas Co.

The Loamy ESD below is for grasslands on the south side of Columbia Hills in Klickitat Co. (see 3 above).


Diagnostics:

The soils for this grassland steppe upland site are 20 inches & deeper with a loamy surface texture and limited rock fragments (generally 10% or less) in the root-growing portions of the soil profile. Silt loam is most common, but a variety of soils and landforms are possible.

Note: due to historic farming and grazing the south side of the Columbia Hills has been heavily disturbed. No pristine remnant is known, so the reference state has been reconstructed based on experience in MLRA 8.

The south side of the Columbia Hills is a grassland steppe area and has not had sagebrush for more than 50 years and is not expected to have sagebrush. This area does not have sagebrush, nor bitterbrush, and no rabbitbrush except for one small area near the Columbia River.

Perennial bunchgrasses would dominate the reference state. Cool-season bunchgrasses form two distinct layers. Bluebunch wheatgrass is the dominant bunchgrass in the top grass layer, while Sandberg bluegrass is the major grass of the lower grass layer. Native forbs fill the interspaces.


Principle Vegetative Drivers:

The moderately deep to deep silt loam soils and the south aspect drive the vegetative expression of this productive site. Most species have unrestricted rooting on this site.


Influencing Water Features:

A plant’s ability to grow on a site and overall plant production is determined by soil-water-plant relationships
1. Whether rain and melting snow runs off-site or infiltrates into the soil
2. Whether soil condition remain aerobic or become saturated and become anaerobic
3. Water drainage and how quickly the soil reaches wilting point

With adequate cover of live plants and litter, there are no restrictions on Loamy sites with water infiltrating into the soil. These sites are well drained and are saturated for only a short period.


Physiographic Features:

The landscape is part of the Columbia basalt plateau. Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills sites occur on broad ridges and plateaus, stream terraces, and east-facing hillslopes of the Columbia Hills in Klickitat County.

Physiographic Division: Intermontane Plateau
Physiographic Province: Columbia Plateau
Physiographic Sections: Walla Walla Plateau Section

Landscapes: Hills and plateaus
Landform: Sideslopes

Elevation: Dominantly 300 to 3,200 feet
Central tendency: 300 to 2,800 feet
Slope: Total range: 0 to 65 percent
Central tendency: 10 to 50 percent
Aspect: Dominantly southern aspects, but can occur on all aspects


Geology:

This MLRA is almost entirely underlain by Miocene basalt flows. Columbia River basalt is covered in many areas with as much as 200 feet of loess and volcanic ash. Small areas of sandstones, siltstones, and conglomerates of the Upper Tertiary Ellensburg Formation are along the western edge of this area. Some Quaternary glacial drift covers the northern edge of the basalt flows, and some Miocene-Pliocene continental sedimentary deposits occur south of the Columbia River, in Oregon.

A wide expanse of scablands in the eastern portion of this MLRA, in Washington, was deeply dissected about 16,000 years ago, when an ice dam that formed ancient glacial Lake Missoula was breached several times, creating catastrophic floods. The geology of the northernmost part of this MLRA is distinctly different from that of the rest of the area. Alluvium, glacial outwash, and glacial drift fill the valley floor of the Okanogan River and the side valleys of tributary streams. The fault parallel with the valley separates pre-Tertiary metamorphic rocks on the west, in the Cascades, from older, pre-Cretaceous metamorphic rocks on the east, in the Northern Rocky Mountains. Mesozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks cover the metamorphic rocks for most of the length of the valley on the west.

Climate

Grasslands do not have shrubs because they receive more spring precipitation especially in March (Daubenmire). The climate is characterized by moderately cold, wet winters, and hot, dry summers, with limited precipitation due to the rain shadow effect of the Cascades. Winter fog is variable and often quite localized, as the fog settles on some areas but not others. Compared to the rest of MLRA 8, the south side of the Columbia Hills is dry and hot. Taxonomic soil climate is xeric moisture regime with a mesic temperature regime.

Mean Annual Precipitation:
Range: 10 – 14 inches
Seventy to seventy-five percent of the precipitation comes late October through March as a mixture of rain and snow. June through early October is mostly dry.

Mean Annual Air Temperature:
Range: 46 to 54 F
Central Tendency: 48 – 52 F
Freezing temperatures generally occur from late-October through early-April. Temperature extremes are 0 degrees in winter and 110 degrees in summer.

Frost-free Period (days):
Total range: 110 to 160
Central tendency: 120 to 150
The growing season for Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills is March through mid-May.

Soil features

Edaphic:

The Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills ecological site commonly occurs with Shallow Stony, Very Shallow and Sands ecological sites.


Representative Soil Features:

This ecological site components are dominantly Ultic and Typic taxonomic subgroups of Argixerolls and Haploxerolls great groups of the Mollisols taxonomic order. Soils are moderately deep to very deep. Average available water capacity of about 6.0 inches (15.2 cm) in the 0 to 40 inches (0-100 cm) depth range.

Soil parent material is dominantly mixed loess over colluvium and residuum.

The associated soils are Fisherhill, Stacker, Walla Walla and similar soils.

Dominate soil surface is silt loam.

Dominant particle-size class is fine-loamy to coarse-silty.

Fragments on surface horizon > 3 inches (% Volume):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 2
Average: 0

Fragments within surface horizon > 3 inches (% Volume):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 5
Average: 0

Fragments within surface horizon ≤ 3 inches (% Volume):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 5
Average: 1

Subsurface fragments > 3 inches (% Volume):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 10
Average: 1

Subsurface fragments ≤ 3 inches (% Volume):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 15
Average: 2

Drainage Class: Dominantly well drained
Water table depth: Greater than 60 inches

Flooding:
Frequency: None

Ponding:
Frequency: None

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity Class:
0 to 10 inches: Moderately high
10 to 40 inches: Moderately high

Depth to root-restricting feature (inches):
Minimum: 20
Maximum: Greater than 60

Electrical Conductivity (dS/m):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 2

Sodium Absorption Ratio:
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 0

Calcium Carbonate Equivalent (percent):
Minimum: 0
Maximum: 5

Soil Reaction (pH) (1:1 Water):
0 - 10 inches: 6.1 to 8.4
10 - 40 inches: 6.1 to 9.0

Available Water Capacity (inches, 0 – 40 inches depth):
Minimum: 4.9
Maximum: 8.3
Average: 6.0

Vegetation dynamics

Ecological Dynamics:

Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills produces about 600-900 pounds/acre of biomass annually.

The line between sagebrush steppe and true grasslands has been discussed and debated for many years. Daubenmire states that the line has nothing to do with pre-settlement as native ungulates played no significant role in the evolution of ecotypes. He also says that there is no evidence that the distribution of vegetative types is related to fire. And he also says there is no useful correlation between soil classification and the line between grasslands and sagebrush steppe.

The ecotones between Daubenmire’s vegetation types can be defined on the basis of consistent differences in climate and consistent differences in vegetation. Higher spring precipitation, especially in March, favors grasses over sagebrush. The grassland area of southeastern Adams and eastern Franklin counties have more precipitation in March. The same for the grasslands in Walla Walla, Asotin and Garfield counties. The Goldendale Prairie and the high elevation grassland above Coulee Dam in Douglas county also have higher spring precipitation. So, the grassland areas of MLRA 8 are consistent with Daubenmire’s findings.

Bluebunch wheatgrass would be dominant in the reference state. It is a long-lived, mid-sized cool-season bunchgrass with an awned or awnless seed head arranged in a spike. Bluebunch provides a crucial and extensive network of roots to the upper portions (up to 48” deep in soils with no root-restrictive horizons) of the soil profile. These roots create a massive underground source to stabilize the soils, provide organic matter and nutrients inputs, and help maintain soil pore space for water infiltration and water retention in the soil profile. The extensive rooting system of mid-sized bunchgrasses leave very little soil niche space available for invasion by other species. This drought resistant root can compete with, and, suppress the spread of exotic weeds.

The stability and resiliency of the reference communities is directly linked to the health and vigor of bluebunch wheatgrass. Refer to page 8 for more details about bluebunch physiology. Research has found that the community remains resistant to medusahead if the site maintains at least 0.8 mid-sized bunchgrass plant/sq. ft. (K. Davies, 2008). It is bluebunch that holds the system together. If we lose the bluebunch the ecosystem crashes or unravels.

The natural disturbance regime for grassland communities is periodic lightning-caused fires. The fire return intervals (FRI) listed in research for sagebrush steppe communities is quite variable. Ponderosa pine communities have the shortest FRI of about 10-20 years (Miller). The FRI increases as one moves to wetter forested sites or to dries shrub steppe
communities. Given the uncertainties and opinions or reviewers, a mean of 75 years was chosen for sagebrush steppe (Rapid Assessment Model). This would place the historic FRI for grassland steppe around 30-50 years.

The effect of fire on the community depends upon the severity of the burn. With a light to moderate fire there can be a mosaic of burned and unburned patches. Bunchgrasses thrive as the fire does not get into the crown. With adequate soil moisture bluebunch wheatgrass can make tremendous growth the year after the fire. Largely, the community is not affected by lower intensity fire. Needle and thread is one native species that can increase via new seedlings following a fire.

A severe fire puts stress on the entire community. Spots and areas that were completely sterilized are especially vulnerable to exotic invasive species. Sterilized spots must be seeded to prevent invasive species (annual grasses, tumble mustard) from totally occupying the site. Bluebunch wheatgrass and basin wildrye will have weak vigor for a few years but generally survive.

Grazing is another common disturbance that occurs to this ecological site. Grazing pressure can be defined as heavy grazing intensity, or frequent grazing during reproductive growth, or season-long grazing (the same plants grazed more than once). As grazing pressure increases the plant community unravels in stages:
1. Bluebunch wheatgrass declines while Sandberg bluegrass and needle and thread increase
2. As bluebunch wheatgrass continues to decline, invasive species such as cheatgrass and knapweed colonize the site
3. With further decline the site can become a cheatgrass community

Managing grasslands to improve the vigor and health of native bunchgrasses begins with an understanding of grass physiology. New growth each year begins from basal buds. Bluebunch wheatgrass plants rely principally on tillering, rather than establishment of new plants through natural reseeding. During seed formation, the growing points become elevated and are vulnerable to damage or removal.

If defoliated during the formation of seeds, bluebunch wheatgrass has limited capacity to tiller compared with other, more grazing resistant grasses (Caldwell et al., 1981). Repeated critical period grazing (boot stage through seed formation) is especially damaging. Over several years each native bunchgrass pasture should be rested during the critical period two out of every three years (approximately April 15–July 15). And each pasture should be rested the entire growing-season every third year (approximately March 1 – July 15).

In the spring each year it is important to monitor and maintain an adequate top growth: (1) so plants have enough energy to replace basal buds annually, (2) to optimize regrowth following spring grazing, and (3) to protect the elevated growing points of bluebunch wheatgrass.

Bluebunch wheatgrass remains competitive if:
(1) Basal buds are replaced annually,
(2) Enough top-growth is maintained for growth and protection of growing points, and
(3) The timing of grazing and non-grazing is managed over a several-year period. Careful management of late spring grazing is especially critical

For more grazing management information refer to Range Technical Notes found in Section I Reference Lists of NRCS Field Office Technical Guide for Washington State.

In Washington, bluebunch wheatgrass communities provide habitat for a variety of upland wildlife species.


Supporting Information:

Associated Sites:
Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills is associated with other ecological sites in the grassland steppe areas of MLRA 8, including Shallow Stony and Sands. Very Shallow may also be nearby.

Similar Sites:
Loamy, south aspect, Columbia Hills on south side of Columbia Hills is a bluebunch wheatgrass site. Shrubs and Idaho fescue are nonexistent. The other Loamy ecological sites in MLRA 8 Columbia Plateau have sagebrush or Idaho fescue.

Inventory Data References (narrative):
Data to populate Reference Community came from several sources: (1) NRCS ecological sites from 2004, (2) Soil Conservation Service range sites from 1980s and 1990s, (3) Daubenmire’s habitat types, and (4) ecological systems from Natural Heritage Program

Major Land Resource Area

MLRA 008X
Columbia Plateau

Subclasses

• R008XY536WA–Loamy South Aspect Columbia Hills

Stage

Provisional

Contributors

Provisional Site Author: Kevin Guinn
Technical Team: K. Moseley, G. Fults, R. Fleenor, W. Keller, C. Smith, K. Bomberger, C. Gaines, K. Lefferts