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

Site is and/or located in an upland with slopes <15%. Aspects tend toward northeast.

Climate

Site soils are ustic aridic or within a 10-14" precipitation zone. Precipitation comes predominantly from monsoonal patterns during months of July, August, and September.

Soil features

Sandstone, Sandy or Sandy Loam. Site consists of limited amounts of gently sloping sheet alluvial or eolian deposits over residuum of plateaus and structural benches.

Vegetation dynamics

This plant community is made up primarily of warm season grasses with a fair percentage of cool season grasses, shrubs and scattered juniper trees. This community is comprised mostly of grasses (about 70%), followed by shrubs (about 15%), then forbs (about 5%) and trees (about 5%). With continued disturbance the plant community shifts toward a shrub/grass mix and scattered trees with a decline in favorable grasses and shrubs. In this plant community there may be trace amounts (<2% by weight) of non-native annuals present. They do not affect the sites ecological processes in these minor amounts.

See the associated ecological sites to view the STM.

Major Land Resource Area

MLRA 035X
Colorado Plateau

Subclasses

• DX035X01I117–Sandy Loam Upland 10-14" p.z.
• R035XA111AZ–Limy Upland 10-14" p.z.
• R035XA115AZ–Sandstone Upland 10-14" p.z.
• R035XA118AZ–Sandy Upland 10-14" p.z.

Correlated Map Unit Components

22353915, 22353916, 22353923, 22353927, 22353950, 22353968, 22353977, 22353982

Stage

Provisional

Contributors

Curtis Talbot