Ecological site group DX035X02DESG05
Grand Canyon - Aridic Ustic - Limestone or Loamy Hills
Last updated: 10/26/2022
Accessed: 05/02/2024
Ecological site group description
Key Characteristics
- Grand Canyon (D)
- Site parent material is limestone or dolomite, or soil is loamy.
- Site soils are aridic ustic or within a 13-17" precipitation zone.
- Site is and/or located on a hill with slopes >15%.
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 on a hill with slopes >15%. Physiography is complex.
Climate
Site soils are aridic ustic or within a 13-17" precipitation zone. Precipitation comes monsoonal patterns during months of July, August, and September, and is supplemented by winter storm patterns from November through March.
Soil features
Parent material is limestone. Soils are loamy. Site consists of gently dipping shallow residuum weathered from sedimentary rocks eroded into steep cliff faces and canyons.
Vegetation dynamics
This site is characterized by an overstory dominance of trees with an understory of shrubs and herbaceous species. Tree canopy is typically 25-40% with a range of 15 to 55% depending on aspect, elevation, slopes, rock cover and soil depth. Major overstory species are pinyon and juniper with scattered large shrubs including Freemont barberry, Stansbury cliffrose, turbinella oak and Utah serviceberry. Major understory species include muttongrass, blue grama, squirreltail, galleta, Wyoming big sagebrush, broom snakeweed, Mormon tea and yucca. Amounts and composition of understory species will vary depending on tree canopy, elevation, aspect, rock cover and drought.
Major Land Resource Area
MLRA 035X
Colorado Plateau
Correlated Map Unit Components
22394885, 22395066, 22395067, 22395072, 22395017, 22394890, 22394917, 22394896, 22394869, 22394870, 22396814
Stage
Provisional
Contributors
Curtis Talbot
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.