Ecological Site R035XB219AZ Sandy Loam Upland 6-10" P.Z
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Natural Resources Conservation Service Ecological site R035XB219AZ Sandy Loam Upland 6-10" p.z. Accessed: 09/30/2021 General information Figure 1. Mapped extent Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated. MLRA notes Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 035X–Colorado Plateau “PROVISIONAL ecological site concepts developed and described. See Project Plan [insert Project Plan Name] for more details and related milestones.” This ecological site occurs in Land Resource Area 35.2 - the Colorado Plateau Shrub – Grasslands Elevations range from 3800-5800 feet and precipitation averages 6 to 10 inches per year. Vegetation includes shadscale, fourwing saltbush, Mormon tea, blackbrush, Indian ricegrass, galleta, blue grama, and black grama. The soil temperature regime is mesic and the soil moisture regime is typic aridic. This unit occurs within the Colorado Plateau Physiographic Province and is characterized by a sequence of flat to gently dipping sedimentary rocks eroded into plateaus, valleys and deep canyons. Sedimentary rock classes dominate the plateau with volcanic fields occurring for the most part near its margin. Ecological site concept “ATTENTION: This ecological site meets the requirements for PROVISIONAL (if not more). A provisional ecological site is established after ecological site concepts are developed and an initial state-and-transition model is drafted. A provisional ecological site typically will include literature reviews, land use history information, legacy data (prior approved range site descriptions, forage suitability groups, woodland suitability groups, etc.,), and includes some soils data, and estimates for canopy and/or species composition by weight. A provisional ecological site provides the conceptual framework of soil-site correlation for the development of the ESD. For more information about this ecological site, please contact your local NRCS office.” Table 1. Dominant plant species Tree Not specified Shrub (1) Atriplex canescens (2) Ephedra cutleri Herbaceous (1) Bouteloua eriopoda (2) Achnatherum hymenoides Physiographic features This site occurs in an upland position. It neither benefits significantly from run-in of moisture nor does it suffer from excessive loss of moisture from runoff, unless denuded of its vegetative cover. It is on gently sloping to rolling plains and slopes are mainly less than 12 percent. Table 2. Representative physiographic features Landforms (1) Fan r emnant (2) Plain Flooding frequency None to very rare Elevation 4,500–5,800 ft Slope 0–12% Aspect Aspect is not a significant factor Climatic features Area has a very dry and windy climate that is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Average annual precipitation is from 6 to 10 inches. Soil moisture regime is typic aridic and the soil temperature regime is mesic. A slight majority of the precipitation arrives during the late fall, winter, and early spring. this winter season moisture originates in the Pacific Ocean and arrives as rain, or sometimes snow, during widespread frontal storms of generally low intensity. The majority of the snow falls from December through February, but rarely lasts more than a few days. The driest period is from late May to early July. Summer rains occur from July through September during brief intense local thunderstorms. The rain is sporadic in intensity and location. Windy conditions are common year round with the strongest most frequently in the spring. Table 3. Representative climatic features Frost-free period (average) 181 days Freeze-free period (average) 207 days Precipitation total (average) 10 in Influencing water features Soil features The soils in this ecological site are deep and have no plant root restricting layer. The surface horizon texture is sandy loam to loamy sand about 4 to 10 inches thick. The subsurface horizons have textures ranging from sandy clay loam to loamy sand. There may be thin strata of finer or coarser material. The permeability ranges from moderate to rapid and can absorb and hold all of the moisture the climate supplies. Typical taxonomic units include: SSA 633 Navajo County Central - MU's 5 Kinan, 20, 21, 46 & 60 Grieta; SSA-707 Little Colorado River Area MU's 33 Moffat, 30, 33 & 51 Monue; SSA 711 Navajo Mountain Area - MU's 30 & 51 Monue, 62 Nakai; SSA 713 Chinle Area - MU's 31 & 32 Monue, 32 Nakai, 46 Marcou; SSA 714 Hopi - MU's 22, 23 & 33 Nakai, 15 Kinan, 5 Doak, 5, 20, 23 & 32 Monue; SSA 715 Fort Defiance Area AZ/NM MU’s 38 & 106 Grieta family, 56 & 58 Marcou family 62,63,64,65,67,92,107 & 111 Monue, 66 Monue family, 67 Nakai, 70 Norkiki family, 91,93 & 108 Shiprock family, 106 Grieta family, & 111 Sogzie; SSA 717 Shiprock NM - MU's 120 & 240 Nageezi, 173 & 205 Shiprock, 506 Blackston, 502 Sogzie; SSA 689 Glen Canyon Area UT MU's 42 Nepalto, 16 Myton & 36 Seeg. SSA 619 Chaco Canyon Area NM - MU's 04, 010 Yelives; SSA 692 McKinley County Area NM - 235 Yelives Table 4. Representative soil features Parent material (1) Alluvium–sandstone Surface texture (1) Sandy loam (2) Loamy sand Family particle size (1) Loamy Drainage class Moderately well drained to well drained Permeability class Moderate to rapid Soil depth 40–60 in Surface fragment cover <=3" 0–5% Surface fragment cover >3" 0% Available water capacity 4–7 in (0-40in) Calcium carbonate equivalent 0–12% (0-40in) Electrical conductivity 0 mmhos/cm (0-40in) Sodium adsorption ratio 0–5 (0-40in) Soil reaction (1:1 water) 6.6–7.9 (0-40in) Subsurface fragment volume <=3" 0–5% (Depth not specified) Subsurface fragment volume >3" 0% (Depth not specified) Ecological dynamics The plant communities found on an ecological site are naturally variable. Composition and production will vary with yearly conditions, location, aspect, and the natural variability of the soils. The historical climax plant community (HCPC) represents the natural potential of plant communities found on relict or relatively undisturbed sites. Other plant communities described here represent plant communities that are known to occur when the site is disturbed by factors such as grazing, fire, or drought. Production data provided in this site description is standardized to air-dry weight at the end of the summer growing season. The plant communities described in this site description are based on near normal rainfall years. NRCS uses a Similarity Index to compare existing plant communities to the plant communities described here. Similarity Index is determined by comparing the production and composition of a plant community to the production and composition of a plant community described in this site description. To determine Similarity Index, compare the production (air-dry weight) of each species to that shown in the plant community description. For each species, count no more than the maximum amount shown for the species, and for each group, count no more than the maximum shown for the group. Divide the resulting total by the total normal year production shown in the plant community description. If rainfall has been significantly above or below normal, use the total production shown for above or below normal years. If field data is not collected at the end of the summer growing season, then the field data must be corrected to the end of the year production before comparing it to the site description. The growth curve can be used as a guide for estimating production at the end of the summer growing season. The State and Transition model shows the most common occurring plant communities likely to be encountered on this ecological site. This model may not show every possible plant community, but only those that are most prevalent and observed through field inventory. As more data is collected and research is available, these plant communities may be revised, removed, and even added to reflect the ecological dynamics of this site. State and transition model Figure 4. State and Transition Model - R035XB219AZ State 1 Reference State Community 1.1 Mixed Native Grassland (HCPC) This site is a mixed native grassland made up primarily of short and mid grasses with scattered shrubs and a small percentage of forbs and annuals. There is a mixture of both cool and warm season grasses. Dominate grasses include black grama, Indian ricegrass, blue grama with various other grasses like dropseeds, needle and thread and squirretail. Plant species most likely to invade or increase on this site when it starts to deteriorate are cacti, wooly groundsel, broom snakeweed, rabbitbrush, Russian thistle and cheatgrass. Continuous grazing during the winter and spring periods will decrease the cool season grasses, which are replaced by warm season, lower forage value grasses and shrubs. Table 5. Annual production by plant type Low Representative Value High Plant Type (Lb/Acre) (Lb/Acre) (Lb/Acre) Grass/Grasslike 290 535 700 Shrub/Vine 53 98 128 Forb 16 30 38 Total 359 663 866 Table 6. Soil surface cover Tree basal cover 0% Shrub/vine/liana basal cover 0-3% Grass/grasslike basal cover 5-15% Forb basal cover 0-3% Non-vascular plants 0% Biological crusts 0-15% Litter 15-35% Surface fragments >0.25" and <=3" 0-5% Surface fragments >3" 0% Bedrock 0% Water 0% Bare ground 30-50% Table 7. Canopy structure (% cover) Grass/ Height Above Ground (Ft) Tree Shrub/Vine Grasslike Forb <0.5 – 1-5% 15-25% 1-5% >0.5 <= 1 – 1-5% 1-10% 0-2% >1 <= 2 – 1-5% 0-5% – >2 <= 4.5 – – – – >4.5 <= 13 – – – – >13 <= 40 – – – – >40 <= 80 – – – – >80 <= 120 – – – – >120 – – – – Figure 6. Plant community growth curve (percent production by month). AZ3521, 35.2 6-10" p.z.