LANDFIRE Biophysical Setting Model Biophysical Setting 0810650 Columbia Plateau Scabland Shrubland

This BPS is lumped with: This BPS is split into multiple models:

General Information Contributors (also see the Comments field) Date 10/6/2005 Modeler 1 Jim Evans [email protected] Reviewer Jeff Rose/Gregg [email protected] Riegel Modeler 2 Louisa Evers [email protected] Reviewer v Modeler 3 Reviewer

Vegetation Type Dominant Species Map Zone Model Zone ARRI2 Upland Shrubland 8 Alaska Northern Plains ERTH4 California N-Cent.Rockies General Model Sources ERIOG Great Basin Pacific Northwest Literature POSE Great Lakes South Central Local Data ELEL5 Hawaii Southeast Expert Estimate LERE7 Northeast S. Appalachians LOMAT Southwest STST5 Geographic Range This type occurs in primarily in the channeled scablands of the Columbia Plateau in WA. Biophysical Site Description This type occurs on shallow, lithic soils with limited water holding capacity over fractured basalt. Sometimes this fractured basalt is exposed at the surface with plants rooted in the cracks.

Precipitation in this zone ranges from 8-12in or less, mostly falling as winter snow.

The channeled scablands are found along the Columbia River through central Washington and were formed by repeated massive flooding during the Pleistocene. The floods originated from the fracturing and subsequent destruction of ice dams that formed and reformed near present-day Priest Lake, draining glacial Lake Missoula. The resultung floods stripped the soils and some rock off the flood pathway, creating a unique landscape of massive dry falls, pothole lakes, cliffs and mesas and deeply incised canyons. Vegetation Description An open dwarf-shrub canopy characterizes this biophysical setting. Stiff sagebrush (Artemesia rigida) along with desert buckwheats (Eriogonum spp) are the most common species.

The primary grass is Sandberg bluegrass with larger bunchgrasses scattered and infrequent. The forb layer tends to be rich in species but low in cover and frequency. Common forbs are bitterroot, crepis, phlox, lomatiums, yarrow and agoseris. Low sagebrush may be present as well.

**Fire Regime Groups are: I: 0-35 year frequency, surface severity; II: 0-35 year frequency, replacement severity; III: 35-100+ year frequency, mixed severity; IV: 35-100+ year frequency, replacement severity; V: 200+ year frequency, replacement severity.

Monday, January 27, 2014 Page 1 of 5 Total vasuclar plant cover is never very high, rarely exceeding 25% and often much lower. Lichens and mosses may reach high cover on the rocks or undisturbed areas where biological soil crusts form, frost heaving is much more limited.

Disturbance Description Fire plays only a minor role in this type as it rarely contains enough continuous fuel to carry a fire. Fires burning through adjacent BpSs may burn the edges of scabland shrubland, but cannot carry into the main formation. In very unusual wet years, enough grasses may be present to allow fire to finger through, following cracks that contain enough vegetation or across scattered pockets of deeper soils with more continuous fuel. Replacement fire was modeled as mean fire return interval = 250yrs in all three boxes, with no other disturbances modeled.

Severe droughts can temporarily reduce herbaceous vegetation, however all the species that occupy this BpS are very drought tolerant.

Seasonal freezing and thawing may limit establishment of annuals in some areas or in some years. Adjacency or Identification Concerns The scabland shrubland can rarely be mistaken for anything else given its location, except along the edges. It may be interfingered with Inter-Mountain Basins Big Sagebrush Steppe. Stiff sagebrush is deciduous and the main formation includes large amounts of surface rock whereas big sagebrush is evergreen and surface rock is very limited. Native Uncharacteristic Conditions If sagebrush cover exceeds 30%, type is probably a different BpS. Rock is an important element in identifing scabland shrubland. Scale Description Scale is from thousands to tens of thousands of acres in size as a community, but disturbances occur in fractions of this area.

Issues/Problems Wind power development is starting to occur on this biophysical setting, possibly resulting in a classification of urban or agriculture or industrial. This type of development fragments the habitat and facilitates establishment of invasive species.

Comments Review comments say that this type can also be distinguished from 1124 by the pattern of rock nets and deeper soil areas.

Vegetation Classes

Monday, January 27, 2014 Page 2 of 5 Indicator Species and Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform) Class A 5 % Canopy Position Min Max Early Development 1 All Structure ERTH4 Cover 010%% Upper Layer Lifeform Lower Height Herb 0m Herb 0.5m Herbaceous POSE Tree Size Class None Lower Shrub Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform. Tree Fuel Model LOMAT Low-Mid STST5 Description Lower This class is dominated by sprouting buckwheats and other hemi-shrubs, surviving perennial grasses and forbs and annual forbs. Plant cover is typically extremely low. Sagebrush will be absent and patch size is very small in this class. Rock dominates the visual appearance and may dominate satellite imagery. Succession to Class B after 10yrs.

Indicator Species and Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform) 5 % Class B Canopy Position Min Max Mid Development 1 Open ERTH4 Cover 010%% Upper Layer Lifeform Low-Mid Height Shrub 0m Shrub 0.5m Herbaceous ARRI2 Tree Size Class None Upper Shrub Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform. Tree Fuel Model POSE Low-Mid STST5 Description Low-Mid Young stiff sagebrush appears while the other species reach their more-or-less mature sizes. Plant cover remains low but denser patches are now present, comprised mostly of the hemi-shrubs and perennial grasses and forbs. Rock is less dominant visually, but may still dominate satellite imagery. Succession to class C after 20yrs.

Indicator Species and Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform) Class C 90 % Canopy Position Min Max ARRI2 Late Development 1 Open Cover 11%% 30 Upper Height Shrub 0.6m Shrub 1.0m Upper Layer Lifeform ERTH4 Tree Size Class None Herbaceous Low-Mid Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform. Shrub POSE Fuel Model Tree Low-Mid STST5 Low-Mid Description Stiff sagebrush is fully mature and visually dominates the scene, particularly after spring leaf out and flowering. Total vegetation cover rarely exceeds 25% and is often <15%. Plant height rarely exceeds 0.5m.

Monday, January 27, 2014 Page 3 of 5 Indicator Species and Class D 0 % Canopy Position Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform) Min Max [Not Used] [Not Used] Cover %% Upper Layer Lifeform Height Herbaceous Tree Size Class Shrub Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform. Tree Fuel Model

Description

Class E Indicator Species and Structure Data (for upper layer lifeform) 0 % Canopy Position Min Max [Not Used] [Not Used] Cover %% Upper Layer Lifeform Height Herbaceous Tree Size Class Shrub Upper layer lifeform differs from dominant lifeform. Tree Fuel Model

Description Disturbances Fire Intervals Fire Regime Group**: V Avg FI Min FI Max FI Probability Percent of All Fires Replacement 250 0.004 100 Historical Fire Size (acres) Mixed Avg Surface Min All Fires 250 0.00402 Max Fire Intervals (FI): Fire interval is expressed in years for each fire severity class and for all types of fire Sources of Fire Regime Data combined (All Fires). Average FI is central tendency modeled. Minimum and Literature maximum show the relative range of fire intervals, if known. Probability is the inverse of fire interval in years and is used in reference condition modeling. Percent of all Local Data fires is the percent of all fires in that severity class. Expert Estimate Additional Disturbances Modeled Insects/Disease Native Grazing Other (optional 1) Wind/Weather/Stress Competition Other (optional 2)

References Daubenmire, R. 1970. Steppe vegetation of Washington. Tech. Bull. 62. Pullman: Washington State University, Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. 131 pp.

Daubenmire, R. 1982. The distribution of Artemisia rigida in Washington: a challenge to ecology and geology. Northwest Science. 56(3): 162–164.

Monday, January 27, 2014 Page 4 of 5 Monsen, S.B., R. Stevens and N.L. Shaw, comps. 2004. Restoring western ranges and wildlands. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-136-vol-2. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Pages 295–698 plus index.

NatureServe. 2007. International Ecological Classification Standard: Terrestrial Ecological Classifications. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, VA. Data current as of 10 February 2007.

Tisdale, E.W. and M. Hironaka. 1981. The sagebrush-grass region: a review of the ecological literature. Bull. 33. Moscow: University of Idaho, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Range Sciences, Forest, Wildlife and Range Experiment Station. 31 pp.

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