5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Ecological Site Description Section l: Ecological Site Characteristics Ecological Site Identification and Concept Site stage: Provisional Provisional: an ESD at the provisional status represents the lowest tier of documentation that is releasable to the public. It contains a grouping of soil units that respond similarly to ecological processes. The ESD contains 1) enough information to distinguish it from similar and associated ecological sites and 2) a draft state and transition model capturing the ecological processes and vegetative states and community phases as they are currently conceptualized. The provisional ESD has undergone both quality control and quality assurance protocols. It is expected that the provisional ESD will continue refinement towards an approved status. Site name: Upland Stony Loam (Pinyon-Utah Juniper) Pinus edulis - Amelanchier utahensis (twoneedle pinyon - Utah serviceberry) Site type: Rangeland Site ID: R035XY321U T Major land resource area (MLRA): 035-Colorado Plateau https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 1/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report Site Extent Map Physiographic Features hillslopes, escarpments, and ridges on structural benches; structural benches, remnant stream terraces, fan remnant, and landslide areas on escarpments. Landform: (1) Hill (2) Escarpment (3) Ridge Minimum Maximum Elevation (feet): 5800 7600 Slope (percent): 1 30 Flooding https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 2/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report Frequency: None None Ponding Frequency: None None Runoff class: Low High Climatic Features The average annual precipitation is 12 to 16 inches. Approximately 55 percent occurs as snow from November through February. On the average, May and June are the driest months and December and January are the wettest months. The soil moisture regime is aridic ustic. Soil temperatures are in the mesic regime. Averaged Frost-free period (days): 163 Freeze-free period (days): 188 Mean annual precipitation (inches): 16.00 Monthly Precipitation (Inches): Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec High 1.74 1.86 1.83 1.65 1.27 0.90 1.77 2.23 1.59 1.98 1.48 1.80 Low 0.45 0.52 0.55 0.38 0.32 0.07 0.52 0.77 0.39 0.36 0.43 0.46 3 inches 2 inches 2 inches 1 inches 1 inches 0 inches 0 inches Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Monthly Temperature (°F): Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec High 43.9 48.4 55.5 64.9 74.9 85.5 91.2 88.9 81.6 70.2 55.8 45.5 Low 20.4 24.7 30.0 37.1 45.4 54.6 61.3 59.8 52.1 41.4 30.0 22.1 https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 3/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report 110 °F 90 °F 70 °F 50 °F 30 °F 10 °F Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Climate stations: (1) 42494607, La Sal. Period of record 1901-1978 (2) 42971702 Zion National Park Period of Record 1904-2007 Influencing Water Features Representative Soil Features The soil is 40 to 60 inches deep and well drained. It formed in alluvium derived mainly from mixed parent materials. The surface horizon is gravelly or very gravelly loam textures 3 inches thick. The soil profile textures are sandy loam, loam, or clay loam. Horizons of carbonate accumulation occur at about 12 inches deep and extend to 60 inches or more. Some soils will have noncalcareous subsoils of clay accumulations. Usually the soil profile is calcareous throughout. About 50 percent of the soil surface is covered by rodk fragments. The volume of rock fragments in the soil profile is 35 to 70 percent of gravel, cobble, and stone. The water supplying capacity is 5 to 7 inches. Surface texture: (1)Cobbly Very fine sandy loam (2)Very stony Sandy clay loam (3)Very gravelly Sandy loam Subsurface texture group: Loamy Minimum Maximum Surface fragments <=3" (% cover): 8 32 Surface fragments >3" (% cover): 14 47 Subsurface fragments <=3" (% volume): 5 27 https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 4/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report Subsurface fragments >3" (% volume): 0 29 Drainage class: Well drained Permeability class: Moderately slow to moderately rapid Minimum Maximum Depth (inches): 20 60 Available water capacity (inches): 2.30 6.60 Electrical conductivity (mmhos/cm): 0 2 Sodium adsorption ratio: 0 5 Calcium carbonate equivalent (percent): 0 15 Soil reaction (1:1 water): 7.4 8.4 Plant Communities Ecological Dynamics of the Site As ecological condition deteriorates due to overgrazing, grasses and bitterbrush decrease while pinyon, juniper, and less palatable shrubs increase. When the potential natural plant community is burned pinyon, juniper, and non-sprouting shrubs decrease while grasses, forbs, Gambel oak and other sprouting shrubs, and manzanita increase. Cheatgrass is likely to invade this site. Suitability for rangeland seeding is very poor to fair. The major limiting factors are low available water capacity and the stony surface. Reference State The dominant aspect of the plant community is pinyon, Utah juniper, and mixed shrubs. The composition by air-dry weight is approximately 15% perennial grasses, 5% forbs, 50% shrubs, and 30% trees. Reference State Plant Species Composition Annual Production Grass/Grasslike (pounds per acre) Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 0 -Dominant Grasses 37 83 Indian ricegrass ACHY Achnatherum hymenoides 14 28 muttongrass POFE Poa fendleriana 23 55 Annual Production Shrub/Vine (pounds per acre) Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 0 -Dominant Shrubs 55 193 Utah serviceberry AMUT Amelanchier utahensis 23 83 Artemisia tridentata subsp. mountain big sagebrush ARTRV 14 28 vaseyana alderleaf mountain mahogany CEMO2 Cercocarpus montanus 23 55 mormon tea EPVI Ephedra viridis 14 28 https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 5/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report antelope bitterbrush PUTR2 Purshia tridentata 23 55 Gambel oak QUGA Quercus gambelii 23 83 Annual Production Tree (pounds per acre) Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 0 -Dominant Trees 53 71 Utah juniper JUOS Juniperus osteosperma 11 18 twoneedle pinyon PIED Pinus edulis 42 53 Annual Production Grass/Grasslike (pounds per acre) Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 1 -Sub-Dominant Grasses 68 192 Grass, annual 2GA 14 28 Grass, perennial 2GP 14 28 blue grama BOGR2 Bouteloua gracilis 5 17 Geyer's sedge CAGE2 Carex geyeri 5 17 squirreltail ELEL5 Elymus elymoides 5 17 ELSA Elymus salinus 5 17 needle and thread HECO26 Hesperostipa comata 5 17 prairie Junegrass KOMA Koeleria macrantha 5 17 James' galleta PLJA Pleuraphis jamesii 5 17 Sandberg bluegrass POSE Poa secunda 5 17 Annual Production Forb (pounds per acre) Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 2 -Sub-Dominant Forbs 136 416 Forb, annual 2FA 23 55 Forb, perennial 2FP 23 55 perennial rockcress ARPE2 Arabis perennans 5 17 woolly locoweed ASMO7 Astragalus mollissimus 5 17 Wyoming Indian paintbrush CALI4 Castilleja linariifolia 5 17 Wright's bird's beak COWR2 Cordylanthus wrightii 5 17 Brenda's yellow cryptantha CRFL5 Cryptantha flava 5 17 sanddune wallflower ERCAC Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum 5 17 cushion buckwheat EROV Eriogonum ovalifolium 5 17 Utah fleabane ERUT Erigeron utahensis 5 17 fineleaf hymenopappus HYFI Hymenopappus filifolius 5 17 manybranched ipomopsis IPPO2 Ipomopsis polycladon 5 17 rusty lupine LUPU Lupinus pusillus 5 17 dwarf lousewort PECE Pedicularis centranthera 5 17 rock goldenrod PEPU7 Petradoria pumila 5 17 Utah penstemon PEUT Penstemon utahensis 5 17 sharpleaf twinpod PHAC4 Physaria acutifolia 5 17 longleaf phlox PHLO2 Phlox longifolia 5 17 SEMU3 Senecio multilobatus 5 17 stemless four-nerve daisy TEACA2 Tetraneuris acaulis var. acaulis 5 17 Annual Production Shrub/Vine (pounds per acre) https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R035XY321UT&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 6/16 5/13/2019 ESD Printable Report Group Group name Common name Symbol Scientific name Low High 3 -Sub-Dominant Shrubs 89 283 Shrub (>.5m) 2SHRUB 14 28 black sagebrush ARNO4 Artemisia nova 5 17 greenleaf manzanita ARPA6 Arctostaphylos patula 5 17 kingcup cactus ECTR Echinocereus triglochidiatus 5 17 slender buckwheat ERMI4 Eriogonum microthecum 5 17 rubber rabbitbrush ERNAN5 Ericameria nauseosa var. nauseosa 5 17 broom snakeweed GUSA2 Gutierrezia sarothrae 5 17 Fremont's mahonia MAFR3 Mahonia fremontii 5 17 plains pricklypear OPPO Opuntia polyacantha 5 17 wild crab apple PERA4 Peraphyllum ramosissimum 5 17 Mexican cliffrose PUME Purshia mexicana 5 17 blue elderberry SANIC5 Sambucus nigra subsp. cerulea 5 17 roundleaf buffaloberry SHRO Shepherdia rotundifolia 5 17 mountain snowberry SYOR2 Symphoricarpos oreophilus 5 17 narrowleaf yucca YUAN2 Yucca angustissima 5 17 Spanish bayonet YUHA Yucca harrimaniae 5 17 Annual Production by Plant Type Annual Production (lbs/ac) Representative Plant type Low value High Forb 11 16 21 Grass/Grasslike 34 49 64 Shrub/Vine 124 179 234 Tree 56 81 106 Total: 225 325 425 Structure and Cover: Ground Cover (%) Vegetative Cover Non-Vegetative Cover Surface Non- Fragments Surface Grass/