MLRA 24 THE BIG THREE AND. What s the difference and how do you tell?

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Randall Nash
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1 MLRA 24 THE BIG THREE AND What s the difference and how do you tell?

2 Ecological Site Descriptions Characteristic Loamy 5-8 Loamy 8-10 Acres in MLRA 24 Droughty Loam 8-10 Shallow Calcareous Loam ,510,676 1,013, , ,480 Precipitation (in) Slope (range) 0-30% 2-50% 2-30% 2-50% Slope (typical) 2-8% 4-30% 4-15% 4-30% Elevation (ft) Landforms Low hills, piedmont slopes, alluvial plains Lower mountains, hills, fan piedmonts Hills, mid- to upper piedmont slopes, inset fans of lower piedmont slopes Summits and sideslopes of erosional fan piedmonts, hills, lower mountains Aspect All All All All

3 Ecological Site Descriptions Characteristic Loamy 5-8 Loamy 8-10 Average Temp ( F) Droughty Loam 8-10 Shallow Calc Loam Growing Days Favorable Production Normal Production Unfavorable Production Approx. Ground Cover (basal + crown) 750 lbs/ac 800 lbs/ac 700 lbs/ac 500 lbs/ac 450 lbs/ac 600 lbs/ac 500 lbs/ac 350 lbs/ac 300 lbs/ac 400 lbs/ac 300 lbs/ac 250 lbs/ac 10-15% 20-35% 15-25% 15-30%

4 Ecological Site Descriptions : Soils Characteristic Loamy 5-8 Loamy 8-10 Depth to bedrock or restrictive layer Parent Material shallow to very deep residuum, alluvium, lacustrine sediments shallow to moderately deep residuum, colluvium, alluvium Textures coarse to fine coarse to fine Modifiers none to extremely gravelly/cobbly none to very gravelly/cobbly Droughty Loam 8-10 shallow to very deep residuum, alluvium coarse to moderately fine none to extremely gravelly/cobbly Shallow Calc Loam 8-10 shallow or moderately deep residuum medium to fine none to very gravelly Rooting depth <20 Drainage Capacity Runoff Chemistry well to excessively drained ponded to moderate moderate to strong in subsoil well drained moderate to rapid - well to somewhat excessively drained slow to medium moderate to strong in subsoil well drained slow to rapid variable

5 Loamy 5-8 : Vegetation (% by weight) Grasses 5-20% Indian ricegrass 2-10% squirreltail 2-5% others: Forbs Needlenandthread Sandberg s bluegrass 2-8% Globemallow T-3% Others Shrubs 30-40% shadscale 20-30% bud sagebrush 2-5% spiny hopsage 2-5% winterfat 2-10% others: Greenmolly kochia Horsebrush Douglas rabbitbrush Black greasewood

6 Loamy 8-10 : Vegetation (% by weight) Grasses 40-50% Thurber s needlegrass 2-10% bluebunch wheatgrass 2-8% Indian ricegrass 2-10% others: Basin wildrye Needlenandthread Webber s needlegrass squirreltail Sandberg s bluegrass Forbs 2-8% Globemallow Phlox Eriogonum Shrubs 25-35% Wyoming big sagebrush 2-5% spiny hopsage 2-10% others: Common prickly gilia Douglas rabbitbrush

7 Droughty Loam 8-10 : Vegetation (% by weight) Grasses 15-25% Thurber s needlegrass 5-15% Indian ricegrass 2-5% squirreltail 2-5% Sandberg s bluegrass 2-5% others: Thickspike wheatgrass Needlenandthread Webber s needlegrass Forbs 1-3% Globemallow 2-8% others Phlox Biscuitroot Eriogonum Shrubs 25-35% Wyoming big sagebrush 5-20% spiny hopsage 1-5% bud sagebrush 1-5% shadscale 5-10% others: Winterfat horsebrush Douglas rabbitbrush

8 Shallow Calcareous Loam 8-10 : Vegetation (% by weight) Grasses 20-30% Thurber s needlegrass 5-15% Indian ricegrass 2-15% others: Bluebunch wheatgrass Sandberg s bluegrass Needlenandthread Webber s needlegrass squirreltail Forbs 5-15% others Globemallow Milkvetch Phlox Eriogonum Shrubs 30-40% black sagebrush 2-8% others: Winterfat Spiny hopsage Shadscale Bud sagebrush Nevada ephedra Littleleaf horsebrush Downy rabbitbrush

Loamy 5-8: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Halogeton Tansymustard (native) Bur buttercup Inappropriate grazing management: Shadscale may increase initially

9 Loamy 5-8: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Halogeton Tansymustard (native) Bur buttercup Inappropriate grazing management: Shadscale may increase initially Indian ricegrass, bud sagebrush, and winterfat decrease After fire: Shadscale and/or rabbitbrush dominate overstory Repeated fire eliminates shadscale and leads to an annual dominated community

10 Loamy 5-8: Ecological Dynamics Ultimately the community may become eroded with extensive bareground or desert pavement

Loamy 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Tansymustard (native) Inappropriate grazing management: Thurber s needlegrass declines, while Sandberg s bluegrass

11 Loamy 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Tansymustard (native) Inappropriate grazing management: Thurber s needlegrass declines, while Sandberg s bluegrass increases Wyoming sagebrush and rabbitbrush increase After fire: Rabbitbrush and broom snakeweed may dominate Catastrophic fire or repeated burning allows cheatgrass and mustards to dominate site

Droughty Loam 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Fiddleneck (native) Halogeton Tansymustard (native) Inappropriate grazing management: Shrubs increase in density Thurber s

12 Droughty Loam 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Fiddleneck (native) Halogeton Tansymustard (native) Inappropriate grazing management: Shrubs increase in density Thurber s needlegrass and Indian ricegrass decrease After fire: Shadscale, spiny hopsage, horsebrush, and rabbitbrush may dominate site Catastrophic fire or repeated burning results in annual dominated community

Shallow Calcareous Loam 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Russian thistle Halogeton Inappropriate grazing management: By sheep: reduce black sagebrush and Thurber s

13 Shallow Calcareous Loam 8-10: Ecological Dynamics Primary invasive species: Cheatgrass Russian thistle Halogeton Inappropriate grazing management: By sheep: reduce black sagebrush and Thurber s needlegrass By horses and cattle: black sagebrush and rabbitbrush dominate overstory; Sandberg s bluegrass increases in understory After fire: Shadscale, spiny hopsage, horsebrush, rabbitbrush, and broom snakeweed may dominate site and often replace black sagebrush Catastrophic fire and repeated burning results in annual dominated community

18 Excerpt from the soil survey of Tuscarora Mountain Area, NV Map Unit Wh Field work completed

26 Problem? Reference states are almost impossible to find Soils aren t as easy as they should be Solution: Use Your Brain!!!

Northeastern Nevada Revegetation Guide: Planting Desirable Vegetation to Compete with Invasive Weeds in Upland Habitats

Northeastern Nevada Revegetation Guide: Planting Desirable Vegetation to Compete with Invasive Weeds in Upland Habitats J. Kent McAdoo, Area Natural Resources Specialist Rod Davis, Lander County Extension