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State 3 submodel,plant communities <br /> 3.1. Increased Bare <br /> Ground Plant <br /> Community <br /> State 1 <br /> Reference State <br /> The Reference State is characterized by three distinct plant community phases: Reference, At-Risk, and Excessive <br /> Litter Plant Community. The plant communities, and various successional stages between them, represent the <br /> natural range of variability within the Reference State. <br /> Community 1.1 <br /> Reference Plant Community <br /> This plant community is the interpretive plant community for this site. This community evolved with grazing by large <br /> herbivores and is well suited for grazing by domestic livestock. Historically, fires occurred infrequently. This plant <br /> community can be found on areas that are grazed and where the grazed plants receive adequate periods of <br /> recovery during the growing season. The potential vegetation is about 80-95% grasses and grass-likes, 3-10% <br /> forbs and 2-10% woody plants. <br /> The community is dominated by tall and mid warm and cool-season grasses. Major grasses include alkali sacaton, <br /> switchgrass, prairie cordgrass and western wheatgrass. Other grasses and grass-likes occurring on the community <br /> include big bluestem, little bluestem, alkali cordgrass, Nebraska sedge, and Baltic rush. Key forbs and shrubs <br /> include American licorice, prairie gentian, rag sumpweed, and fourwing saltbush. <br /> The high water table supplies much of the moisture for plant growth. Plant litter is properly distributed with little <br /> movement and natural plant mortality is very low. This is a sustainable plant community in terms of soil stability, <br /> watershed function and biologic integrity. <br /> Total annual production ranges from 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of air-dry vegetation per acre with a Representative <br /> Value of 3,000 pounds. <br /> Table 5.Annual production by plant type <br /> Low Representative Value High <br /> Plant Type (Lb/Acre) (Lb/Acre) (Lb/Acre) <br /> Grass/Grasslike 1860 2625 3350 <br /> Shrub/Vine 55 180 325 <br /> Forb 85 195 325 <br /> Total 2000 3000 4000 <br /> Figure 7.Plant community growth curve(percent production by month). <br /> C06713,Warm-Season Dominant,Cool-Season Subdominant; MLRA-6713; <br /> lowland water-influenced soils. <br /> Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec <br /> 0 0 2 8 20 130 20 12 5 3 0 0 <br /> Community 1.2 <br /> At-Risk Plant Community <br /> This plant community developed with continuous grazing without adequate recovery opportunity between grazing <br /> events. Inland saltgrass has increased. Alkali sacaton, prairie cordgrass, switchgrass, Indiangrass, little bluestem, <br />