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Site Type: Rangeland Sandy Bottomland <br />MLRA: 67B -Central High Plains, Southern Part R067BY031C0 <br />Production can vary from 50 to 1300 pounds of air-dry vegetation (primarily sand sagebrush) per acre <br />per year depending on the amount of sand sage present and the weather conditions. An average of <br />500 pounds can be expected primarily from sand sagebrush. <br />The following is an estimated growth curve of this plant community expected during a normal year. <br />Vegetative growth begins earlier in the southern reaches (Baca, Bent, Kiowa, Las Animas and <br />Prowers counties) of MLRA-67. Vegetative growth will typically be suppressed during the months of <br />June through August in these counties due to higher evapotranspiration rates. <br />Growth curve number: C06710 <br />Growth curve name: Warm season dominant; MLRA-67B; upland coarse textured soils. <br />JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC <br />0 0 0 5 20 40 20 10 5 0 0 0 <br />(monthly percentages of total annual growth) <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />• Continuous grazing and/or brush management shifts this plant community to the Early Perennials, <br />Annuals and Bare Ground Plant Community. Erosion is a concern. <br />• Long term prescribed arazino that allows adequate recovery periods following each grazing event <br />can move this plant community back to the Blue Grams Sand Sagebrush Plant Community and <br />eventually to the Sand Bluestem, Prairie Sandreed, Switchgrass, Yellow Indiangrass Plant <br />Community (HCPC), if an adequate seed/vegetative source is available. <br />Grass Dominant Plant Community <br />This plant community develops with brush management (spraying) and prescribed grazing. The <br />brush management not only controls the sand sagebrush but unfortunately removes most if not all of <br />the other forbs and shrubs. The community can vary from predominately sand dropseed, red <br />threeawn and blue grams to nearly pure stands of prairie Sandreed depending on what was present <br />when the brush management was applied, how long ago it was applied, and how long and how the <br />prescribed grazing was applied. <br />There is little plant diversity since most of the forbs and shrubs have been eliminated by brush control <br />efforts. Nutrient and water cycling is impaired due to lack ofdeep-rooted shrubs and forbs, and native <br />nitrogen fixing legumes. Erosion can vary, depending on production/density of grasses. <br />Production can vary from 300 to 1700 pounds ofair-dry vegetation per acre per year depending on <br />the grass species present, their density, and weather conditions. <br />The following is an estimated growth curve of this plant community expected during a normal year, <br />Vegetative growth begins earlier in the southern reaches (Baca, Bent, Kiowa, Las Animas and <br />Prowers counties) of MLRA-67B. Vegetative growth will typically be suppressed during the months of <br />June through August in these counties due to higher evapotranspiration rates. <br />Growth curve number: C06709 <br />Growth curve name: Warm season dominant, cool season sub-dominant; MLRA-676; upland coarse <br />textured soils. <br />JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC <br />0 0 2 7 25 35 15 10 5 1 0 0 <br />(monthly percentages of total annual growth) <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />Technical Guide USDA NRCS <br />Section IIE 9 Rev, 3/04 <br />