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Site Type: Rangeland Sandy Bottomland <br />MLRA: 67B -Central High Plains, Southern Part R067BY031CO <br />• Long term continuous arazing without adequate recovery periods between grazing events will <br />decrease the dominant grasses. If continued long enough it can lead to the Eady Perennials, <br />Annuals and Bare Ground Plant Community. <br />• Long term prescribed grazing that allows adequate recovery periods following each grazing event <br />(without further brush management) and proper stocking will eventually move this plant community <br />toward the Sand Btuestem, Prairie Sandreed, Switchgrass, Yellow Indiangrass Plant Community <br />(HCPC) or associated succession plant communities, assuming an adequate seed/vegetative <br />source is available. This transition can take greater than 20 years to achieve. <br />Early Perennials, Annuals and Bare Ground Plant Community <br />This plant community will most likely develop with continuous grazing and/or brush management <br />(spraying) from either a grass or sand sagebrush dominated plant community. However, any plant <br />community subjected to long term continuous grazing, brush management (spraying), wildfire or any <br />type of physical disturbance will eventually resemble this plant community. Red threeawn, sand <br />dropseed, sandhill muhly, lemon scurtpea, wormwood, sixweeks fescue and cheatgrass occupy this <br />plant community. More bare ground is apparent and small blowouts can be present. <br />Production and litter levels are extremely low. The nutrient cycle, water cycle, and energy flow are <br />greatly reduced. Erosion is occurring. Pedestalling is evident. Organic matter/carbon reserves are <br />greatly reduced. Desertification is advanced. <br />Production can vary greatly (50 - 300 pounds of air-dry vegetation per acre per year) depending on <br />the plant density and weather conditions in any year. <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />• Lonp term continuous arazino. wildfire, or other disturbance (tillaoe, etc.) applied to Any Plant <br />Community will increase bare ground and erosion. <br />• Long term prescribed grazin,~c that allows adequate recovery periods between grazing events will <br />eventually move this plant community toward the Sand Btuestem, Prairie Sandreed, Switchgrass, <br />Yellow Indiangrass Plant Community (HCPC) or associated successional plant community, <br />assuming an adequate seed/vegetative source is present. <br />Technical Guide USDA NRCS <br />Section IIE 10 Rev. 3/04 <br />