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Site Type: Rangeland <br />MLRA: 69 -Upper Arkansas Valley Rolling Plains <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />Sandy <br />R069XY026CO <br />• Long-term continuous grazing without adequate recovery periods between grazing events will <br />move this plant community to the Threeawn, Annuals and Bare Ground Plant Community. This <br />transition may take greater than 25 years to accomplish. <br />• Long-term prescribed grazinq with adequate recovery periods between grazing events and proper <br />stocking will be needed to bring this plant community back to the Increased Blue Grama Plant <br />Community and eventually to the HCPC assuming an adequate seed/vegetative source is <br />available. This process may take greater than 40 years to accomplish. <br />Red Threeawn, Annuals, Bare Ground Plant Community <br />This plant community can develop by long-term continuous grazing, heavy continuous grazing and/or <br />occupation by prairie dogs. Red threeawn is the dominant species. Sand dropseed may also be <br />present in varying amounts. A number of annual plants such as Russian thistle, kochia and <br />cheatgrass will increase or invade. Field bindweed is often present on prairie dog towns. <br />Litter levels are extremely low. The nutrient cycle, water cycle, and energy flow are greatly reduced. <br />Erosion is occurring. Pedestalling is evident. Organic matter/carbon reserves are greatly reduced. <br />Desertification is obvious. <br />Production can vary from 50 to 250 pounds of air-dry vegetation per acre per year depending on <br />weather conditions and the plants that are present. <br />The following is the growth curve of this plant community expected during a normal year: <br />Growth curve number: CO6907 <br />Growth curve name: Warm season dominant; MLRA-69: upland coarse textured soils. <br />JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC <br />0 0 0 5 30 40 20 5 0 0 0 0 <br />(monthly percentages of total annual growth) <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />• Lonc-term prescribed grazinq that allows for adequate recovery periods between each grazing <br />event and proper stocking will be needed to bring this state back to the Blue Grama, Prairie <br />Sandreed, Sand Bluestem (HCPC) or associated successional plant community stages assuming <br />an adequate seed/vegetative source is available. Expect this transition to take greater than 40 <br />years to accomplish. <br />• Range seedino can be used to create Seeded Rangeland. Revegetation practices would be very <br />costly. <br />Go-back Land <br />Go-back land is created when the soil is tilled or farmed (sodbusted) and abandoned. All of the native <br />plants are destroyed, soil organic mater is reduced, soil structure is changed and a plowpan or <br />compacted layer is formed. Residual synthetic chemicals often remain from past farming operations <br />and erosion processes may be active. <br />Go-back land evolves through several plant communities beginning with an early annual plant <br />community, which initiates the revegetation process. Plants such as Russian thistle, kochia and other <br />annuals begin to establish. These plants give some protection from erosion and start to build minor <br />levels of soil organic matter. This early annual plant community lasts for two to several years. Red <br />threeawn, sand dropseed and several other early perennials can dominate the plant community for <br />five to eight years or more. Eventually other native species become reestablished. <br />Transitions or pathways leading to other plant communities are as follows: <br />Teclutical Guide USDA NRCS <br />Section IIE 10 Rev. 3/04 <br />