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MESA COUNTY AREA, COLORADO
<br />erosion is slight to high. The average annual precipi-
<br />tation is 15 to 20 inches, and the frost-free season is
<br />35 to 125 days.
<br />These soils are used for range and wildlife habitat.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIr3
<br />This unit consists of deep and moderately deep, well-
<br />drained, slowly to rapidly permeable loam and sandy
<br />loam soils. The slope is 0 to 40 percent. The available
<br />water capacity is moderate or low. The hazard of ero-
<br />sion is high. The average annual precipitation is about
<br />20 inches, and the frost-free season is 35 to 50 days.
<br />These soils are used mainly for wood production and
<br />wildlife habitat. Some areas are used for grazing cattle
<br />and sheep.
<br />Conservation practices such as controlling fire, se-
<br />lective cutting of trees, and forest reseeding help
<br />maintain production and control erosion.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIe-1
<br />t This unit consists of shallow to deep, slowly perme-
<br />able to rapidly permeable loamy sand, cobbly sandy
<br />loam, loam, silt loam, silty clay, and stony loam soils.
<br />The slope is 3 to 30 percent. The available water ca-
<br />pacity is low to high. The hazard of erosion is high or
<br />moderate. The average annual precipitation is 9 to 14
<br />inches, and the frost-free season is 110 to 175 days.
<br />These soils are used for range and wildlife.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIe-2
<br />This unit consists of deep and moderately deep, well-
<br />drained, slowly to rapidly permeable loam and sandy
<br />loam soils. The slope is 40 to 60 percent. The available
<br />water capacity is low or moderate. The hazard of ero-
<br />sion is very high. The average annual precipitation is
<br />about 20 inches, and the frost-free season is 35 to 50
<br />days.
<br />These soils are used for woodland, wildlife habitat,
<br />and as watershed areas.
<br />Conservation practices such as limited selective
<br />cutting and reforestation help maintain forest pro-
<br />duction and wildlife cover and control erosion.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VII,1
<br />Bankard loamy sand is the only soil in this capabil-
<br />ity unit. It is deep, well-drained, and rapidly perme-
<br />able. The slope is 1 to 5 percent. The available water
<br />capacity is low. The hazard of erosion is high or mod-
<br />erate. The average annual precipitation is about 10
<br />inches, and the frost-free season is 165 to 175 days.
<br />These soils are used for range and wildlife habitat.
<br />They are subject to flooding.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIrl
<br />This unit consists of Rock land and Stony land.
<br />These areas are mostly deposits of cobbles, boulders,
<br />and stones. Outcrops of bedrock and small areas of
<br />very shallow soils are included. The slope is 3 to 60 per-
<br />cent. The available water capacity is low. The average
<br />annual precipitation is about 16 inches, and the frost-
<br />free season is 100 to 125 days.
<br />. Rock land and Stony land are poorly suited to grass.
<br />They are used mostly as wildlife habitat. Pinyon, jun-
<br />iper, sagebrush, and forbs are the major plants.
<br />Controlling erosion is the major management con-
<br />cern. Conservation practices such as managing wild-
<br />2
<br />life and controlling grazing help maintain or improv
<br />the present cover and control erosion.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VII,2
<br />Billings silty clay loam is the only soil in this capa
<br />bility unit. It is deep, well drained, and slowly perme
<br />able. The slope is 0 to 3 percent. The available water
<br />capacity is high. The average annual precipitation is
<br />about 10 inches, and the frost-free season is 165 tc
<br />175 days.
<br />The soil is used for range and as wildlife habitat.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIIe J
<br />This unit consists of Badland and Gullied land. The
<br />areas are severely eroded, are mostly barren, and have
<br />a very high hazard of erosion. Nearly all of the pre-
<br />cipitation in these areas carries much sediment as it
<br />runs off.
<br />This area is scenic. It is used as a place of refuge by
<br />many kinds of wildlife.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIIw-1
<br />This capabilitty unit consists of Alluvial land. This
<br />land is gravelly and cobbly alluvium. The slope is 0 to
<br />5 percent. The available water capacity is low. The
<br />average annual precipitation is 13 inches, and the
<br />frost-free season is 140 to 160 days. Flooding is
<br />common.
<br />Alluvial land is suited mainly to wildlife habitat and
<br />limited grazing. It has value as a source of sand and
<br />gravel.
<br />CAPABILITY UNIT VIIlr-1
<br />This capability unit consists of Rock outcrop, which
<br />occurs on very steep slopes, canyon slopes, cliffs, and
<br />steep edges of mesas.
<br />The areas provide some food and protection for
<br />many kinds of wildlife. Because the slope is very steep,
<br />excessive runoff and erosion are major concerns of
<br />management. Protecting the existing plant cover helps
<br />to slow runoff and protect the areas from erosion.
<br />Range'
<br />Soils that produce the same kinds, amounts and pro-
<br />portions of range plants are grouped into range sites.
<br />The potential, or climax, plant community consists of
<br />plants growing in a range site that has not undergone
<br />a drastic disturbance. Climax plant communities have
<br />no given composition and the kinds and amounts of
<br />plants can vary, within reasonable limits, from year
<br />to year and from place to place.
<br />Any disturbance such as overuse by livestock, exces-
<br />sive burning, erosion, or plowing can change the
<br />climax plant community or completely destroy it if the
<br />disturbance is drastic. If a range site has not deterio-
<br />rated significantly, secondary plants can reestablish
<br />the natural climax plant community.
<br />When changes occur in the climax plant community
<br />because of use by livestock or other disturbances, some
<br />plants increase and others decrease. Decreasers are
<br />plants in the original community that tend to die out
<br />if heavily grazed. They are generally the tallest, most
<br />productive, and most palatable perennials. Increasers
<br />' T- HOMAS K. EAMAN and FORREST C. MAHAFFEY, range conser-
<br />vationists, Soil Conservation Service, helped prepare this section.
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