Foothills Fescue Range Plant Community Guide - Sustainable ...

Green Needle Grass - Fringed Sage FFA28
(Stipa viridula - Artemesia frigida) Herbaceous
n=3 This is mid-seral plant community for strong to steeply sloping loamy soils in the Foothills Fescue
prairie in the Cardston Plain and Del Bonita Plateau and is associated with FFA27, the reference plant
community for the site. This community is associated with the dry transition area to the mixedgrass
subregion. Grazing disturbance has reduced the cover of wheatgrass in this community type and resulted
in a much higher cover of fringed sage. With steep slopes, a higher component of exposed soil should be
expected for this plant community.
Soil Exposure: 29% (13-46) Moss/Lichen Cover: 0 % (0) Total Vegetation: 75% (65-88)
PLANT COMPOSITION CANOPY COVER(%)
MEAN RANGE CONST
SHRUBS
PRAIRIE ROSE
(Rosa arkansana) 2 1-4 100
FORBS
PASTURE SAGEWORT
(Artemisia frigida) 12 7-15 100
GRASSES
GREEN NEEDLE GRASS
(Stipa viridula) 37 33-46 100
JUNE GRASS
(Koeleria macrantha) 11 8-17 100
UNDIFFERENTIATED WHEATGRASS
(Agropyron) 9 6-13 100
UNDIFFERENTIATED SEDGE
(Carex) 8 3-17 100
BLUEBUNCH FESCUE
(Festuca idahoensis) 3 0-9 33
THREAD-LEAVED SEDGE
(Carex filifolia) 2 0-3 67
SLENDER WHEATGRASS
(Agropyron trachycaulum) 1 0-4 33
ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES
RANGE SITE:
LOAMY 4 - STEEP SLOPES
SOILS:
ORTHIC BLACK CHERNOZEM (BEAZER, COWLEY,
NORTH FORK, OCKEY)
ELEVATION:
1200- 1350 M
SOIL DRAINAGE:
WELL DRAINED
RAPIDLY DRAINED
SLOPE :
STRONG TO STEEPLY SLOPING
ASPECT:
SOUTHERLY
EASTERLY
FORAGE PRODUCTION (LB/AC)
GRASS NOT AVAILABLE
FORB NOT AVAILABLE
SHRUB NOT AVAILABLE
LITTER NOT AVAILABLE
TOTAL NOT AVAILABLE
Ecologically Sustainable Stocking Rate
0.25 AUM/ac
51