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Ecological Site Interpretations
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Animal Community:
Habitat for Wildlife:
This site provides habitats, which support a resident animal community that is characterized by yellow-bellied marmot, northern pocket gopher, montane vole and least chipmunk. Elk and mule deer feed in these sites during late spring. The blue grouse will nest around the margins of these sites and bring young broods to feed on insects occurring on the herbaceous vegetation. This site provides habitat for elk and deer for summer use and for rabbits.
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Plant Preference by Animal Kind:
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Hydrology Functions:
The runoff curve numbers are determined by field investigations using hydrologic cover conditions and hydrologic soil groups.
Hydrologic Interpretations
Soil Series--------------Hydrologic Group
Hillery---------------------------C
Penitente-------------------------D
Raton-----------------------------D
Wellsville------------------------B
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Recreational Uses:
This site offers recreation potential for hiking, picnicking, horseback riding, nature observations, winter sports, hunting for elk and deer and photography of wildflowers. During the spring, forbs are showy when in bloom and display a colorful array of wildflowers during July and August.
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Wood Products:
This site produces no commercial wood products. The site occurs as an intermixture with timberstands. Timber species adjoining this site include the following: Douglas fir, Engelmann spruce, blue spruce, white fir, bristlecone pine and aspen.
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Other Products:
Grazing:
Approximately 85 percent of the annual herbage yield are from plants, which furnish forage for grazing animals. Elk extensively uses this site. This site can be used by all classes of livestock during the period from June 15th to September 15th, and this also represents the principal growing season. Due to the steep slopes and short grazing season, yearling calves are better suited than mature cows with calves. Grazing by sheep is also favored due to the site’s potential to produce forbs. To reduce spot grazing and grazing of the flatter slopes, herding of all classes of livestock is highly desirable. Continuous grazing during the entire season will cause mountain brome, Thurber fescue, mountain muhly, Arizona fescue and tufted hairgrass to decline and eventually disappear. Species most likely to invade this site or increase from trace amounts as the plant community deteriorates are Kentucky bluegrass, dandelions, rabbitbrush, cinquefoil and annual forbs. In some places aspen may invade. There may be a substantial increase in species such as lupine, yarrow, fringed sagewort or snowbush. In some places big or silver sagebrush may become dominant. Kentucky bluegrass, Letterman needlegrass or sheep fescue usually become the main grasses as deterioration continues. Under sheep use, Thurber fescue may hold its own or increase for a time while many forbs decrease. To maintain or improve on a healthy well-balanced plant community, grazing of domestic livestock should be delayed until soils are firm from the winter snows and when the desirable plants have had the opportunity to make good growth. Rapid growth of plants in the spring may temporarily deplete food reserves. Deferring grazing until the plants have had an opportunity to restore this food supply is advisable. This, coupled with a system of deferred grazing, which varies the time of grazing in a pasture during successive years, will allow for maximum forage production.
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Other Information:
Guide to Suggested Initial Stocking Rate Acres per Animal Unit Month
Similarity Index----------------Ac/AUM
100 - 76-----------------------2.1 – 3.8
75 – 51------------------------2.4 – 4.4
50 – 26------------------------3.6 - 6.7
25 – 0-------------------------6.7+
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Ecological Site Description
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