Virtual Field Trip Working Prototype

Ecosystem Type: Mixed Coniferous Forest

Swale bottom dominated by western wheat grassUpland dominated by blue grama grass and buffalo grass. Typical arid upland position Typical mesic swale bottom

 

Geography

Location
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Elevation 6000 - 10,000
GPS ******

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Lat./Long. ******
Range/Township *******

 

 

Description

MAPPING UNIT ATTRIBUTE CODE: 31030 MAPPING UNIT NAME: Short grass prairie type. DOMINANT SPECIES: Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides), blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) DESCRIPTION: This graminoid type is dominated by short grass prairie species and buffalograss is considered as an indicator. Buffalograss must be present for a grassland to be mapped as this type. This type usually consists of a shortgrass understory of buffalograss and blue grama and an overstory of western wheatgrass, needle and thread grass, or other mixed grass species. DISTRIBUTION: Eastern Colorado ELEVATION RANGE: DIAGNOSTIC SPECIES: Buchloe dactyloides, Bouteloua gracilis NOTES: In eastern Colorado, Artemisia frigida, Carex filifolia, and Koeleria cristata are important species in the shortgrass prairie community (Sims, 1988).

Climate

The climate of the SGS is typical of mid-continental semiarid regions in the temperate zone except for the strong influence of the Rocky Mountains approximately 60 km to the west. Mean monthly temperatures range from -4 to 22 degrees C seasonally and have a daily average max-min range of 17 degrees C. Annual precipitation at the CPER averaged 322 mm over the past 51 years and ranged between 107 and 588 mm. Approximately 70% of the mean annual precipitation occurs during the April to September growing season.

(See LTER Site Description)

Why was the Cerro Grande so severe? 

Decades of fire surpression and poor management of understory vegetation and woody debris in mixed conifer stand

Decades of fire surpression and poor management of understory vegetation and woody debris in pinon/juniper

Destroyed Houses  

Los Alamos Subdivision
Fire edge on southwest side of LANL facilities
Fire edge on west side of Los Alamos town
Shortgrass_form.jpg (88035 bytes)
Left side of street burned out, right side O.K.
"Standing dead" fire place

Some made it, some didn't
Why was this fire so severe? Ans. - Houses and forest vegetation don't mix.

What Happens When Controlled Fires Don't Get Away
 

 

Mollisol in Swale

Aridisol in Uplands

Ascalon fsl

Olney fsl

Variation Gallery
  Vegetation

Soils

       
       
       

 

Human Use

Dryer and more remote areas are rangeland dominated by cattle grazing. Some land has been cultivated for dryland wheat and other drought tolerant crops. Where irrigation water is available, corn, sugar beets, alfalfa and grass hay, and some vegetable crops are common.

 

Links
National Soil Survey Center

Shortgrass Steppe (SGS) Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) project

References


 Sims, P.L., J.S. Singh, and W.K. Lauenroth . 1978 . The structure and function of ten western North American grasslands. I. Abiotic and vegetational characteristics . Journal of Ecology . 66 : ( ) 251 - 285 .