Loamy Cool Aridic Fans 6-8

Description

State 1 represents the historic-natural condition for this ecological site. It is similar to State 2,but non-native species are not present. Data is not available for this State. If we were to include dynamics for this state it would be similar to that displayed in State 2.

Description

Non-native annuals, including red brome (Bromus rubens) and red-stem storks bill (Erodium cicutarium) are naturalized in this state. Their abundance varies with precipitation but they are, at a minimum, sparsely present. Non-native annuals may be present in current year's growth or in the soil seedbank.

Given that this ecological site generally lies at the base of high elevation mountains and can support perennial bunch grasses, unlike the more harsh Mojave Desert environments, this ecological site attracted ranchers who started livestock operations in the Mojave Desert. The long history of livestock grazing, land clearing and an increase in fire frequency from chimney fires, etc. is likely to have obscured our understanding of state and community pathways as well as vegetation composition.

Submodel

Description

This state is a result of land clearing and burning which has removed blackbrush and severely limited it's ability to recolonize the site. Although large scale, high intensity fires are not common for this site, upslope vegetation removal by either fire or land clearing has the potential to increase sediment deposition leading to an increase in perennial grass cover (Bestelmeyer 2005). Any increase in perennial grass cover or other pioneer species has the potential to create a continuous fuel cover.

There is no certain plant response to intense and widespread disturbance in a land of extreme and variable weather patterns. Response to fire and mechanical land clearing can vary greatly from plant cover being less than the undisturbed sites or with disturbed sites having more total plant cover than undisturbed sites (Vasek et al. 1975, Carpenter et al. 1986).

This ecological state may have existed prior to European influences at this ecological site due to Indigenous land management practices.
It is highly likely that the Chemehuevi who resided in and around this area used fire as a land management tool. Several bands of Chemehuevi (Hokwaits, Kauyaichits, and the Timpashauwagotsits) spent time in and around the Providence and New York Mountains and used fire as a hunting technique to capture rabbits and deer (Miller and Miller 1967). Laird (1984) also describes Chemehuevi tales where fire was used to improve the growth and quality of basketry materials as well as to char seeds to be eaten. Native American fires were observed near this ecological site in 1866 and recorded by Army Inspector Rusling at Fort Soda (Hart 1965).

Whether intentional or not, the greatest differences recorded between pre- and post-fire vegetation demographics, aside from the blackbrush removal, is an increase in Yucca schidigera and Yucca baccata individuals. Abella et al. (2009) found Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) to exhibit the highest post-fire sprouting rate than any other plant species in a study of post-fire recovery in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Abella et al (2009) also described vigorous Yucca baccata and schidigera resprouting following a Mojave Desert burn. In yet another study of post-fire effects, a similar yucca (Yucca glauca) increased the number of rosettes, from pre-burn conditions, by 17% two years following the experimental fire (Parmenter 2008). Many tribes such as the Chemehuevi used Yucca species for food, soap, baskets, bowstrings, sandals and many other items (Bean and Saubel 1972).

Soil erosion and deposition resulting from Indigenous land management could have created conditions which promoted perennial grass cover and attracted ranchers to the area in the late 1800s. The areas in and around this often have experienced varying degrees of mechanical land clearing, fire, livestock grazing and drought over the last century or longer with equally varying degrees of responses, making characterization of these responses very difficult. Engel and Abella (2011) also found that post-disturbance succession of similar vegetation types varies greatly.

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