Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Indicators

1. Number and extent of rills:

   Very minor rill development may be evident in the reference community only following significant storm or snow melt events. Rill presence may be more apparent where run-on from adjacent upland sites or exposed bedrock concentrate flows. Any rill development will be short (< 5 feet) and widely spaced (10 – 20 feet). Slopes >10% may exhibit increased rill lengths (5 to 10 feet) with more narrow spacings (8 to 15 feet). Evidence of rills will decrease in the months following major weather events.

2. Presence of water flow patterns:

   Only very slight evidence of water flow may be evident in the reference community only following significant weather events. Flow patterns affect <5% of the site and may increase to 10% on slopes >10%. Flow patterns are normally <20 feet long, follow natural contours, and are typically spaced 10 to 15 feet apart.

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

   Very minor pedestal and/or terracette development is evident in the reference community. 1 – 2 inches of elevational mounding in Indian ricegrass bunches and Four-wing saltbush canopies are normal and should not be mistaken for erosional pedestals.

4. Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):

   Bare ground ranges from 50% - 60% in the reference community. Ground cover (the inverse of bare ground) typically includes: coarse fragments – < 1%; plant canopy – 20% to 30%; litter – 10% to 20%.

5. Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:

   Some gully channels are a normal component of desert environments, but only where natural circumstances allow for concentrated runoff from adjacent sites. Gullies associated with reference areas will typically have stable, partially vegetated sides and bottoms with no evidence of head-cutting. Some evidence of disturbance may be evident following significant weather events or when gullies convey runoff from higher elevation rocky or naturally eroding areas.

6. Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:

   Some minor evidence of wind generated soil movement is present in reference communities. Slight depositional mounding in perennial grass bunches and under Shadscale canopies is a normal characteristic of this site.

7. Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):

   Most litter resides in place within or under plant canopies. Some movement of the finest material (< 1/8” or less) may move (1’ – 2’) in the direction of prevailing winds or down slope if being transported by water. Little accumulation is observed behind obstructions.

8. Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):

   This site should have a soil stability rating of 3 to 4. Surface texture is silt loam (<1 inch) with a sandy clay loam, natric horizon from inches 1 thru 10 containing very few coarse fragments.

9. Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):

   Effective soil surface is ½ to 10 inches deep and structure is weak thin platy. The A-horizon color is 2.5YR 6/2. Soils have a Natric horizon that extends 10 inches into the soil profile. Where surface soil is lost, increased clay and silt percentages are common in the remaining soil material.

10. Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:

    The presence of healthy perennial bunchgrasses and Shadscale in the reference community provides for the best infiltration and least runoff from storm events and snow melt. As perennial vegetation decreases and bare ground increases, runoff increases and soil loss is accelerated.

11. Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):

    None. Soils are deep to very deep. Increases in clay or silt content in subsoil layers could be mistaken for compaction.

12. Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

    Dominant:

    Dominant: Non-sprouting shrubs (e.g. Shadscale and Bud sage) 45 – 55%, > > cool season grasses (e.g. Indian ricegrass and Bottlebrush squirreltail) 15 – 25%.

    Sub-dominant:

    Sub-dominant: Mixed shrubs (e.g. Winterfat and Greenmolly) 10 - 20% > Perennial grasses (e.g. Sand dropseed and Galleta) 1 - 3%.

    Other:

    Others: Shrubs (e.g. Low rabbitbrush and horsebrush sp.) 1-3%, perennial forbs (e.g. Scarlet globemallow and Evening primrose) 3-5%, biological crusts (e.g. lichens, mosses, cyanobacteria) 1-3%.

    Additional:

    Functional/structural groups may appropriately contain non-native species if their ecological function is the same as the native species in the reference state.
    Perennial and annual forbs can be expected to vary widely in their expression in the plant community based upon departures from average growing conditions.

13. Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):

    During years with average to above-average precipitation, there should be very little recent mortality or decadence apparent in either the shrubs or grasses. During severe (multi-year) drought up to 80% of the shadscale may die. There may be partial mortality of individual bunchgrasses and other shrubs during severe drought.

14. Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):

    Litter cover ranges from 10 to 20% with a spike when Bud Sage and Shadscale drops its leaves. Depth varies from ¼ - ¾ inch with depth increasing near plant canopies.

15. Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):

    350 – 450 pounds on an average year.

16. Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:

    Russian thistle, annual bromes and Halogeton are likely to invade this site.

17. Perennial plant reproductive capability:

    All perennial plant species have the ability to reproduce in most years except drought years.

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