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:

   There can be few to many rills on this site depending on the varying amount of rock fragments and on the presence or absence of cryptogamic crust.

2. Presence of water flow patterns:

   Generally no water patterns on this site.

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

   No pedestals or terracettes.

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

   No bare ground n this site.

5. Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:

   No gullies on this site

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

   No wind scoured, blowouts, or depositional areas.

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

   Litter movement is limited to 1 foot from point where dropped, both herbaceous and woody.

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

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

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

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

    No compaction layer present on this site

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:

    Trees

    Sub-dominant:

    Other:

    Additional:

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

    This site has high mortality of pinyon pines due to drought and subsequent insect damage.

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

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

    <100 lb/acre expected production on this site.

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:

    No invasive noxious species on this site. Occasional cactus (Echinocereus) may be found on this site which may or may not be considered invasive.

17. Perennial plant reproductive capability:

    Drought conditions have slowed the reproductive capacity and reduced the seedbank for pinyon as there has been high mortality on the site; herbaceous vegetation and juniper on-site are still capable of reproduction but with reduced capacity due to drought.

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