Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R062XC024SD
Shallow Loamy - South
Accessed: 04/19/2024
General information
Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.
Figure 1. Mapped extent
Areas shown in blue indicate the maximum mapped extent of this ecological site. Other ecological sites likely occur within the highlighted areas. It is also possible for this ecological site to occur outside of highlighted areas if detailed soil survey has not been completed or recently updated.
MLRA notes
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 062X–Black Hills
The Black Hills, MLRA 62, is a unique, low lying mountain range situated in the midst of a mixed short to mid-grass prairie. It has geophysical and Biological attributes that are unlike the surrounding area. The Black Hills Foothills, MLRA 61, is a transition zone that essentially rings the Black Hills. MLRA 62 is approximately 3,040 square miles in size, 74 percent of which is located in South Dakota and 26 percent in Wyoming.
Classification relationships
LRR: Western Great Plains Range and Irrigated Region, MLRA: 62 - Black Hills, LRU: C (South) - 17-22 PZ, Central Crystalline and Low Limestone Plateau. The elevation range for LRU-C is 3,800 to 5,500 feet above sea level.
Level IV Ecoregions of Conterminous United States, 2013: 17b Black Hills Plateau.
Ecological site concept
This site is located on upland landscapes in the southern portion of the Black Hills (LRU-C). Soils on this site are shallow, between 10 and 20 inches in depth, with a loamy surface layer ranging from 2 to 6 inches in depth. Most soils on this site are calcareous to the surface. The soils are well to excessively drained with a restrictive bedrock layer of sandstone or limestone, which impedes water movement and rooting depth. Slope can range from 2 to 60 percent. The site does not receive additional water from runoff or overflow. Vegetation in reference consist primarily of warm season grass species with cool season species being sub-dominant. The dominant warm season grasses include little bluestem, big bluestem, and sideoats grama. Cool season grasses include western wheatgrass and needleandthread. Forbs are common and diverse but never dominant, shrubs such as western snowberry, skunkbush sumac, prairie rose and green sagewort are often present in the plant community. Ponderosa pine can be scattered throughout the site but will not exceed 2 percent canopy cover. This site is very susceptible to pine encroachment.
Associated sites
R062XC010SD |
Loamy - South The loamy ecological site can be adjacent to shallow loamy and often at lower positions on the landscape. |
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R062XY029SD |
Stony Hills Stony Hills ecological site can be adjacent to shallow loamy and often higher on the landscape. |
Similar sites
R062XY029SD |
Stony Hills Stony Hills more big bluestem and lead plant, higher potential for ponderosa pine, higher production. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
Not specified |
---|---|
Shrub |
Not specified |
Herbaceous |
(1) Schizachyrium scoparium |
Physiographic features
MLRA 62 forms the core of the Black Hills which consists mainly of rounded domes and peaks. The shallow loamy site occurs mostly on gently sloping to very steep summits, shoulders, and backslopes. Slopes range from moderately sloping on some of the high plateaus to very steep along drainages and ridges.
Figure 2. Block Diagram of Black Hills
Table 2. Representative physiographic features
Landforms |
(1)
Ridge
(2) Mountain slope (3) Structural bench |
---|---|
Flooding frequency | None |
Ponding frequency | None |
Elevation | 3,800 – 5,500 ft |
Slope | 2 – 60% |
Water table depth | 80 in |
Aspect | SE, S |
Climatic features
MLRA 62 is in a microclimate caused by the influence of increased elevation which leads to increased precipitation, moderate air temperature, and lower wind velocities as compared to the surrounding Great Plains. In general, the Black Hills climate is a continental type, cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Annual precipitation in MLRA 62 typically increases with elevation and decreases from west to east and north to south. The average annual precipitation range for LRU-C (South) is 17 to 21 inches. Most of the rainfall occurs as frontal storms early in the growing season, May and June. Some high-intensity, convective thunderstorms occur in July and August. Precipitation in the winter occurs mostly as snow. The annual average snowfall ranges from 23 inches at the lower elevations in the south to 54 inches at the higher elevations in the central part of MLRA 62. Average annual temperature ranges from 36 to 48 degrees F. January is the coldest month, with an average temperature of 22 °F in the central part and 25 °F in the southern part of MLRA 62. July is the warmest month, with an average daily temperature of 67 °F in the central part and 73 °F in the southern part of this MLRA. The frost free period ranges from 129 to 168 days. It is shortest at higher elevations and in the northwestern part of the MLRA. Hourly winds are estimated to average about 11 miles per hour (mph) annually. Growth of cool-season plants begins in April, slowing or ceasing growth by Mid-August. Warm-season plants begin growth in May, and continue to Mid-September. Regrowth of cool-season plants may occur in September and October depending on soil moisture availability.
Table 3. Representative climatic features
Frost-free period (average) | 108 days |
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Freeze-free period (average) | 135 days |
Precipitation total (average) | 20 in |
Figure 3. Monthly precipitation range
Figure 4. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature
Figure 5. Annual precipitation pattern
Figure 6. Annual average temperature pattern
Climate stations used
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(1) CUSTER [USC00392087], Custer, SD
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(2) HOT SPRINGS [USC00394007], Hot Springs, SD
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(3) WIND CAVE [USC00399347], Buffalo Gap, SD
Influencing water features
This site is not influenced by streams or wetlands
Soil features
The soils on this site are shallow and well to somewhat excessively drained. The surface layer ranges from 2 to 6 inches thick. Encroachment of ponderosa pine is common in many areas, thereby causing the mineral soil surface to be covered with 1 to 2 inches of pine needles and duff. Surface textures are variable and are listed below. Most soils on this site are calcareous to the surface. There are a few places where the soil parent material is derived from noncalcareous sources (primarily sandstone or schist), and the soils are noncalcareous. Slopes range from 2 to 80 percent.
This site typically show slight to no evidence of rills, wind scoured areas, or pedestalled plants. If present, water flow paths could include long, continuous, shallow gullies, or they could be broken, irregular in appearance or discontinuous. The soil surface is stable and intact. There is a restrictive layer of bedrock (typically sandstone or limestone) at about 10 to 20 inches in depth which impedes water movement and root penetration. These soils are mainly susceptible to water erosion. The hazard of water erosion increases on slopes greater than about 10 percent, and is more common on soils with few rock fragments. Loss of 50 percent or more of the surface layer of the soils on this site can result in a shift in species composition and/or production.
The commonly-occurring soils for this site include Corpening, and Rockerville. Corpening occurs in the North and South LRUs. Rockerville occurs throughout the MLRA.
Figure 7. Corpening - MLRA 62 - Shallow Loamy
Table 4. Representative soil features
Parent material |
(1)
Residuum
–
limestone and sandstone
|
---|---|
Surface texture |
(1) Channery loam (2) Channery silt loam (3) Loam |
Family particle size |
(1) Loamy |
Drainage class | Well drained to somewhat excessively drained |
Permeability class | Moderate to moderately rapid |
Soil depth | 10 – 20 in |
Surface fragment cover <=3" | 15% |
Surface fragment cover >3" | 7% |
Available water capacity (0-40in) |
1 – 3 in |
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in) |
30% |
Electrical conductivity (0-40in) |
4 mmhos/cm |
Sodium adsorption ratio (0-40in) |
3 |
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in) |
5.6 – 8.4 |
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (Depth not specified) |
75% |
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (Depth not specified) |
30% |
Ecological dynamics
The vegetation of the shallow loamy ecological site is part of the Black Hills ecosystem vegetation consisting of a mixture of forests and grasslands resulting from the interaction of a varied topography, geology, climate and natural disturbance. Frequent fires, periodic droughts, and episodic mountain pine beetle infestations are also thought to have contributed to maintain this park-like forest structure of large prairie areas scattered throughout the Black Hills. Ponderosa pine is a fire adapted species as it has evolved to coexist and flourish with fire; particularly frequent, low-intensity fires that consume mostly small seedlings, prune lower branches from large trees, and reduce woody fuels debris on the forest floor. The result is a mosaic of conditions ranging from open grassland areas to groups of young seedlings to clumps and groups of large older trees. When large crown fires did occur, they probably did not completely consume all trees within the landscape, but left large healthy trees as sources of seeds to eventually recolonize the burnt areas (Shepperd and Battaglia, 2002). Between 1388 and 1900, fire intervals in the Black Hills ranged from 16 to 20 years (Brown and Hull-Sieg, 1996). The last large-scale recorded fire in the Black Hills was in 2000 (due to arson) but the previous fire was in 1900.
With the advent of fire suppression over the past 120 years, forests density has increased and grassland areas decreased across the whole landscape. Historical records indicated the presence of large areas covered by tall grasses on the outer edges and slopes of the limestone plateau but did not mention ponderosa pine encroachment. McIntosh (1949) conducted botanical field work in the Black hills during the summers of 1924 to 1930 and noted that pines were invading the grassland. Gardner and Thompson (1972) also mentioned that pine encroachment was most evident on areas dominated by warm season grasses. Today, ponderosa pine encroachment is still quite evident on the shallow loamy ecological site where trees seem to germinate and survive well on the stony and gravelly soils in the absence of fire.
The historic native vegetation on this site consisted of mixed prairie grasses occurring on ridges and uplands. The vegetation was predominately warm season grasses mixed with some cool-season grasses portraying a mixed grass prairie characteristic. Little bluestem is the dominant species. Big bluestem and sideoats grama are in association with little bluestem. Subdominant cool season grasses include needle-and-thread and western wheatgrass with prairie junegrass. In the understory, are blue grama, hairy grama, and threadleaf sedge. Kentucky bluegrass can be present but does not dominate. Forbs make up a significant proportion in the mixture. Common forbs include cudweed sagewort, scurfpeas, coneflowers, gayfeather, asters along with hood phlox and pussytoes in the understory. Shrubs include fringed sagewort, broom snakeweed, green sagewort, prairie rose, and a few yucca plants scattered on the landscape. A few trees of ponderosa pine and juniper are often dispersed here and there across the landscape. Bare ground, rocks, and rock fragments are very noticeable across the landscape.
This site developed under Northern Great Plains historic conditions. This consisted of light grazing by ungulates and small mammals, sporadic to routine natural or man-caused fires (of light to moderate intensities) and drought. Changes will occur in the plant communities due to short-term weather variations, impacts of native and/or exotic plants and animals, and management actions. Heavy continuous grazing (stocking levels well above carrying capacity for extended portions of the growing season) without adequate recovery periods cause a departure from the Reference State. Big bluestem becomes reduced or absent from the plant community allowing less palatable, more grazing resistant plants to increase. With continued grazing pressure, exotic plant species such as Kentucky bluegrass, cheat grass, Japanese brome, and smooth brome may begin to invade the site. Continued grazing pressure with stocking rates well above the carrying capacity for the entire growing season could result in an increase in little bluestem (mostly on drier areas with slope). Short-statured grasses and grass-like plants may begin to dominate the site. Shrubs such as soapweed yucca, fringed sagewort, and western snowberry, will also increase. If these conditions continue, fine fuels needed for fire will be reduced allowing conifer and shrub to encroach the site and maintain their dominance unless fire is returned to the site or conifers are removed mechanically.
State and transition model
Figure 8. Shallow Loamy 062XC024SD - LRU-C
Figure 9. Shallow Loamy 062XC024SD - LRU-C
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Ecosystem states
State 2 submodel, plant communities
State 3 submodel, plant communities
State 1
Reference State
This state represents the natural range of variability that dominates the dynamics in this ecological site. This site is dominated by warm season grasses, with cool-season grasses being subdominant. In pre-European times the primary disturbances included fire, insects and grazing by large ungulates and small mammals. Favorable growing conditions during the spring as well as the warm months of June and July along with routine or occasional fires, reduces tree cover and contributes to the ecological processes that maintain the reference plant community. Today a similar state can be found in areas where proper livestock use has occurred and where the encroachment of trees, especially ponderosa pine, has been limited.
Community 1.1
Bluestem-Western wheatgrass-Sideoats grama/Ponderosa pine (< 2%)
Interpretations are based primarily on the Bluestem-western wheatgrass-sideoats grama plant community phase. This is also considered to be the reference or historic community. The potential vegetation is about 80 percent grass, 10 percent forbs, and 10 percent trees and shrubs. Average annual production for this plant community phase on a median year is 1,500 lbs/acre. The community is dominated by tall and mid-height warm season grasses with cool-season grasses being subdominant. The dominant grasses include little bluestem, big bluestem, and sideoats grama. Western wheatgrass and needleandthread may also comprise a significant amount of the plant community. Other grasses include prairie dropseed, tall dropseed, blue grama, and slender wheatgrass. This plant community is productive and resilient to disturbances such as drought and fire. This is a sustainable plant community in regards to soil/site stability, watershed function, and biological integrity.
Community 1.2
Little bluestem-Western wheatgrass-Needleandthread/Ponderosa pine (< 2%)
This plant community is a result of heavy continuous grazing use by livestock or from over utilization during extended drought periods. The potential plant community is made up of approximately 70 percent grasses, 15 percent forbs, and 15 percent shrubs. Dominant grasses include little bluestem, western wheatgrass and neadleandthread. These palatable grasses will decrease when subjected to heavy continuous season-long grazing. Short warm-season grasses such as blue grama and hairy grama present in the understory will increase because their short growth stature and lower growing points allow them to withstand grazing pressure better than the taller grasses. Shallow-rooted grass-likes such as threadleaf sedge also begin to increase under heavy grazing. Sideoats grama, and prairie dropseed contribute substantially to forage production but are considered decreasers when subjected to heavy continuous grazing. Invasive, non-native grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass, may contribute to biomass production but do not dominate this ecological site. Forbs contribute substantially to the biomass production in this plant community. Big bluestem has decreased dramatically and may be nearly absent from the site. The herbaceous species within this plant community are well-adapted to grazing. Improper grazing management leaves little opportunity for palatable midgrasses to recover. Blue grama, hairy grama, and threadleaf sedge now occupy more space than do the midgrasses. The increase in shallow rooted, short-statured grasses and grass-like plants could change the rooting structure of this plant community. The change in the rooting structure could reduce infiltration and increase runoff which could alter soil stability and lead to an increase in soil erosion.
Pathway 1.1A
Community 1.1 to 1.2
Continuous season long grazing or heavy continuous grazing with stocking rates well above the carrying capacity for the entire growing season or seasonal grazing during the middle of the growing season every year will cause a decrease in big bluestem and sideoats grama. Western wheatgrass and needlegrass will increase initially but will decrease in the plant community if grazing management is not changed.
Pathway 1.2A
Community 1.2 to 1.1
Long-term prescribed grazing that provided adequate recovery and change in season of use, along with normal precipitation regime and periodic fire can restore the tall warm season component of this plant community.
State 2
Shortgrass State
This state is dominated by short-grass species and is the result of repeated season-long overgrazing. Desirable plants (i.e. the species most desirable to grazing animals), which were repeatedly grazed over long periods of time, weakened and declined in size and amounts. In the early phases of this plant community transition, some mid-grasses may remain in sufficient quantities to support the recovery to the Reference State if proper grazing management is done along with the occurrence of good growing conditions. If grazing pressures continue over long time or extended drought, recovery will become less likely due to increased runoff and reduced infiltration.
Community 2.1
Blue grama-Threadleaf sedge/Ponderosa pine (< 8%)
This plant community develops under heavy, continuous, season-long grazing, and may be accelerated by over-utilization during extended drought periods. This plant community is composed of approximately 65 percent grasses, 15 percent forbs, and 20 percent shrubs. Dominant grasses and grass-like plants include, blue and hairy grama, threadleaf sedge, little bluestem, sideoats grama, and western wheatgrass. Grasses of secondary importance in this plant community include prairie Junegrass and sand dropseed. Cheatgrass, field brome, smooth brome, and Kentucky bluegrass may also invade the site. Forbs commonly found in this plant community include prairie coneflower, dotted gayfeather, and common mares-tail. Shrubs commonly found on this site include broom snakeweed, fringed sagewort, soapweed yucca, and prairie rose. When compared to the Reference State, short statured grasses have increased significantly and become more dominant on the site. Shrubs become more commonly found on the site as herbaceous species become reduced in vigor and cover. It is also common for Ponderosa pine to have increased in this plant community.
State 3
Conifer/Shrub State
This state is dominated by conifer and shrubs and most likely resulted from heavy continuous grazing and lack of frequent fire. Ponderosa pine canopy was found to significantly reduce precipitation reaching the forest floor by an average of 30 percent due to interception in area of intermediate and dense canopy (Wrage, 1994). Native warm-season grasses such as bluestems, grama grasses and other associated cool season grasses such as wheatgrasses and needlegrasses declined as overstory canopy cover increased, relinquishing space to other shade tolerant grasses, such as cool-season graminoids including poverty oatgrass, bluegrasses, and rough-leaved ricegrass. Forbs such as cudweed sagewort and shrubs such as wood rose increased under intermediate canopy closure (< 25 percent). In the absence of fire, this plant community phase will be resistant to change. Ponderosa pine canopy will continue to increase over time, reducing herbaceous layer production. The resulting plant community is less productive for grazing animals than the other states. As ponderosa pine cover increases, herbaceous plant production decreases and bare ground increases. This results in lower water infiltration rates and increased runoff, with some soil erosion possible.
Community 3.1
Ponderosa pine (< 35%)/Little bluestem-Bluegrass/Fringed sagewort
This plant community is characterized by the dominance of shrubs and conifers, resulting from heavy continuous season-long grazing combined with delayed occurrence of fire. Conifers occupy approximately 35 percent and dominant shrubs occupy about 25 percent of the space within this plant community. The main grasses along with forbs occupy a little less than 40 percent of the area. Dominant grass and grass-like plants include little bluestem, Kentucky bluegrass, needleandthread, blue grama, and threadleaf sedge. Dominant forbs include cudweed sagewort, coneflower and dotted gayfeather. Prevalent shrubs include low stature shrub such as prairie rose, fringed sagewort, and skunkbush. Most of these shrubs rarely exceed one foot in height. Ponderosa pine is the dominant tree species and Rocky Mountain juniper is sometimes present as a subordinate tree but does not dominate.
Transition 1A
State 1 to 2
Continuous season-long grazing or heavy continuous grazing with stocking rates well above the carrying capacity for the entire growing season will lead toward the dominance of the site by short grasses, State 2.
Transition 1B
State 1 to 3
Heavy continuous season-long grazing with stocking rates well above the carrying capacity for the entire growing season combined with the absence of fire to control shrub and conifer seedlings’ establishment, or no use, no fire and encroachment will lead toward a conifer dominated state, State 3.
Restoration pathway 2A
State 2 to 1
Long-term prescribed grazing which provides growing season grazing deferment along with stocking rates not exceeding carrying capacities and periodic fire or prescribed burning will restore this plant community to the Reference State.
Transition 2A
State 2 to 3
Continuous season-long grazing or heavy continuous grazing with stocking rates well above the carrying capacity for the entire growing season combined with the absence of fire to control shrub and conifer seedlings establishment, or no use, no fire and encroachment will lead toward a conifer dominated state, State 3.
Restoration pathway 3A
State 3 to 1
Long-term prescribed grazing and prescribed fire to kill shrubs and conifers along with mechanical brush management of large trees (if needed) is projected to lead back to the reference state. Seeding of warm-season tall grass species may be successful following the removal of trees. Grazing deferments will in time reestablish the plant community to Reference State 1, where tall warm-season grasses will recover and dominate. Favorable growing conditions will accelerate the recovery.
Transition 3A
State 3 to 2
Depending on the existing herbaceous plant species in the understory, prescribed fire and or mechanical brush management to remove conifers and long-term prescribed grazing may transition the Conifer State to the Shortgrass State. Grazing deferments and favorable growing conditions will in time help reestablish the plant community however management goals may not be achieved.
Additional community tables
Interpretations
Recreational uses
In this area, there is wondrous scenery in any season and it almost has something for almost everyone for outdoor recreation activities. Despite that they may cause some ecological disturbances to the sites, visitors provide a good income to the small communities across the area. Opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and horse riding exist through a network of trails covering several hundreds of miles. The presence of two adjacent parks in the area (Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park) brings in a large flow of resident and non-resident tourists which visit the area for its natural beauty and for the viewing of many wildlife species particularly buffalo, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Fishing and hunting attract a great number of sports men and women for trout fishing, turkey hunting, and big game hunting of elk, deer, and antelope. Wild cats such as mountain lion are hunted during the fall season. All of these recreation activities combined with the artistry business attracts a great number of visitors and brings in a substantial income to the small towns across the areas.
Wood products
No appreciable wood products are available in this site.
Other information
Revision Notes:
“This PROVISIONAL ecological site concept has been QC’d and QA’d to ensure that the site meets the NESH standards for a provisional ecological site that provides basic compiled information in one location. This site should not be considered an Approved ESD, as it is only the foundational site concepts and requires further data collection—specifically high-intensity data characterizations and full 232 soil descriptions—and further site investigations and final STM reviews before it can be used as an Approved ESD meeting NESH standards.”
Site Development and Testing Plan:
Future work, as described in a Project Plan, to validate the information in this Provisional Ecological Site Description is needed. This will include field activities to collect low, medium and high intensity sampling, soil correlations, and analysis of that data. Annual field reviews should be done by soil scientists and vegetation specialists. A final field review, peer review, quality control, and quality assurance reviews of the ESD will be needed to produce the final document.
Supporting information
Inventory data references
Information presented here has been derived from NRCS clipping data and other inventory data. Field observations from range-trained personnel were also used. Those involved in developing this site include: Lakhdar Benkobi, ESI/SRIC, NRCS; Stan Boltz, Range Management Specialist, NRCS; Dan Brady, Soil Scientist, NRCS; Mitch Faulkner, Range Management Specialist, NRCS; Roger Gates, Associate Professor/Rangeland Management Specialist, West River Ag Center; Rick Peterson, Ecological Site Specialist, NRCS; Matthew, Scott, Botanist - USFS Hell Canyon District Ranger; L. Michael Stirling, Range Management Specialist, NRCS; Jim Westerman, Soil Scientist, NRCS.
Other references
Brown, P. M. and C. Hull-Sieg. 1996. Fire History in Interior Ponderosa Pine Communities of the Black Hills, South Dakota, USA, Int. J. Wildland Fire 6(3): 97-105.
Gartner F. R. and W. W. Thompson. 1972. Fire in the Black Hills forest-grass ecotone, South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Series No 1115.
High Plains Regional Climate Center, University of Nebraska, 830728 Chase Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0728. (http://www.hprcc.unl.edu/)
McIntosh, A. C. 1949. A botanical survey of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Black Hills Engineer. 28 (4): 3-75.
Shepperd, W. D. and M. A. Battaglia. 2002. Ecology, silviculture, and management of Black Hills ponderosa pine. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-97. Fort Collins, CO: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 112 p.
USDA, NRCS. National Water and Climate Center,
Toledo, D., Sanderson, M., Spaeth, K., Hendrickson, J., Printz, J. 2014. Extent of Kentucky Bluegrass and Its Effect on Native Plant Species Diversity and Ecosystem Services in the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Invasive Plant Science and Management. 7(4):543-522. Weed Science Society of America.
101 SW Main, Suite 1600, Portland, OR 97204-3224. (http://wcc.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. National Range and Pasture Handbook, September 1997
USDA, NRCS. National Soil Information System, Information Technology Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building A, Fort Collins, CO 80526. (http://nasis.nrcs.usda.gov)
USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
USDA, NRCS. National Ecological Site Handbook, 1st Ed, January 2014
Wrage, K. J. 1994. The effects of ponderosa pine on soil moisture, precipitation, and understory vegetation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 158 p. Thesis.
Contributors
Westerman Jim
Benkobi Lakhadar
Faulkner Mitch
Peterson Rick L.
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.
Author(s)/participant(s) | |
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Contact for lead author | |
Date | |
Approved by | |
Approval date | |
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on | Annual Production |
Indicators
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Number and extent of rills:
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Presence of water flow patterns:
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Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
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Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
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Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
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Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
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Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
-
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
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Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
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Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
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Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
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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:
Sub-dominant:
Other:
Additional:
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Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
-
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
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Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
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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:
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Perennial plant reproductive capability:
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