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:

   Typically, none. When slopes exceed 30 percent, rills may occur. When they do occur, they will be shallow (less than 6 inches or 15 cm) deep, and narrow (less than 6 inches or 15 cm) wide, and spaced at intervals of at least 5 feet apart, becoming more frequent and longer as slopes increase. On extremely steep slopes (greater than 60%) rills will be more frequent, deeper, and wider.

2. Presence of water flow patterns:

   Typically, none. When slopes exceed 30 percent, water flow patterns may be present. Where they do occur, they are rare (less than 2 per 100 ft2), narrow (less than 6 in or 15 cm wide), short (less than 1 foot or 0.30 m long) and disconnected, disrupted by perennial vegetation.

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

   Typically, none. When slopes exceed 30 percent, pedestals or terracettes may occur. When they occur, bunch grasses will be pedestalled, with no exposed roots. Drought, wildfire, and prescribed burns should not increase the incidence of pedestals except on the steepest slopes.

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

   Bare ground is 10 percent or less. Bare ground patches should be no larger than 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) in diameter and scattered across the site. Multi-year drought can cause the amount of bare ground to increase to 15 to 20 percent. Cross-sectional viewing of this site appears to have more bare ground than vertical viewing due to exposed loess-steps. Nearly vertical slopes should not be included in the evaluation as those areas are not part of the loess hills site but are considered a non-site. Bare ground is exposed mineral soil that is not covered by vegetation (basal and/or foliar canopy), litter, standing dead vegetation, gravel/rock, and visible biological curst (e.g., lichen, mosses, algae).

5. Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:

   Typically, none. A few gullies may be present in areas associated with drainageways. These areas should have no active head-cutting and sides of the gully should be vegetated.

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

   None. Wind-scoured and/or depositional areas should not be present.

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

   Fine litter movement of 1 to 3 feet (0.3 to 1 meter) is possible during intense rains. Coarse litter may move but will move shorter distances than fine litter.

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

   Soil stability ratings will be 3 to 5 in interspaces and 4 to 6 under canopy.

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

   A-horizon ranges from 3 to 9 inches (8 to 23 cm) thick. The A-horizon is grayish brown to pale brown when dry (hue: 10YR, value: 4, 5 or 6, chroma: 2 or 3) and very dark grayish brown to brown when moist (hue: 10YR, value: 3, 4, or 5, chroma: 2 or 3). Structure of the A-horizon is weak fine and very fine granular or weak medium subangular blocky.
   
   See Official Soils Descriptions for additional details; major soil series correlated to the site are Crofton and Ida.

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

    Plant community composition is 75 to 90 percent grasses and grass-likes, 5 to 10 percent forbs, and 5 to 10 percent shrubs which optimizes infiltration on the site. The grass and grass-like portion is composed of warm-season (C4) midgrasses (35-65%), warm-season (C4) tallgrasses (20-50%); cool-season (C3) grasses (1-20%), warm-season (C4), shortgrasses (1-10%), and grass-likes (1-10%). The functional/structural groups provide a combination of rooting depths and structure which positively influences infiltration.
    
    Invasion of introduced cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and smooth brome may have an adverse impact infiltration and runoff. Woody encroachment of native tree species may also negatively impact 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):

    None. No compaction layers are expected for 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:

    Phase 1.1
    1. Native, warm-season (C4), midgrass, 840-1560 #/ac, 35-65%, (3 species minimum): little bluestem, sideoats grama, plains muly
    2. Native, warm-season (C4), tallgrass, 480-1200#/ac, 20-50% (1 species minimum): big bluestem, composite dropseed, Indiangrass, prairie sandreed, switchgrass.
    
    Phase 1.2
    1. Native, warm-season (C4), midgrass, 840-1560 #/ac, 35-65%, (2 species minimum): little bluestem, sideoats grama, plains muly.

    Sub-dominant:

    Phase 1.2
    1. Native, perennial, cool-season grass (2 species minimum): needleandthread, western wheatgrass, Canada wildrye, Scribner’s rosettegrass, prairie Junegrass.
    2. Native, perennial, warm-season (C4) short grasses (1 species minimum): blue grama, buffalograss.
    3. Native, perennial, warm-season tallgrass, (1 species minimum): sand bluestem, Indiangrass, switchgrass, prairie sandreed.

    Other:

    Minor - Phase 1.1
    1. Native forb, 120-240 #/ac , 5-10%: forbs present will vary from location to location.
    2. Shrubs, 120-240 #/ac, 5-10%: leadplant, Jersey tea, prairie rose, smooth sumac, western snowberry or other shrubs which will vary from location to location.
    3. Native, warm-season (C4), shortgrass, 24-240#/ac, 1-10%: blue grama, hairy grama.
    4. Native, cool-season (C3) grass, 24-240#/ac, 1-10%: Canada wildrye, needle and thread, porcupinegrass, prairie Junegrass, Scribner’s rosette grass.
    5. Grass-likes, 24-240#/ac, 1-10%: shortbeak sedge, heavy sedge, long-stolon sedge, and other sedges.
    
    Minor - Phase 1.2
    1. Native forb: forbs present vary from location to location.
    2. Native shrub: leadplant, Jersey tea, prairie rose, smooth sumac, western snowberry.
    3. Grass-likes: heavy sedge, Mead’s sedge, other sedges.

    Additional:

    The Little Bluestem – Big Bluestem or Reference Community (1.1) includes seven F/S groups which include in order of relative abundance, native, perennial, warm-season midgrass; native, perennial, warm-season tallgrass; native forb = native shrub; native, perennial, warm-season shortgrass = native, perennial, cool-season grass = grass-like.
    
    The Little Bluestem – Sideoats Community (1.2) includes seven F/S groups which include in order of relative abundance, native, perennial, warm-season midgrass; native, perennial, cool-season grass; native, perennial, warm-season shortgrass; native, perennial, warm-season tallgrass; native forb = shrub = grass-like.

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

    Bunchgrasses have strong, healthy centers with few (less than 3 percent) dead centers. Shrubs may show some dead branches (less than 5 percent) as plants age.

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

    Plant litter cover is evenly distributed throughout the site and is expected to be 40 to 60 percent and at a depth of approximately 0.25 inch (0.65 cm).

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

    The representative value (RV) for annual production is 2,400 pounds per acre in a year with normal precipitation and temperatures. Low and High production years should yield 1,600 and 2930 pounds per acre respectively.

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 non-native invasive species are present. Woody species including roughleaf dogwood, smooth sumac, eastern redcedar, Siberian elm, and snowberry are known invasives that have the potential to become dominant or co-dominant on the site. Garlic mustard may invade the tree understory following woody encroachment. Once trees have invaded, Kentucky bluegrass will be significant in the understory. Note: species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants.

17. Perennial plant reproductive capability:

    All perennial species exhibit high vigor relative to climatic conditions. Perennial grasses should have vigorous rhizomes or tillers; vegetative and reproductive structures are not stunted. All perennial species should be capable of reproducing annually.

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