Ecological Site Descriptions Foundation for Resource Management Decisions George Peacock Grazing Lands Technology Institute USDA-NRCS

Looking across any landscape it is not difficult to recognize that some parts are different from other parts in the kinds and amount of vegetation

Information on native plant communities for Ecological Restoration

Information for predicting change in plant communities due to disturbances

Information on hydrologic changes as plant community composition changes  Infiltration rates  Aquifer recharge  Surface runoff  Downstream flooding  Infiltration rates  Aquifer recharge  Surface runoff  Downstream flooding

Ecological Site Descriptions

From an ecological perspective: From an ecological perspective: Understand the past Understand present ecological dynamics Discuss future possibilities Understand the past Understand present ecological dynamics Discuss future possibilities

RELEASE OF NATIONAL FORESTRY MANUAL (1997) AND NATIONAL RANGE AND PASTURE HANDBOOK (1997) RANGE SITES TO ECOLOGICAL SITES WOODLAND SUITABILITY GROUPS TO ECOLOGICAL SITES RANGE SITES TO ECOLOGICAL SITES WOODLAND SUITABILITY GROUPS TO ECOLOGICAL SITES

ECOLOGICAL SITE DEFINITION: A distinctive kind of land with specific physical characteristics that differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce a distinctive kind and amount of vegetation.

ECOLOGICAL SITE Product of all environmental factors Soils Topography Climate Natural Disturbances Herbivory Fire Drought Soils Topography Climate Natural Disturbances Herbivory Fire Drought

ECOLOGICAL SITE WHAT HAS CHANGED?

RANGE SITE DESCRIPTIONS ADAPTATION OF CLIMATIC CLIMAX THEORYADAPTATION OF CLIMATIC CLIMAX THEORY GRAZING INTERPRETATIONSGRAZING INTERPRETATIONS PLANT COMMUNITY SCALEPLANT COMMUNITY SCALE SOIL MAP UNIT COMPONENTSSOIL MAP UNIT COMPONENTS

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS STATE AND TRANSITION MODELSTATE AND TRANSITION MODEL MULTIPLE BENEFIT INTERPRETATIONSMULTIPLE BENEFIT INTERPRETATIONS PLANT COMMUNITY SCALEPLANT COMMUNITY SCALE SOIL MAP UNIT COMPONENTSSOIL MAP UNIT COMPONENTS

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES CLIMATE FEATURES WATER FEATURES SOIL FEATURES PLANT COMMUNITIES SITE INTERPRETATIONS SUPPORTING INFORMATION PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES CLIMATE FEATURES WATER FEATURES SOIL FEATURES PLANT COMMUNITIES SITE INTERPRETATIONS SUPPORTING INFORMATION

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION PHYSIOGRAPHIC FEATURES LANDFORM ASPECT ELEVATION SLOPE WATER TABLE DEPTH FLOODING (frequency and duration) PONDING (duration and depth) RUNOFF CLASS LANDFORM ASPECT ELEVATION SLOPE WATER TABLE DEPTH FLOODING (frequency and duration) PONDING (duration and depth) RUNOFF CLASS

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION CLIMATE FEATURES FROST FREE PERIOD FREEZE FREE PERIOD MEAN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION MONTHLY PRECIPITATION MONTHLY TEMPERATURE FROST FREE PERIOD FREEZE FREE PERIOD MEAN ANNUAL PRECIPITATION MONTHLY PRECIPITATION MONTHLY TEMPERATURE

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION WATER FEATURES COWARDIN WETLAND CLASSIFICATION ROSGEN STREAM CLASSIFICATION COWARDIN WETLAND CLASSIFICATION ROSGEN STREAM CLASSIFICATION

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION SOIL FEATURES PARENT MATERIAL (kind and origin) SURFACE TEXTURE AND MODIFIERS SURFACE FRAGMENTS SUBSURFACE FRAGMENTS DRAINAGE CLASS PERMEABILITY CLASS SOIL DEPTH PARENT MATERIAL (kind and origin) SURFACE TEXTURE AND MODIFIERS SURFACE FRAGMENTS SUBSURFACE FRAGMENTS DRAINAGE CLASS PERMEABILITY CLASS SOIL DEPTH

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION SOIL FEATURES - continued ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY SODIUM ADSORPTION RATIO SOIL REACTION (pH) AVAILABLE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY CALCIUM CARBONATE EQUIVALENT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY SODIUM ADSORPTION RATIO SOIL REACTION (pH) AVAILABLE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY CALCIUM CARBONATE EQUIVALENT

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION PLANT COMMUNITIES ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF SITE STATE AND TRANSITION DIAGRAM PLANT COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY NARRATIVE – ANNUAL PRODUCTION – SPECIES COMPOSITION – GROWTH CURVES – COVER AND STRUCTURE – PHOTO ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF SITE STATE AND TRANSITION DIAGRAM PLANT COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY NARRATIVE – ANNUAL PRODUCTION – SPECIES COMPOSITION – GROWTH CURVES – COVER AND STRUCTURE – PHOTO

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C OAK SAVANNA

OAK / GRASSLAND

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C

OAK / JUNIPER/GRASSLAND

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C

OAK / JUNIPER COMPLEX

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak Savanna Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy NF-INV BM-S-PB-PG

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy NF-INV BM-S-PB-PG Oak Savanna PB-PG Oak/Grassland <3 ft + Ashe juniper <5% Canopy NF-INV

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy BM-S-PB-PG Oak/Juniper/ Grassland 8-12 ft Ashe juniper 5-20 Year old stand 10-20% Canopy BM-PB-PG NF-INV Oak Savanna PB-PG Oak/Grassland <3 ft + Ashe juniper <5% Canopy NF-INV

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak Savanna PB-PGNF-INV Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy BM-S-PB-PG Oak/Juniper/ Grassland 8-12 ft Ashe juniper 5-20 Year old stand 10-20% Canopy BM-PB-PG NF-INV Open Grassland BM-S-PG Oak/Grassland <3 ft + Ashe juniper <5% Canopy NF-INV

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak Savanna PB-PGNF-INV Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy BM-S-PB-PG Oak/Juniper/ Grassland 8-12 ft Ashe juniper 5-20 Year old stand 10-20% Canopy BM-PB-PG NF-INV Open Grassland NF-INV BM-S-PG Open Grassland Juniper Invasion PB-PG BM-S-PG Oak/Grassland <3 ft + Ashe juniper <5% Canopy NF-INV

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION PLANT COMMUNITIES ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF SITE STATE AND TRANSITION DIAGRAM PLANT COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY NARRATIVE – ANNUAL PRODUCTION – SPECIES COMPOSITION – GROWTH CURVES – COVER AND STRUCTURE – PHOTO ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS OF SITE STATE AND TRANSITION DIAGRAM PLANT COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY NARRATIVE – ANNUAL PRODUCTION – SPECIES COMPOSITION – GROWTH CURVES – COVER AND STRUCTURE – PHOTO

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION SITE INTERPRETATIONS ANIMAL COMMUNITY HYDROLOGY RECREATIONAL USES WOOD PRODUCTS OTHER PRODUCTS OTHER INFORMATION SPECIES PREFERENCES FOREST SITE PRODUCTIVITY ANIMAL COMMUNITY HYDROLOGY RECREATIONAL USES WOOD PRODUCTS OTHER PRODUCTS OTHER INFORMATION SPECIES PREFERENCES FOREST SITE PRODUCTIVITY

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION HYDROLOGY INFORMATION PLANT COMMUNITY III Kentucky bluegrass - 25% Smooth bromegrass - 75% PLANT COMMUNITY III Kentucky bluegrass - 25% Smooth bromegrass - 75% LOAMY SITE MLRA 102ANebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills LOAMY SITE MLRA 102ANebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills PLANT COMMUNITY I Mixture of native grasses PLANT COMMUNITY I Mixture of native grasses PLANT COMMUNITY II Kentucky bluegrass - 75% Smooth bromegrass - 25% PLANT COMMUNITY II Kentucky bluegrass - 75% Smooth bromegrass - 25%

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION HYDROLOGY INFORMATION LOAMY SITE MLRA 102ANebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills LOAMY SITE MLRA 102ANebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills I IIIII Precipitation 25” 25”25” Interception Surface Runoff Infiltration Deep Percolation I IIIII Precipitation 25” 25”25” Interception Surface Runoff Infiltration Deep Percolation

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION SUPPORTING INFORMATION ASSOCIATED SITES SIMILAR SITES INVENTORY DATA REFERENCES STATE CORRELATION TYPE LOCALITY RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS OTHER REFERENCES SITE DESCRIPTION APPROVAL ASSOCIATED SITES SIMILAR SITES INVENTORY DATA REFERENCES STATE CORRELATION TYPE LOCALITY RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS OTHER REFERENCES SITE DESCRIPTION APPROVAL

ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS How do we utilize in conservation planning process?

X X X 12 3 Sandy Sandy Loam Loamy

DESIRED PLANT COMMUNITY Plant community that has been identified to provide uses and values desired for the site. Must provide adequate protection for the site.

Deep Redland Ecological Site - Draft MLRA 81C Legend BM - Brush ManagementPB - Prescribed Burning INV - InvasionPG - Prescribed Grazing NF - No FireS - Seeding Oak Savanna PB-PGNF-INV Oak/Juniper Complex 20 ft + Ashe juniper 20 + Year old stand 30% + Canopy BM-S-PB-PG Oak/Juniper/ Grassland 8-12 ft Ashe juniper 5-20 Year old stand 10-20% Canopy BM-PB-PG NF-INV Open Grassland NF-INV BM-S-PG Open Grassland Juniper Invasion PB-PG BM-S-PG Oak/Grassland <3 ft + Ashe juniper <5% Canopy NF-INV

MEETING MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES Similarity Index Rangeland Health Trend Rating indicating how nearly the present vegetation resembles desired plant community. Rating indicating how nearly the present vegetation resembles desired plant community. Indicates direction of plant community change. Range trend Planned trend Indicates direction of plant community change. Range trend Planned trend Indicator of how the ecological processes of the site are functioning. Indicator of how the ecological processes of the site are functioning.

Ecological Site Descriptions Provide: A common framework for communication of resource information among disciplines, agencies, and organizations. Information describing the interactions among soils, vegetation, and land management. A foundation to assess the condition of current resources and monitor changes. A framework to assess management opportunities and predict the outcome of management decisions. A framework for transferring experience and knowledge.

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