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:

   No rills are present.

2. Presence of water flow patterns:

   No water flow patterns are present.

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

   No pedestals or terracettes are present.

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

   Bare ground is typically less than 5%, but it can increase when the site goes dry for extended perids.

5. Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:

   No gullies are present.

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

   No wind scoured areas are present.

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

   All litter stays where it falls, with little movement.

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

   High organic matter soils will have an index value of 5 to 6.
   

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

   The soil has subangular to blocky structure with high organic matter (5-15%)

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

    The plant community is herbaceous, and distributed evenly across the site.

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

    No compaction layers are present. Soil freeze/thaw keeps them from forming.

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:

    Perennial Grasses > Perennial Forbs

    Sub-dominant:

    Other:

    Additional:

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

    Plant mortality of 5 to 10 percent each year is normal.

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):

    Average annual production is 1350 lbs/ac.

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:

    Potential invasive species includes aquatic noxious weeds such as hydrilla.

17. Perennial plant reproductive capability:

    All plants on the site reproduce through seeds, or spready by stolons and rhizomes.

Print Options