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:

   Few, moderate sheet & rill erosion hazard

2. Presence of water flow patterns:

   Few to many, depending on slope and plant cover

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

   None

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

   2-10%

5. Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:

   None

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

   Very few possible, moderate to severe wind erosion hazard

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

   Fine - limited movement

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

   Moderatley to slightly resistant to erosion; aggregate stability = 3-4

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

   Moderately deep to very deep, well drained, fine sandy loams to gravelly silt loams; low OM (1-2%)

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

    Moderate ground cover (30-50%) should limit rainfall impact and overland flow on lower slopes (12-20%); increased flow likely on steeper slopes (up to 40%)

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

    None

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:

    Bluebunch wheatgrass > Needle and thread > Sandberg bluegrass > Thurber needlegrass = other grasses = dominant forbs = other forbs = Basin big sagebrush >= Gray rabbitbrush = other shrubs

    Sub-dominant:

    Other:

    Additional:

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

    Normal decadence and mortality expected

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

    In areas with adequate plant cover

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

    Favorable: 700, Normal: 400, Unfavorable: 300 lbs/acre/year at high RSI (HCPC)

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:

    Rabbitbrush, sage brush and broom snakeweed may increase and reduce cover of herbaceous plants. Cheatgrass and annual forbs invade sites that have lost shallow rooted perennial grass functional groups

17. Perennial plant reproductive capability:

    All species should be capable of reproducing annually