What’s the Reference?. Applying the Technique: 6 Steps 1. Identify the Evaluation Area 2. Obtain or develop Reference Worksheet 3. Obtain or develop Evaluation.

What’s the What’s the Reference?Reference?

Applying the Technique: 6 StepsApplying the Technique: 6 Steps

1.1. Identify the Evaluation AreaIdentify the Evaluation Area

2.2. Obtain or develop Reference Obtain or develop Reference WorksheetWorksheet

3.3. Obtain or develop Evaluation MatrixObtain or develop Evaluation Matrix

4.4. Complete characterization worksheetsComplete characterization worksheets

5.5. Rate 17 indicatorsRate 17 indicators

6.6. Rate the 3 Rangeland Health Rate the 3 Rangeland Health AttributesAttributes

What’s the What’s the Reference?Reference?

An Ecological Reference Worksheet is developed for each ecological site using soil surveys, ecological site descriptions,

reference areas, research and expert knowledge.

Indicators. For each indicator, describe the potential for the site. Where possible, (1) use numbers, (2) include expected range of values for above- and below-average years, when appropriate & (3) cite data. Continue descriptions on separate sheet.

1. Number and extent of rills:1. Number and extent of rills:

2. Presence of water flow patterns: 2. Presence of water flow patterns:

3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:3. Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:

Etc... for indicators 4-17

A unique reference is needed A unique reference is needed for each Ecological Sitefor each Ecological Site

An ecological site is a kind of land with An ecological site is a kind of land with specific physical characteristics (soil, specific physical characteristics (soil, topography, climate) which differs from topography, climate) which differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce other kinds of land in its ability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation in its’ response to management.in its’ response to management.

In other words, a kind of land with similar In other words, a kind of land with similar potential.potential.

Other stratification systems can also be Other stratification systems can also be used at a broader scale.used at a broader scale.

Where does the information come from?

Evaluation Area

Using soils to identify ecological Using soils to identify ecological sites sites

An An ecological siteecological site can include more than one can include more than one soil series, provided that the soils are similarsoil series, provided that the soils are similar

A A soil map unitsoil map unit can include more than one can include more than one ecological site. Soil map units often include ecological site. Soil map units often include many different soils, with different potentials to many different soils, with different potentials to support plant communitiessupport plant communities

Even a Even a soil seriessoil series can include more than one can include more than one ecological site. Soil surface texture often varies ecological site. Soil surface texture often varies within a soil series. Soil surface texture is very within a soil series. Soil surface texture is very important in distinguishing ecological sites.important in distinguishing ecological sites.

Map UnitsMap Units Soils are grouped into soil mapping Soils are grouped into soil mapping

units because we often cannot map units because we often cannot map soils at the scale at which they varysoils at the scale at which they vary

Same for ecological sites: in order to Same for ecological sites: in order to map ecological sites, they often must be map ecological sites, they often must be combined into ecological site mapping combined into ecological site mapping units, just as soils are combined into units, just as soils are combined into soil mappingsoil mapping

A soil map unit (what’s on the A soil map unit (what’s on the map) can be:map) can be:

An An ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION of two or more soil of two or more soil soils* that occur in a fairly repetitive and soils* that occur in a fairly repetitive and predictablepredictable pattern (e.g. low ridges & pattern (e.g. low ridges & swales)swales)

A A COMPLEXCOMPLEX of two or more soils* that of two or more soils* that usually do not occur in a usually do not occur in a predictablepredictable pattern (e.g. coarse and fine soils in a river pattern (e.g. coarse and fine soils in a river floodplain)floodplain)

A single soil series (but even these map A single soil series (but even these map units usually have “inclusions” too small to units usually have “inclusions” too small to be mapped). Sometimes call a be mapped). Sometimes call a CONSOCIATIONCONSOCIATION

VEGETATION

RANGE SUCCESSION MODEL

Excellent ConditionClimax

Poor ConditionEarly successional Condition scale

(adapted from Westoby, Walker, Noy-Meir 1989)

0 25 50 75 100

Range Condition

What’s the Reference?What’s the Reference?

State and Transition ModelState and Transition Model

Potential Natural Community

Reference State…Reference State…

The state where the functional capabilities The state where the functional capabilities represented by soil and site stability, represented by soil and site stability, hydrologic function, and biotic integrity hydrologic function, and biotic integrity are performing at a near-optimum level are performing at a near-optimum level under the natural disturbance regime.under the natural disturbance regime.

Reference Reference StateState

Community A

Community B

Community C

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?– Ecological Site Descriptions

Ecological Site Description

http://plants.usda.gov/esis

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?– Ecological Site Descriptions – Soil survey information

STATSGO Soil MappingAvailable at 1:250,000 scale

(http://soils.usda.gov)

SSURGO Soil MappingAvailable at 1:24,000 scale

(http://soils.usda.gov)

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?– Ecological Site Descriptions – Soil survey information– Ecological Reference Areas

Ecological Reference Area(s)Ecological Reference Area(s)“A landscape unit in which ecological processes are

functioning within a normal range of variability and the plant community has adequate resistance to and resiliency

from most disturbances”

Special Management Areas Well-managed rangeland

Exclosures

Ecological Reference Area(s)Ecological Reference Area(s)Verify soils

Establish baseline studiesCommunication

area

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?– Ecological Site Descriptions– Soil survey information– Reference sites – Expert knowledge

(old timers and brilliant

ecologists)

Generating the reference Generating the reference worksheetworksheet

What do you need to define potential for What do you need to define potential for an ecological site?an ecological site?– Ecological Site Descriptions – Soil survey information– Ecological Reference Area(s) – Expert knowledge (old timers and brilliant

ecologists)– Other data (e.g. from LTER and other long-

term studies)

Generating Generating the the ecological ecological reference reference worksheetworksheet

Capture temporal and disturbance

variability!

Generating the ecological Generating the ecological reference worksheetreference worksheet

Reference Worksheet defines the “None to Slight” Category in Reference Worksheet defines the “None to Slight” Category in the Evaluation Worksheetthe Evaluation Worksheet

No Reference Worksheet---No Reference Worksheet---don’t bother going to the don’t bother going to the

field!field!