Ecological Sites on Rangeland

1. Ecological Siteson Rangeland

2. Objectives • Define the concept of ecological sites. • Recognize the variety of ecological sites on rangelands. • Understand relationship between soils and ecological sites.

3. Ecological Site definition: • An ecological site kind of land with specific physical characteristics (soil, topography, climate) which differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation in its response to management. • In other words, a kind of land with similar natural potential. • Other stratification systems can be an have been used to described rangelands.

4. (Example 1) Ecological sites vary in kind and amount of vegetation

5. (Example 2)

6. (Example 3)

7. (Example 4)

8. Ecological Sites are based on different topographic settings

9. Soil maps – applied to ecological sites • Soils are grouped into soil mapping units because we often cannot map soils at the scale at which they occur

10. Soil maps – applied to ecological sites • Soil map unit: includes one or more dominant soilmap unit components + inclusions (minor map unit components) • Soil map unit component: soil series + slope and surface texture modifier • Soil seriesis similar to a plant species • Soil map unit componentis similar to a sub-species • Soil map unit components repeat across the landscape, and can be part of more than one map unit

11. Using soils to identify ecological sites An ecological site can include more than one soil series, provided that the soils are similar A soil map unit can include more than one ecological site. Soil map units often include many different soils, with different potentials to support plant communities Even a soil seriescan include more than one ecological site. Soil surface texture often varies within a soil series. Soil surface texture is very important in distinguishing ecological sites.