NRCS National Ecological Site Handbook Webinar April 18, 2013

1. NRCS NationalEcological Site HandbookWebinarApril 18, 2013 George Peacock, Team Leader National Grazing Lands Team Central National Technology Support Center and Susan Andrews, National Leader Soil Quality and Ecosystems Branch National Soil Survey Center

2. ESD Standards Purpose: PURPOSE: Provide standards, guidelines, definitions, policy, responsibilities, and procedures for conducting the collaborative process of ESD development. • Interdisciplinary • Interagency • Non-governmental organizations • Universities • Other partners

3. NRCS National Ecological Site Handbook (NESH) Developed cooperatively between Soil Science and Resource Assessment (SSRA) and Science and Technology (S&T) Deputy Areas • National Soil Quality and Ecosystems Branch • National Grazing Lands Team • National Technology Support Centers • State Staffs • Soil Survey Regional Offices • Other SSRA and S&T Staff

4. Major Sections of the NESH Section I – Policy and Procedures Section II – ES Concept and Description Development Section III – Delineation and Mapping, Hierarchies, and Other Vegetation Classification and Stratification Schemes Glossary References

5. Webinar Overview Brief overview of draft NESH: • Released - National Bulletin 190-13-9 • Section II – ES Concept & Description Development • Brief preview of Section III • Comments due by May 15thto susan.andrews@lin.usda.gov or george.peacock@ftw.usda.gov

6. NESH Section II Contents Section II – ES Concept & Description Development Part 400 – ES Characterization Concepts Part 500 – Steps for ES Differentiation & Development Part 501 – Sampling Methods (reserved) Part 502 – ES Naming Protocols Part 503 – Ecological Site Keys Part 504 – Contents of ESDs Part 506 – Data Storage (reserved)

7. NESH Section II, Part 400 ES Characterization Concepts Part 400.00 – Purpose Part 400.01 – Definition Part 400.02 – Defining the ES Concept • Identification and characterization of ESs are based on the premise that: • composition, structure, and function of plant communities (and ecosystem functions) are regulated along energy, moisture, and nutrient gradients and disturbance regimes • Gradients occur due to differences in microclimate, geology, lithology, topography and soil characteristics

8. NESH Section II, Part 400.02Defining the ES Concept ES concept is based on reference conditions (Reference State) which formed as a result of interacting • Environmental gradients • Natural disturbance regimes

9. Section II, Parts 400.03-400.04 Part 400.03 - Interpreting Ecological Dynamics • Ecological dynamics describe changes to vegetation and soils, and the causes of those changes • State-and-Transition Models (STMs) illustrate ecological dynamics of an ES Part 400.04 – Components of an STM

10. Section II, Part 400.05Role of STMs • STMs are conceptual diagrams with narratives to describe: • Reference and alternative states, • Processes of plant community shifts within states, • Transitions between states, and • Restoration to a previous state. • The goal in producing STMs is to provide a conceptual understanding of: • Ecological dynamics that can occur on an ES • Drivers and mechanisms of ecosystem change • Management actions that can be used to influence change

11. Section II, Parts 400.06-400.07 Part 400.06 – General Guidelines for Developing STMs • All states and community phases that are typical and known to occur should be described • Include “at-risk community” phases • Where time scales of community pathways or transitions are known, they should be described Part 400.07 - Recognizing a State Change Versus a Different ES • As long as the soil and physiographic characteristics remain unchanged, a new ES is not merited. • The inability to restore an alternative state to reference state due to lack of knowledge, technology, or cost does not warrant a new ES.

12. NESH Section II, Part 500Steps for ES Differentiation and Developments of ESDs 500.00 Purpose Differentiation and description of ecological sites (ESs) involve several steps: • preliminary stages, • iterative stages, and • final stages. Strong interdisciplinary participation is critical to the ESD development process

13. 500.01 Preliminary Stages • Establish Local Work Groups • Define Geographic/Ecological Extent • Gather Background Information • Evaluate Existing Data • Conduct Reconnaissance (Low Intensity Traverses) • Develop STMs • Develop Sampling Strategy • Sampling Methods

14. 500.02 Iterative Stages • Data Collection (Medium Intensity Sampling) • Data Analysis • Define Differentiating Characteristics of ES • Field Test the ES Concept

15. 500.03 Final Stages • Data Collection (High Intensity Sampling) • Type Location Data • Develop Management Interpretations • Correlation (process)

16. NESH Section 2, Part 501Sampling Methods Part 501 – RESERVED • Will provide sampling design, methods, and attributes recommended for data collection • Will differentiate between methods at various levels of data collection intensity

17. NESH Section 2, Part 502ES Naming Protocols 502.00 Instructions for a standardized naming • 502.01 Common name • Unique to MLRA or LRU • Minimum number of descriptors (e.g., soil, landscape, climate) • 502.02 Secondary plant community name • Scientific and common names • Three strata; two species per stratum 502.03 - Instructions for ES ID • Includes MLRA, LRU and 3-digit site # 502.04 - State and community phase names • Reference and representative 502.05 – Labeling STMs Exhibits

18. NESH Section 2, Part 503Ecological Site Keys 503.00 – Optional tool for identification and differentiation of ESs • Primarily based on abiotic factors • Scale is MLRA or subunit, e.g., LRU or subsection 503.01 – Factors used in ES keys • Soil • Topography • Climate 503.02 – ES key types • Dichotomous • Flow charts • Matrices Exhibits

19. NESH Section II, Part 504Contents of ESDs 504.00 Purpose and Background Information • Describes each element contained in an ESD. 504.01 General Information • ES name • ES ID number • Hierarchical Framework Relationships • ES Concept narrative 504.02 Physiographic Features 504.03 Climatic Features

20. NESH Section II, Part 504Contents of ESDs 504.04 Influencing Water Features 504.05 Representative Soil Features 504.06 State and Community Phase section • Ecological Dynamics of the ES • STM Diagram • Photos

21. NESH Section II, Part 504Contents of ESDs 504.06 State and Community Phase – cont. Reference State • Narrative • Community Phase s • Species Productivity • Total Annual Production • Canopy or Foliar Cover • Structure • Ground Surface Cover • Overstory Canopy Cover • Understory • Phase Growth Curves Alternative States • Narrative • For data-supported Community Phases, complete appropriate sections identified for Reference State

22. NESH Section II, Part 504Contents of ESDs 504.07 ES Interpretations • Wildlife Habitat • Domestic and Feral Animals • Hydrology Functions • Recreational Uses • Wood Products • Other Products

23. NESH Section II, Parts 504.08-504.10 504.08 Supporting Information • Associated Sites • Similar Sites • Agency/State Correlation • Type Locality • Relationship to Established Frameworks and/or Other Classifications • Other References 504.09 Rangeland Health Reference Sheet 504.10 ESD Signatures (see Part 300)

24. Section II, Part 506Data Storage Reserved • Will provide details of how to manage and store hard copy and electronic information.

25. NESH Section III Contents Section III – Delineation and Mapping, Hierarchies, and Other Vegetation Classification and Stratification Schemes (all reserved) Part 600 – Related Stratification Schemes* Part 700 – Delineation and Mapping of ESs Part 800 – Benchmark ESs Part 900 – ES Relationships with Other Classification and Mapping Hierarchies Glossary References *Placeholder until pilots are completed in out-years

26. Summary Today’s webinar gave an overview of Section II – Ecological Site Concept and Description Development Comments are due May 15th on both Sections Send comments or suggestions to Susan Andrews and/or George Peacock at: susan.andrews@lin.usda.gov george.peacock@ftw.usda.gov