Interagency Ecological Site Handbook for Rangelands January 2013 Authors Dan Caudle Homer Sanchez Rangeland Management Specialist Rangeland Management Specialist (retired) Natural Resources Conservation Service Natural Resources Conservation Service Fort Worth, TX Fort Worth, TX Curtis Talbot Jeff DiBenedetto Rangeland Management Specialist Ecologist Natural Resources Conservation Service Forest Service Lincoln, NE Billings, MT Michael “Sherm” Karl Inventory and Monitoring Specialist/Rangeland Ecologist Bureau of Land Management Denver, CO January 2013 Page 1 Table of Contents SECTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 6 A. Purpose of Handbook ............................................................................................................. 6 B. Legal Authorities, Agency Policy, and Technical Guidance ............................................... 6 1. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)………………………………………………………..6 2. Forest Service (FS) ................................................................................................................. 7 3. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) .................................................................. 8 C. Interagency Uses of Ecological Sites...................................................................................... 8 D. Interagency Coordination ...................................................................................................... 9 SECTION 1.1 ECOLOGICAL SITE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER CLASSIFICATION AND MAPPING HIERARCHIES .................................................................................................................... 10 SECTION 2.0 ECOLOGICAL SITE CLASSIFICATION CONCEPTS .............................................. 12 A. Background............................................................................................................................ 12 B. Defining the Site Concept ..................................................................................................... 12 C. Interpreting Ecological Dynamics of the Site ..................................................................... 14 1. Components of a State-and-Transition Model .......................................................................... 15 2. General Considerations in Producing State-and-Transition Models ........................................ 19 D. State Change versus Change in Ecological Site .................................................................. 20 SECTION 3.0 CLASSIFICATION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND DESCRIPTION OF ECOLOGICAL SITES .............................................................................................................................. 21 A. Purpose .................................................................................................................................... 21 B. Classification and Differentiation of an Ecological Site ..................................................... 21 SECTION 3.1 STEPS FOR CLASSIFICATION, DIFFERENTIATION, AND DESCRIPTION OF ECOLOGICAL SITES .............................................................................................................................. 23 Establish Local Work Groups ................................................................................................... 23 SECTION 3.1.1 PRELIMINARY STAGES ......................................................................................... 23 A. Define Geographic/Ecological Extent ................................................................................... 23 B. Gather Background Information .......................................................................................... 24 January 2013 Page 2 C. Evaluate Existing Data .......................................................................................................... 24 D. Conduct Reconnaissance—Low Intensity Traverses.......................................................... 25 E. Develop State-and-Transition Model Concepts ................................................................... 25 F. Develop Sampling Strategy .................................................................................................... 26 G. Select Sampling Methods ...................................................................................................... 26 SECTION 3.1.2 ITERATIVE STAGES ................................................................................................ 27 A. Data Collection—Medium Intensity Sampling ................................................................... 27 B. Data Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 28 C. Define Differentiating Characteristics of Ecological Sites ................................................. 28 D. Field Test the Classification .................................................................................................. 28 SECTION 3.1.3 FINAL STAGE ............................................................................................................ 29 A. Data Collection—High Intensity Sampling ......................................................................... 29 B. Develop Management Interpretations .................................................................................. 30 C. Correlation .............................................................................................................................. 30 D. Quality Control and Assurance ............................................................................................ 30 1. Quality Control ......................................................................................................................... 30 2. Quality Assurance ..................................................................................................................... 30 E. Certification ............................................................................................................................ 31 F. Publish the Ecological Site Description ................................................................................ 31 SECTION 3.2 ECOLOGICAL SITE KEY ............................................................................................. 32 SECTION 3.3 DESCRIBING STATES AND COMMUNITY PHASES OF ECOLOGICAL SITES ................................................................................................................................................................... 33 SECTION 3.4 DATA STORAGE .......................................................................................................... 34 SECTION 3.5 ECOLOGICAL SITE NAMING CONVENTION ......................................................... 34 SECTION 3.5.1 COMMUNITY PHASE NAMING CONVENTION ................................................. 35 January 2013 Page 3 SECTION 3.6 REVISION OF ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS ............................................. 35 SECTION 4.0 DELINEATION AND MAPPING OF ECOLOGICAL SITES ................................... 36 SECTION 4.1 ECOLOGICAL SITES AND ECOLOGICAL UNIT HIERARCHY MAPPING ........ 37 SECTION 5.0 CONTENTS OF ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS .......................................... 38 A. Ecological Site Characteristics .............................................................................................. 38 1. Site Name: ................................................................................................................................. 38 2. Site ID: ...................................................................................................................................... 39 3. Hierarchical Classification Relationships ................................................................................. 39 B. Physiographic Features.......................................................................................................... 39 C. Climatic Features ................................................................................................................... 39 D. Influencing Water Features .................................................................................................. 40 E. Representative Soil Features ................................................................................................. 40 F. States and Community Phases .............................................................................................. 40 1. Ecological Dynamics of the Site: .............................................................................................. 40 2. State-and-Transition Diagram: .................................................................................................. 41 3. Photos:....................................................................................................................................... 41 4. Narrative: .................................................................................................................................. 41 5. Supporting Community Phase Documentation:........................................................................ 42 6. Community Phase Composition: .............................................................................................. 42 7. Annual Production: ..................................................................................................................