Ecological Site: A distinctive kind of land with specific physical - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Jun 19, 2023 9 likes •131 views

Ecological Site: A distinctive kind of land with specific physical characteristics that differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce a distinctive kind and amount of vegetation, and in its ability to respond to management actions

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Ecological Site:

A distinctive kind of land with specific physical characteristics that differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce a distinctive kind and amount of vegetation, and in its ability to respond to management actions and natural disturbances.

Ecological Site Descriptions (ESDs) describe

a) biophysical properties of ecological sites b) Vegetation of reference conditions c) state-and-transition model graphics and text d) a description of ecosystem services provided by the ecological site and other interpretations. ** Ecological Sites tied to soil data accessible through Web Soil Survey

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Part 1: Ecological Site Development: Approach

Background research/ Reconnaissance

Define Area of interest

What are the reference conditions for different parts of the landscape? What ecological processes are necessary to maintain the reference condition? Develop Initial Ecological Site Concepts: Geophysical, plant community Test Ecological Site Concepts Reject Accept

Ecological Site Description

Existing Data, Literature, Expert input Figure out Reference Conditions Collected Data

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The MLRA-level “model”

Loamy soil(active piedmont) Susceptible to water erosion and grass loss: vulnerable/restorable Clayey soil (basin floor)Receives water and sediment: low risk Gravelly soil(shallow, relict piedmont) Surface soil water limited, high risk for grass loss and erosion Sandy soil(relict basin floor) Erodible surface soils once grasses removed

Ecological Site Concepts based on:

Soil Properties (fertility, texture, profile, drainage) Soil map units Landscape position / topography Climate Vegetation: Reference sites

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Part 2: Ecological Site Description and Management Interpretations

1) Development of State and Transition Model 2) Identify Indicators of Reference conditions, states, and treshholds 3) Identify and describe management activities that affect phases and states

Reference: A Phase C Phase: B

STATE 1: Grassland STATE 2: Savanna STATE 3: Shrubland

Phase: E Phase: D State F

T1 Shrub invasion R1 Fire, Shrub control

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Part 1: Example of Development of Ecological Site Concepts: Pine Uplands of the Lower Atlantic Coast Flatwoods

Using existing vegetation

data as Reference Sites as a start

Create distinguishable

site concepts

Correlate those to soil map

units (one-many) MLRA 153A

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P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P12 P13 P14 P15 P16 P17 P18 P19 P20 P21 P22 P23 P24 P25 P26 P27 P28 P29 P30 P31 P32 P33 P34 P35 P36 P37 P38 P39 P41 P42 P43 P44 P45 P46 P47 P48 P49 P50 P51 P52 P53 P54 P55 P56 P58 P59 P60 P61 P62 P64 P65 P66 P67 P68 P69 P70 P71 P72 P73 P74 P75 P77 P78 P79 P80 P81 P82 P83 P84 P85 P86 P87 P88 P89 P90 P91 P92 P93 P94 P95 P96 P97 P98 P99

Pinus palustris-turkey(bluejack) oak Sandhills Pinus palustris-mixed forb-bluestem flatwoods Pinus palustris-saw palmetto- Curtis dropseed flatwoods

Example of Development of Ecological Site Concepts: Reference site data for MLRA 153A

Defining Ecological Site concepts from data (cluster and indicator species analysis) In this case, upland pineland communities only

Uplands

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Turkey Oak (Q. laevis)

Bluejack Oak (Q. incana)

Develop Ecological Site concept Indicator plant species for MLRA pine upland reference sites

Ordination Axis 1 Ordination Axis 2

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) Shiny blueberry (Vaccinium myrsinites)

Pinus palustris-saw palmetto- Curtis dropseed flatwoods Pinus palustris-turkey(bluejack) oak Sandhills

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Develop Ecological Site concept Site – Soil Correlations

Pinus palustris-turkey(bluejack) oak Sandhills Pinus palustris-mixed forb-bluestem flatwoods Pinus palustris-saw palmetto- Curtis dropseed flatwoods Psamments and Grossarenic Paleudults Thick sandy epipedon (sand pile) Excessively to well drained Large depth to water table Paleaquullts and Aquic Paleudults Aquic conditions part of year Poorly to moderately well drained Spodosols Leached albic horizon Spodic horizon high in organic matter

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Initial Hypotheses about community – soil / landscape relationships

Now we can:

Examine more existing data (vegetation mapping, FNAI, FWC)
Assemble experts, task force
More field work – validation of Ecological Site concepts
Expand the Ecological Site model to include other site concepts
Start working on Ecological Site Descriptions for specific Ecological Sites

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Part 2: Example - State and Transition Models / Indicators

Xeric Sandhill Scrub, North Carolina Sandhills region

Source: NatureServe draft ESD, 2012

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Grass cover is > 15%, only small bare patches Keep on doing what you’re doing, Fire management if possible Shrub cover >12%, few grass patches: Summer grazing rest, Shrub control to increase grasses Shrub cover >12% absence of perennial grasses, Long-term rest to take advantage of very rainy years, Shrub control

Identify and describe management activities that affect phases and states:

Example from grasslands in Jornada Basin, New Mexico

Shrub savanna state Shrub-dominated state Shrubland state

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Ecological Site Description Process: Applications for Public Land Management

Ecological Site Reference concept – useful as benchmark for restoration goals
Ecological Site Description – Spatially explicit information re: plant communities

and successional trajectories for landowners and agencies

Management Interpretations – information about how to affect succession based
n land manager’s objectives
Largest natural resource database, accessible to everyone
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