Ecological Sites - Breaks, The National Rangeland Judging Contest, Judging Rangeland for Livestock and Wildlife Values

The National Rangeland Judging Contest
Judging Rangeland for Livestock and Wildlife Values

Breaks

Upland soils with more than 20 percent slopes and broken by canyons or gullies. This site is found on steep escarpments and canyon-like areas. The slopes may have occasional benches. The slope profile consists of rock outcrops and deep soils that occur between the rock outcrops. Runoff is high. The site contains forbs, grasses, legumes, shrubs, and scattered trees. The vegetation was formed under migratory grazing and heavy impact from bison and other native wildlife, with fires in both the dormant and growing season.
Site Composition Maximum Observed Composition Percent Counted Toward SI

Vegetation Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 1 Site 2 Site 3

Grasses 70%

big bluestem
Indiangrass
switchgrass
25 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

little bluestem 10 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

sideoats grama
blue grama
buffalograss
hairy grama
tall dropseed
perennial threeawn
Canada wildrye
other natives
40 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

invasives 0 ______ ______ ______ ___0__ ___0__ ___0__

Forbs and Legumes
prairie acacia
groundplum
Illinois bundleflower
tickclover
purple prairie clover
scurfpea
catclaw sensitivebrier
trailing wildbean
tephrosia
perennial sunflower
sagewort
black samson
dotted gayfeather
halfshrub sundrop
compass plant
other natives
invasives

20%
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Woodies
blackberry
hackberry
sumac
greenbrier
fragrant sumac
plum
other natives
invasives

5%
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100%

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