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

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

Loamy Bottomland

Alluvial soils that are subject to flooding and include riparian zones and overflow areas. The site is composed of deep productive soils subject to frequent or occasional overflow from the streams and runoff from hillsides. The site contains combinations of grasses, forbs, legumes, shrubs, and trees depending on the region. The soils are very productive and have the potential to produce large amounts of biomass. 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%

eastern gamagrass
Florida paspalum 10 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

Big Bluestem
Switchgrass
Indiangrass 40 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

little bluestem 5 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

broadleaf uniola
dropseed
Scribner panicum
purpletop
other native 15 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _____

invasives 20 ______ ______ ______ ___0__ ___0__ ___0__

Forbs and Legumes
leadplant
tickclover
Illinois bundleflower
slender lespedeza
roundhead lespedeza
compassplant
dotted gayfeather
perennial sunflower
wild indigo
scurfpea
goldenrod
sagewort
milkweed
ragweed
dalea
prairie clover
other natives
invasives

10%
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Woodies
poison ivy
American elm
sumac
chittamwood
greenbrier
buckbrush
hackberry
buttonbush
roughleaf dogwood
eastern cottonwood
other natives
invasives

20%
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0
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100%

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100%

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