Ecological Sites - Loamy Prairie, 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 Prairie

Upland soils more than 20 inches deep, with a loamy texture and permeable subsoils. The site is composed of deep loamy upland soils with slopes that are gentle to steeply rolling. The site contains combinations of forbs, grasses, legumes, and shrubs. Root growth is unrestricted through the soil profile. 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
switchgrass
Indiangrass 10 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

little bluestem 20 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

eastern gamagrass
Florida paspalum 5 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______

prairie cordgrass
Canada wildrye
dropseed
blue grama
sideoats grama
Scribner panicum
purpletop
other natives 10 ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ _____

invasives 20 ______ ______ ______ ___0__ ___0__ ___0__

Forbs and Legumes
catclaw sensitivebrier
tickclover
Illinois bundleflower
prairie acacia
slender lespedeza
roundhead lespedeza
compassplant
halfshrub sundrop
dotted gayfeather
Pitcher's sage
perennial sunflower
wild indigo
prairie scurfpea
Mexican hat
milkweed
goldenrod
sagewort
ragweed
purple prairie clover
dalea
other natives
invasives

15%
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Woodies
sumac
blackberry
sand plum
winged elm
buckbrush
other natives
invasives

1%
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100%

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