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Rangeland and Forest Vegetation Classification,Productivity,and Plant Composition---Elbert <br /> County,Colorado,Western Part <br /> Rangeland and Forest Vegetation Classification, <br /> Productivity, and Plant Composition <br /> In areas that have similar climate and topography, differences in the kind and <br /> amount of rangeland or forest understory vegetation are closely related to the <br /> kind of soil. Effective management is based on the relationship between the soils <br /> and vegetation and water. <br /> This table shows,for each soil that supports vegetation,the ecological site, plant <br /> association, or habitat type;the total annual production of vegetation in favorable, <br /> normal, and unfavorable years; the characteristic vegetation; and the average <br /> percentage of each species. An explanation of the column headings in the table <br /> follows. <br /> An ecological site, plant association, or habitat type is the product of all the <br /> environmental factors responsible for its development. It has characteristic soils <br /> that have developed over time throughout the soil development process; a <br /> characteristic hydrology, particularly infiltration and runoff that has developed <br /> over time; and a characteristic plant community (kind and amount of vegetation). <br /> The hydrology of the site is influenced by development of the soil and plant <br /> community. The vegetation, soils, and hydrology are all interrelated. Each is <br /> influenced by the others and influences the development of the others. The plant <br /> community on an ecological site, plant association, or habitat type is typified by <br /> an association of species that differs from that of other ecological sites, plant <br /> associations, or habitat types in the kind and/or proportion of species or in total <br /> production. Descriptions of ecological sites are provided in the Field Office <br /> Technical Guide,which is available in local offices of the Natural Resources <br /> Conservation Service(NRCS). Descriptions of plant associations or habitat types <br /> are available from local U.S. Forest Service offices. <br /> Total dry-weight production is the amount of vegetation that can be expected to <br /> grow annually in a well managed area that is supporting the potential natural <br /> plant community. It includes all vegetation,whether or not it is palatable to <br /> grazing animals. It includes the current year's growth of leaves,twigs, and fruits <br /> of woody plants. It does not include the increase in stem diameter of trees and <br /> shrubs. It is expressed in pounds per acre of air-dry vegetation for favorable, <br /> normal, and unfavorable years. In a favorable year, the amount and distribution <br /> of precipitation and the temperatures make growing conditions substantially <br /> better than average. In a normal year, growing conditions are about average. In <br /> an unfavorable year, growing conditions are well below average, generally <br /> because of low available soil moisture. Yields are adjusted to a common percent <br /> of air-dry moisture content. <br /> Characteristic vegetation(the grasses, forbs, shrubs, and understory trees that <br /> make up most of the potential natural plant community on each soil) is listed by <br /> common name. Under rangeland composition and forest understory,the <br /> expected percentage of the total annual production is given for each species <br /> making up the characteristic vegetation. The percentages are by dry weight for <br /> rangeland. Percentages for forest understory are by either dry weight or canopy <br /> cover.The amount that can be used as forage depends on the kinds of grazing <br /> animals and on the grazing season. <br /> L•SDA Natural Resources Web Soil Survey 4/16/2018 <br /> Conservation Service National Cooperative Soil Survey Page 1 of 7 <br />