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12/9/2019 ESD Printable Report <br /> Section II: Ecological Site Interpretations <br /> Animal Community <br /> WILDLIFE INTERPRETATIONS: <br /> The combination of clayey soils and grasses,forbs and shrubs found on the ecological site provide habitat for numerous wildlife species. <br /> Historic large grazers that influenced these communities were bison and pronghorn.Bison are currently found only as domestic livestock. <br /> Pronghorn,mule and white-tailed deer use this ecological site.Domestic grazers share these habitats with wildlife.The grassland <br /> communities of eastern Colorado are home to many bird species.Changes in the composition of the plant community when moving from the <br /> Reference Community to other communities on this ecological site may result in species shifts in bird species.The occasional wetland or <br /> spring found on this site provides essential seasonal water needed for reproductive habitat by some reptiles and amphibians.Because of a <br /> lack of permanent water,fish are not common. <br /> GRAZING INTERPRETATIONS: <br /> The following table lists suggested initial stocking rates for an animal unit(1000 pound beef cow)under continuous grazing(year-long <br /> grazing or growing season-long grazing)based on normal growing conditions.However,continuous grazing is not recommended.These <br /> estimates should only be used as preliminary guidelines in the initial stages of the conservation planning process.Often,the existing plant <br /> composition does not entirely match any particular plant community described in this ecological site description.Therefore,field inventories <br /> are always recommended to document plant composition,total production,and palatable forage production.Carrying capacity estimates <br /> that reflect on-site conditions should be calculated using field inventories. <br /> If the following production estimates are used,they should be adjusted based on animal kind/class and on the specific palatability of the <br /> forage plants in the various plant community descriptions.Under a properly stocked,properly applied,prescribed grazing management <br /> system that provides adequate recovery periods following each grazing event,improved harvest efficiencies will eventually result in <br /> increased carrying capacity.See USDA-NRCS Colorado Prescribed Grazing Standard and Specification Guide(528). <br /> The stocking rate calculations are based on the total annual forage production in a normal year multiplied by 25%harvest efficiency divided <br /> by 912.5 pounds of ingested air-dry vegetation for an animal unit per month. <br /> Plant Community Production(lbs./acre)and Stocking Rate(AUM/acre) <br /> Reference Community-(750)(0.21) <br /> At Risk Community-(400)(0.11) <br /> Low Plant Density,Excessive Litter Community-(600)(0.16) <br /> Blue Grama Community-(200)(0.05) <br /> Increased Bare Ground Community- <br /> Go-Back Community—(*)(*) <br /> Seeded Community—(*)(*) <br /> *Highly variable;stocking rate needs to be determined on site. <br /> Grazing by domestic livestock is one of the major income-producing industries in the area. Rangelands in this area provide yearlong forage <br /> under prescribed grazing for cattle,sheep,horses and other herbivores. <br /> Plant Preference by Animal Kind <br /> Animal kind:Sheep,Deer,antelope <br /> Common name Scientific name Plant pBA J F M A M I I A -a Q N D <br /> Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides Entire plant D D D P P P D D D D D D <br /> white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana Entire plant U U U U U U D D D U U U <br /> Fendler threeawn Aristida purpurea var.longiseta Entire plant N N N N N N N N N N N N <br /> twogrooved milkvetch Astragalus bisu/catus Entire plant T T T T T T T T T T T T <br /> woolly locoweed Astragalus mol/lssimus Entire plant T T T T T T T T T T T T <br /> fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Leaves P P P D D D D D D P P P <br /> sidecats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Entire plant U U U D D D P P P U U U <br /> buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides Entire plant D D D D D D P P P D D D <br /> blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Entire plant D D D P P P P P P D D D <br /> sun sedge Carex inops subsp.heliophila Entire plant U U U P P P D D D D D D <br /> tree cholla Cylindropuntia imbricata var.imbricata Entire plant N N N N N N N N N N N N <br /> purple prairie clover Dalea py_rpurea var.av_rpurea Entire plant U U U P P P P P P U U U <br /> saltgrass Distichh spicata Entire plant N N N N N N N N N N N N <br /> squirreltail Elymus elymoides subspelymoides Entire plant U U U D D D U U U U U U <br /> James'seaheath Frankenia jamesii Leaves U U U U U U N N N U U U <br /> Gaura coccinea Entire plant U U U D D D D D D U U U <br /> https://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov/ESDReport/fsReportPrt.aspx?id=R069XY042CO&rptLevel=all&approved=yes&repType=regular&scrns=&comm= 9/16 <br />