ARS | Publication request: Hydrologic components and considerations for developing ecological sit descriptions

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: July 26, 2003
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service is currently updating their range site descriptions to Ecological Site Descriptions. The Ecological Site Descriptions will be "state of the art" documents and will include information about landscape features, plants, soils, geology, physiographic features, climate features, plant composition, successional state and transition diagrams, rangeland health support information, hydrology information, grazing and wildlife animal preferences, and recreational aspects. Hydrology is an important consideration especially since hydrologic attributes such as infiltration, runoff, evapotranspiration, and erosion dynamics change as plant composition changes. This presentation gave examples how hydrologic information could be synchronized with the state and transition diagrams. The Simulation Production and Utilization of Rangeland/ and Water Erosion Prediction Project model is stated for use in modeling hydrologic parameters for Ecological Site Descriptions.