Part 5: Setting Realistic Objectives and Goals
Plant Communities
Plant communities are the major biotic component
of the ranch, and provide the available forage for grazing animals.
The production and composition of plant communities is dependent
on abiotic components of the land including precipitation, soil
type and fertility, and topography. This can be further divided
into:
- Dominant plant communities
- Plant species that greatly influence the ecology of the
region by means of their numbers or coverage.
- Desired plant communities
- The combination of plant species that is best able to meet
the production goals of a management plan (such as the plants
most desired as forage by livestock).
- Potential natural plant communities
- The plant community that is self-perpetuating with no management
influences. These plants would occupy the site under the current
climatic conditions of the site without further influence by
man.
Later in the sub-module, you will learn how to identify and inventory
the type of plant (grass, sedge, forb, and shrub) on your ranch in
addition to learning how to identify some common western rangeland
plants.
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