| Erosion
Control
| Rank 4(Low) | Rank 3 (Low - moderate) | Rank 2 (Moderate - high) | Rank 1 (High) | |
| Sheet & Rill Erosion
* Wind Erosion *
| Soil loss rates are
below tolerance levels
and are enhancing the
soil resource
| Soil loss rates are at
tolerance levels
| Soil loss rates are
above the soil loss
tolerance level but
some measure of
erosion control is being
implemented.
| Soil loss rates are not
controlled and soil loss
rates are above the soil
loss tolerance level.
|
- Because you may not be able to observe excessive erosion rates and you may be unsure of your erosion rate, complete the attached soil loss worksheet before completing this section
| Gully Erosion
| All Gully erosion sites
are controlled with no
gullies present
| Gully erosion sites are
controlled but
sometimes control
methods fail.
| Gully erosion sites have minimal control and often control methods fail | Gully erosion sites are
not controlled
| |
| Off-site Damage
| There is no off - site
damage occurring.
| Off - site damage occurs
less than one out of 10
years.
| Off - site damage occurs less than one out of 5 years | Off - site damage occurs
at least once out of
every two years
| |
| On - site Damage | There is no on - site
damage occurring
| On - site damage occurs
less than one out of 10
years
| On - site damage occurs
less than one out of 5
years
| On - site damage occurs at least once out of every two years | |
| Stream bank,
Lakeshore and other
Waterbodies
| There is no stream
bank erosion occurring,
or not present.
Livestock do not have
access to waterbody
areas. Buffer strip in
place preventing
nutrients from entering
waterbody
| There is slight stream
bank erosion occurring
in limited places. A
buffer strip is in place.
Livestock do not have
access to waterbody
areas. No buffer strip
in place that would
prevent nutrients from
entering waterbody.
| Erosion occurring
along most of the
stream bank, with little
or no buffer strip in
place. Some pasture
being lost each year to
stream bank erosion.
Livestock have limited
access to waterbody
areas. Some shoreline
erosion is occurring.
No buffer strip in place
to prevent nutrients
from entering
waterbodies
| Heavy stream bank
erosion occurring along
most of the stream
bank. No buffer strip
in place. Significant
areas of pasture being
lost each year to stream
bank erosion.
Livestock have
unlimited access to
waterbody areas.
Shoreline erosion is
common. No buffer
strip in place to prevent
nutrients from entering
waterbody
| |
| Soil Quality
| |||||
| Compac - tion
| There is little or no soil
compac - tion. Is not
limiting to the
selection or growth of
the selected plants.
| Slight problems with
soil compac - tion during
part of the year. Is
limiting to the growth
of some plants.
| Soil compac - tion is a
common problem.
Care has to be taken
when driving heavy
equipment during
certain times of the
year or during wet
conditions.
| Soil compac - tion is a
common problem
which is limiting in the
selection and
management of
vegetation. Heavy
equipment cannot be
used in certain fields.
| |
| Excess Sub - surface Water. | Sub - surface water does
not accumulate in the
soil profile and does
not limit plant growth
or operations
| Sub - surface water
accumulates in the soil
profile and slightly
limits plant growth or
operations
| Sub - surface water does
accumulate in the soil
profile and commonly
limits plant growth or
operations
| Sub - surface water does
accumulate in the soil
profile and severely
limits plant growth or
operations
| |
| Soil pH | Soil pH is at optimum level to grow the selected forage | Soil pH is within range needed to grow the selected forage | pH is the limiting factor in selection of plant species | ||
| Nutrients | |||||
| N Fertilizer Rates *
| N rates are based on the plant needs and the expected forage harvested | N rates are based on the
plant needs but
sometimes N is over or
under applied for the
expected forage
harvested
| N rates are based on
previous application
schedule and may be
over applied or under - applied.
| N rates are not based
on any plant need and
is over applied or not
applied at all.
| |
| P Fertilizer Rates* | P rates are based on the plant needs and the expected forage harvested | P rates are based on the
plant needs but
sometimes N is over or
under applied for the
expected forage
harvested
| P rates are based on
previous application
schedule and may be
over applied or under - applied.
| P rates are not based on
any plant need and is
over applied or not
applied at all.
|
- A soils test is needed to complete this section
| Time and Placement of N | All N is applied in the
spring.
| All N is applied in the
spring. Most of the N
is applied on the
surface of the soil
| Some N is applied in
the fall.
| All N is applied in the
fall.
| |
| Time and Placement of P | All P is applied in the
spring.
| All P is applied in the spring. | Some P is applied in the fall. | All P is applied in the
fall.
| |
| N Credits | N credits from organic matter, legumes, manure, and sludge are frequently used to reduce N fertilizer rates while still meeting the plants needs | N credits from organic
matter, legumes,
manure and sludge are
sometimes used to
reduce N rates and are
accounted for when
calculating plants
needs.
| N credits from organic
matter, legumes,
manure and sludge are
seldom used to reduce
N rates and seldom
accounted for when
calculating crop needs.
| N credit for organic
matter, legumes,
manure, and sludge are
not used to reduce N
fertilizer rates or
accounted for when
calculating plants
needs.
| |
| P Credits | P credits from organic matter, legumes, manure, and sludge are frequently used to reduce P fertilizer rates while still meeting the plants needs | P credits from organic
matter, legumes,
manure and sludge are
sometimes used to
reduce P rates and are
accounted for when
calculating plants
needs.
| P credits from organic
matter, legumes,
manure and sludge are
seldom used to reduce
P rates and seldom
accounted for when
calculating plants
needs.
| P credit for organic
matter, legumes,
manure, and sludge are
not used to reduce P
fertilizer rates or
accounted for when
calculating plants
needs.
| |
| Livestock Manure Distribution | Livestock are well distributed and livestock waste is spread evenly in pasture. | Livestock are moderately distributed and livestock waste is mostly evenly spread in the pasture | Livestock are poorly distributed in the pasture and waste is poorly spread in the pasture. | Livestock are not
distributed in the
pasture and waste is
concentrated on small
areas.
|
- Because the large variability of available N in organic sources you will need to complete the attached worksheet before completing this section
| Water
Manage - ment
| |||||
| Surface Runoff Reduction | All surface runoff
controlled with applied
conser - vation systems.
eq. filter strips, waterways, contour strip cropping residue manage - ment | Most (75%) of the surface runoff is controlled with applied conser - vation systems | Some (50%) of the surface runoff is controlled with applied conser - vation systems. | Uncontrolled runoff. | |
| Pests
| |||||
| Weeds and Woody
Invasions
| Field is greater than
75% desired plant
species.
| Field is 75% desired species with undesirable invasive species scattered through out the stand | Field is 50% desired species with undesirable invasive species scattered though out the stand | Field is less than 50% desired species with undesirable invasive species in large contiguous blocks that make areas unusable for intended purpose. | |
| Integrated Pest Manage - ment | Integrated pest manage - ment is part of the manage - ment and all control methods are considered | Integrated pest manage - ment is used most of the time and often more than one type of control is utilized. | Integrated pest manage - ment is occasionally used and most of the time only one type of control is utilized. | Integrated pest manage - ment is not considered and only one type of control is always used. | |
| Culturral Pest Control | Cultural methods of
controlling pests are
working with desired
stand resulting.
| Cultural methods of controlling pest are working most of the time. | cultural methods of controlling pests are not working most of the time. | Cultural methods do not control pests at all. | |
| Mechanical Pest
Control
| Mechanical methods of
controlling pests are
working with desired
stand resulting
| Mechanical methods of controlling pests are working most of the time. | Mechanical methods of controlling pests are not working most of the time. | Mechanical methods do not control pests at all. | |
| Chemical Pest Control | Chemical methods of
controlling pest are
working with desired
stand resulting, and
rates are in accordance
with labeled rates and
locations
| Chemical methods of controlling pests are working most of the time, and rates are in accordance with labeled rates and locations | Chemical methods of
controlling pests are
not working most of
the time Pesticides are applied according to label rates and locations | Chemical methods do
not control pests at all Pesticide rates are not in accordance with label rates and locations | |
| Application
| Application of pest
control is based on
scouting and economic
thresholds.
| Application of pest
control is based on
scouting .
| Application of pest
control is based on
historical data.
| Application of pest control is not based on Integrated pest manage - ment or economic threshold data. | |
| Manage - ment
| |||||
| Grazing System | Physical site
charact - eristics are
considered in laying
out pastures. Pastures
are subdivided to meet
manager's resource
concerns of plant and
animal needs.
| Some pastures are subdivided but do not result in meeting the managers resource concerns of plant and animal needs. | Pastures are not subdivided. Forage species are not managed for plant and animal needs. | ||
| Stocking Rates | Stocking rates are below the recom - mended levels for the pasture resource | Stocking rates are at the recom - mended levels for the pasture resource | Stocking rates are
above the
recom - mended levels
for the pasture resource
for part of the year.
| Stocking rates are above the recom - mended levels for the pasture resource for the whole year | |
| Quantity and Quality
of Water
| Adequate quantities of
water of the desired
quality are provided for
the species desired
| Adequate quantities of
water of the required
quality are provided
most of the time except
during excessively dry
periods
| Adequate quantities of
water of the required
quality are provide
only seasonally.
| Adequate quantities of
water or the required
quality are not
supplied.
| |
| Livestock Distribution | Manage - ment is such that livestock are well distributed in the pasture through out the grazing season | Manage - ment is such that livestock are mostly distributed in the pasture but do congregate around certain areas. | Manage - ment is such
that livestock are not
well distributed in the
pasture and congregate
around certain areas
which causes damage
to the forage resource.
| Manage - ment is such that livestock are not distributed in the pasture and considerable damage to the forage resource occurs. | |
| Timing of Grazing | The delay in the spring and length that livestock are allowed to graze the pasture is such that the minimal forage heights are exceeded | The delay in the spring and the length that livestock are allowed to graze the pasture is such that minimal forage heights are maintained | The delay in the spring
and the length that
livestock are allowed to
graze the pasture is
such that minimal
forage heights are often
not reached
| Grazing in the spring is not delayed such that forage resource does not reach minimum forage heights. | |
| Livestock are removed from the pasture in the fall well before the time needed for re - growth of the forage species before freeze up. | Livestock are removed from the pasture in the fall to allow the minimal level of re - growth for the forage species before freeze up | Livestock are removed
from the pasture in the
fall which does allow
for some re - growth but
not the minimum level
needed before freeze
up
| Livestock are not removed from the pasture in the fall before freeze up. | ||
| Plant Selection
| |||||
| Soil Suitability | All desired forage species are best suited for soils in pasture | Most of the desired forage species are best suited for soils in pasture | Some of the desired forage species are best suited for soils in pasture | none of the desired
forage species are best
suited for soils in
pasture
| |
| All desired forage species are best suited for palatability for animal species grazed. | Most of the desired forage species are best suited for palatability for animal species grazed | Some of the desired forage species are best suited for palatability for animal species grazed | None of the desired forage species are best suited for palatability for animal species grazed. | ||
| Productivity | Selected plants are producing at optimum levels. | Productivity of desired species is at an average level | Productivity of desired species is below the average rate | Productivity of desired species is very poor | |
| Landuse
| |||||
| Soil Capability | Soils are best suited for pasture use with no restrictions | Soils are suited for pasture, but there are slight restrictions on selection of plants and pasture manage - ment. | Soils are suited for
pasture but there are
moderate restrictions
on the selection of
plants and pasture
manage - ment.
| Soils are not suited for pasture. There are severe restrictions on the selection of plants and pasture manage - ment. |
| Wildlife
| |||||
| Food
| Some pasture areas are left to provide the seasonal require - ments for the wildlife species
desired.
| Plants grown will provide some of the seasonal require - ments for the wildlife species desired. | Plants are not selected to provide the seasonal require - ments, but do provide some of the
require - ments.
| Plant selection and manage - ment is done with no regard to impact on wildlife.
| |
| Cover or Shelter
| Pasture areas are left to provide the seasonal require - ments for the wildlife species
desired.
| Some areas provide the seasonal require - ments for the wildlife species desired. Pasture
areas are retired annually with some wildlife cover establishment.
| Some areas provide some of the seasonal require - ments for wildlife with no regard for
species needs
| No areas are left that provide any seasonal require - ments for wildlife
| |
| Quantity and Quality of Water
| Adequate quantities of water of the desired quality are provided for the species desired
| Adequate quantities of water of the required quality are provided most of the time except during excessively dry periods | Adequate quantities of water of the required quality are provide only seasonally.
| Adequate quantities of water or the required quality are not supplied.
| |
| Potential habitat
| Some wetland areas have been maintained or are planned to be restored.
| Some wet areas are left as is with no additional drainage activities planned.
| Wet areas are planned to be modified with drainage activities, but will not be cropped.
| Wet areas are planned to be modified and cropped. There is not regard for wildlife
needs.
|
This worksheet has been developed by the National Farm*A*Syst Office and the NRCS Material Development Team for Whole Farm and Ranch conservation Planning. It is designed to serve as an example of whole farm and ranch worksheets that can be modified to fit individual state needs. For more information on this worksheet contact the National Farm*A*Syst Office at B 142 Steenbock Library, 550 Babcock Drive, Madison, WI 53706-1293, Phone (608) 262-0024.
July 24, 1998
Dennis Hoffman, Project Leader
Steve Dagitz, Webmaster