Spreadsheet: 2763dd06-0b44-4c58-81dd-529167651edd
Sheet: ID-CPA-015

 | Prescribed Grazing - 528 |  |  |  | ID-CPA-015
 | Pasture Condition Scoresheet |  |  |  |  | Idaho
Natural Resources Conservation Service |  |  |  |  | January 2014
Conservationist |  |  |  | Pasture  Number
Forage Suitability Group(s) / Forage Type
Current Years Precipitation (check one) |  | Above Normal | Normal | Below Normal
Evaluate the site and rate each indicator based upon your observations.  Scores for each indicator may range from 1 to 5.  Sum the indicator scores to determine overall pasture condition score.  If an indicator does not apply, enter a "5".  All percents are by % Dry Matter Wt.
Indicator | 1 Points | 2 Point | 3 Points | 4 Points | 5 Points | Score
Percent desirable plants | Desirable species  <20% of stand.  [NAME] and Weeds/Woodys Dominate | Desirable species are 20% to 39% of stand.  Undesirables/Weeds/Woodys are near domination. | Desirable species are 40% to 59% of stand.  Undesirables are [NAME] weeds, Annual Grasses.  Some woody species. | Desirable species are 60% to 79% of stand.  Intermediate preference species make up the rest of the stand with a few undesirables. | Desirable species make up >80% of the plant community with intermediate species making up most of the remaining 20 percent.
Plant cover (live) of both canopy and basal areas:  Of  Live Stems and green leaves of all desirables and intermediates | Canopy: <50%           Basal: <15%                                             Runoff at basal: not slowed | Canopy: 50% to 69%           Basal: 15%to 24%                                             Runoff at basal: low vegetal retardance | Canopy: 70% to 89%           Basal: 25%to 34%                                             Runoff at basal: moderate vegetal retardance | Canopy: 90% to 94%           Basal: 35%to 50%                                             Runoff at basal: high vegetal retardance | Canopy: 95% to 100%           Basal: >50%                                             Runoff at basal:  very little to no runoff
Plant diversity (forage species) | 1 Dominant (>75%) OR >5 (with each <20%) from only one functional group.  Poorly distributed in the pasture. | 2  to 5 from only one functional group  (>75%)   Each in patches. | 3 from  only one functional group  total is >75% of stand, equally  distributed OR two functional groups with 1 species each but not evenly distributed. | 3 to 4 species with at least one per functinal group with two functional groups present, each species is ≥ 20% of stand, equally  distributed. | 4 to 5 species with three functional groups present, 1 or more species in each with each species ≥ 20% of stand, equally  distributed in pasture.
Plant residue (dead)  Rate ground cover (or thickness) and standing dead forage separately, then average for this score. | Ground cover:  None            OR >1 inch thick.                   Standing Dead:  >25% of air dry weight of total pasture biomass. | Ground cover:  <10%            OR ½ to 1 inch thick.               Standing Dead:  15% to 25% of air dry weight of total pasture biomass. | Ground cover:  10% to 19% OR <½ inch.               Standing Dead:  5% to15% of air dry weight of total pasture biomass. | Ground cover:  20% to 29% OR no thatch.               Standing Dead:  <5% of air dry weight of total pasture biomass. | Ground cover:  30% to 70%   OR no thatch.               Standing Dead:  None available below minimum grazing height for species in pasture.
Plant vigor  If plant vigor is less than 4 use factors below | Recovery: None                      Color: yellow/brown                         Insect/Wilting/Disease Loss:  High                       Productivity:  none to very low | Recovery: Takes 2wks longer                               Color: yellowish green                         Insect/Wilting/Disease Loss:  Major                         Productivity: Low | Recovery: Takes 1wk longer                                 Color: pale green, not dung/urine spots                          Insect/Wilting/Disease Loss:Minor                Productivity: ≤ avg. | Recovery:Few days longer                       Color:slightly light green                          Insect/Wilting/Disease Loss:Very Minor                Productivity:At site avg | Recovery:Rapid                       Color:Deep green                          Insect/Wilting/Disease Loss:None                Productivity: well above site avg
Percent legume by wt. | <10% or ≥60%(bloat) | 10-19% OR grass loss at 40-59% spreading | 20-29% | 30-39% | 40 – 60 % grass not inhibited
Uniformity of use | Small grazed patches coverage: >50%                Areas avoided besides dung/urine: Very Many  OR Within Rec. [NAME].: Very Small % | Small grazed patches coverage: 25 -50%   OR    Areas avoided besides dung/urine: Many  OR Within Rec. [NAME].: About Half to 10% | Small grazed patches coverage: 10-25%   OR    Areas avoided besides dung/urine: Some   OR   Within Rec. [NAME].:   50 to 75% | Small grazed patches coverage: minor%            Areas avoided besides dung/urine: A few  OR    Within Rec. Grazing hts.: Large % | Small grazed patches coverage: none                                  Areas avoided besides dung/urine: none  OR     Within Rec. Grazing hts.: Almost all or all %
Livestock concentration areas | % of pasture occupied by:  >10%                                       OR   number with direct runoff to surface water:  All LCAs in pasture | % of pasture occupied by:      6-10%                                    OR   number with direct runoff to surface water:  Majority of LCAs | % of psture occupied by:        2-5%                                      OR  number with direct runoff to surface water:   Only 1 | % of psture occupied by: 1 - 2%, small                                      OR   number with direct runoff to surface water:   None | % of psture occupied by:                                              0%                                           OR   number with direct runoff to surface water:   None
Soil compaction               (by livestock) | Infiltration and surface runoff affected by SC: Severe                                                   Livestock traffic or trails: Excessive over wide areas                          Resistance to pushing flag/soil probe: major, very hard | Infiltration and surface runoff affected by SC: yes, dense surface layer                                                  Livestock traffic or trails:  Common                                     Resistance to pushing soil probe: yes, hard | Infiltration and surface runoff affected by SC: yes, areas of no plant cover                                                       Livestock traffic or trails:  some but small                                     Resistance to pushing soil probe: at compacted layer | Infiltration and surface runoff affected by SC: low cover %                                                 Livestock traffic or trails: few and small                                      Resistance to pushing soil probe: None | Infiltration and surface runoff affected by SC:   little/none                                                 Livestock traffic or trails:  None                                     Resistance to pushing soil probe: None, soil friable
Erosion - if other than sheet and rill, see below | Sheet and rills:  yes, active in pasture                           Depth: >3<8 "                  grazing terracettes: yes, close-spaced | Sheet and rills: only on steep areas                  Depth: >0.5-3"                    grazing terracettes: present | Sheet and rills: Only at HUAs and water                      Depth:  >0.5-3"                  grazing terracettes: None, but debris fans | Sheet and rills: None, past is grassed                           Depth: None                   grazing terracettes: None but a few small debris dams | No visual signs of erosion present.  Streambanks and drainages are not eroding.
Overall Pasture Condition Score | Individual  Indicator Score | Management Change Suggested |  |  | Overall Pasture Condition Score =
45 to 50 | 5 | Excellent: No changes in management needed at this time.
35 to 45 | 4 | Good: Minor changes would enhance, do most beneficial first.
25 to 35 | 3 | Fair: Improvements would benefit productivity and/or environmnet.
15 to 25 | 2 | Poor: Needs immediate management changes, high return likely.
10 to 15 | 1 | Very Poor: Major effort required in time, management and expense.
Comments/Notes
Other Erosion When Present: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Wind | Severity: Dunes Forming                Damage to Plants: No Plants or remnants | Severity: Major               Damage to Plants:  Plant death by burial or abrasion | Severity:  From adjacent fields, or only during 512              Damage to Plants:  Only Seedling death by burial/abrasion | Severity: Some detached veg. windrowed               Damage to Plants:  Minor damage | Severity: None               Damage to Plants:  None
Streambank/Shoreline | Condition: Bare & major sloughing               Vegetation Remaining: None | Condition: Trampled, some sloughing, eroding laterals              Vegetation Remaining: A few plants | Condition: Only eroding at crossings/entrances              Vegetation Remaining: Some still established | Condition: regularly grazed but stable, crossings muddy if used               Vegetation Remaining: [NAME]. stand | Condition: Very stable, designed crossings & entrances, alternative water sources used              Vegetation Remaining: All
Gully | Status/Size: Very Large, Mass movement, caving sides Effort Needed to Repair: large & very expensive | Status/Size: Advancing upslope, increasing fingering extensions Effort Needed to Repair:  Major design and $$ | Status/Size:  Not all of gully is active but extensions present Effort Needed to Repair:  avg. design and $$ | Status/Size:  Stable and veg. cover Effort Needed to Repair:  Easy, Low $$ | Status/Size: None, drainage ways good cover Effort Needed to Repair:  None
Rate only the types of erosion present, then average for erosion score above
Causitive Factors When Plant Vigor Indicator Score is Less than 4:
Soil Fertility                            (P & K Status by test)                                            If no P OR K Comment, it is at optimum | Very Low OR Very High | Any of the following:                   Low P&K                      Low P, Very High K                  Low K, Very High P                           Very High K                                   Very High P | Any of the following:                   Just Low P                      Low P, High K                  Just Low K                               High P, Low K                                   Very High P&K | Just High K or High P | Optimum
Soil Fertility                            (N Status by test)                  from recommendation for forage grown | Very Deficient or Excessive | Low or very high | Marginal or High | near adequate or slightly high | Adequate
Soil pH                                             Upper 4-inch root zone By Test | <4.5 or >9 | 4.5-5.0 or 8.5-9.0 | 5.1-5.5 or 7.9-8.4 | 5.6-6.0 or 7.4-7.8 | 6.0 -7.3
Severity of Use | Desirables gone  OR        Not grazed so thick thatch or standing dead        Unplanned Woody invasion | Edible plants grazed low as possible for that livestock species  OR     Very undergrazed, stemmy, some standing dead | Most of Pasture Spot Grazed                        Close grazed areas as low as possible for species | Less than half spot grazed, dung and urine spots avoided, minimum residual heights observed | Grazed within recommended grazing heights for forages present, high production and recovery
Site Adaptation of desired species | Planted and desired species present:  None                                           Unwanted species presesnt: Large % of pasture | Planted and desired species present: small %                                        Unwanted species presesnt: Dominates stand | Planted and desired species present: Some but 1+ missing                                           Unwanted species presesnt:  invading but not dominant | Planted and desired species present:  All present but not at original %                                       Unwanted species presesnt:  A few | Planted and desired species present:  Present at desired %                                           Unwanted species presesnt: None
Climatic Stresses | Damage from Drought, [NAME], Submergence, or Ice Sheets:  [NAME], severed roots, major plant loss | Damage from Drought, [NAME], Submergence, or Ice Sheets:  Wilting, some plant loss, not major | Damage from Drought, [NAME], Submergence, or Ice Sheets:  Mid-day wilting, some leaf loss, minor plant loss | Damage from Drought, [NAME], Submergence, or Ice Sheets:   Dry, slow growth, some leaf yellowing > cold | Damage from Drought, [NAME], Submergence, or Ice Sheets:  None
Insects and Disease Pressure | Insect/Disease Outbreak/Attack:   Severe, high  mortality | Insect/Disease Outbreak/Attack:   At economic threshold, treat now | Insect/Disease Outbreak/Attack:   Near economic threshold, scout regularly | Insect/Disease Outbreak/Attack:   Some present, no quality/quantity impact | Insect/Disease Outbreak/Attack:   No visible damage.
Do not average these scores to change plant vigor.  Only use caustive scores to determine how to prioritize and perform corrections.