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Understanding Rangelands: Uplands, Riparian, and Wetlands

This guide explores the differences between uplands, riparian areas, and wetlands in rangelands. Uplands are drier terrains that temporarily hold moisture after rain, while riparian zones feature lush vegetation near surface waters, categorized into lotic (flowing water) and lentic (standing water) systems. Wetlands are characterized by hydric soils that remain saturated. Key attributes of vegetation are discussed, including plant species, frequency, density, biomass, cover, and structure, providing insights into ecosystem dynamics and management strategies.

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Understanding Rangelands: Uplands, Riparian, and Wetlands

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Measuring Rangelands

  2. Uplands vs Riparian Vs Wetlands • Uplands = Drier areas on landscape that are only wet for short periods after precipitation events.

  3. Uplands vs Riparian Vs Wetlands • Riparain = Vegetation adjacent to surface waters, such as streambanks and shorelines. • Greener vegetation because of water sources

  4. Uplands vs Riparian Vs Wetlands • Riparian Categorization: • Lotic = associated with flowing water • Lentic – associated with standing water.

  5. Uplands vs Riparian Vs Wetlands • Wetlands = Areas with “hydric” soils that are permanently or seasonally saturated by water.

  6. Vegetation Attributes • Plant Species or Type • Frequency • Density • Biomass • Cover • Structure

  7. Plant Species or Type • Plant Species = genetically unique and closely related plants. • Life Form • Grasses • Grass-likes • Forbs • Shrubs • Trees K. Launchbaugh Jen Peterson K. Launchbaugh

  8. Frequency • How often a plant occurs within a sampled area • Proportion (%) of times a plant occurs in the total number of plots examined. Example: If dandelions occur in 2 out of 5 plots examined = Frequency of 40%

  9. Density • Number of individuals per unit area • Plants/ft2 • Plants/hectare • Etc.

  10. Biomass • Total weight of living organisms, including plants and animals, for a given area • Usually expressed as kg/ha or lbs/acre • In range assessment refers to just plants, does not usually include weight of animals per area. • Determined by clipping and weighing

  11. Biomass – can vary substantially

  12. Cover • Amount of ground surface covered by vegetation or other objects including: • rocks, • litter (dead plant matter) • moss • bare ground • Measured with points or plots

  13. Structure • Three-dimentsonal arrangement of a plant community. • Relates to: • Hiding Cover • Thermal Cover • Wildland Fuels

  14. Plant Composition • A calculation based on proportions of biomass or cover. • Proportion (%) of various plants (or life form) in relation to total plant biomass or cover

  15. Vegetation Attributes • Plant Species or Type • Frequency • Density • Biomass • Cover • Structure • … Composition

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