| Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide | Fifth Edition: October 2005 |
| Grassland Evaluation Teacher's Guide | |
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Introduction The Grassland Evaluation program consists of four sections: (1) Grassland Condition, (2) Soil Evaluation, (3) Wildlife Habitat and (4) Plant Identification. Each of these factors must be considered in evaluating pastures or grasslands to best utilize the resource and to help make useful management decisions. NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS: See section "Suggested References" for additional sources of information to use with this Contest Guide. Contest Layout The judging site will be a typical pasture or area used for livestock grazing. Within the pasture area, a 50 by 50-foot plot will be marked-off with flags. Participants will not be allowed to walk into or touch plants within this plot. This area will be used by the participants to answer certain parts of the Wildlife, Soil Interpretation and Grassland Condition Score Cards. Additional flags at or near this site will also be used to determine the percent of slope as required on the Soils Score Card. Additional areas or sites may be designated by the Contest Officials as needed to complete the Contest. A "scenario with a landowner's goals for livestock and wildlife production" will be provided at the Contest site. Appropriate soil survey information, aerial photos, maps, score cards and any other relative information will be made available to the contestants on the day of the Contest. This information must be considered to complete each Score card. Plants marked for the Plant Identification portion of the Contest will be marked in the field or they may be displayed as mounted specimens. Depending upon the plants available, certain plants may be temporarily "transplanted" to the site for purposes of identification. Participants will not be allowed to touch the plants marked for plant identification purposes during the Contest. Grassland Condition Grassland evaluation is a process of appraising present conditions in a field and making decisions to correct problems or to utilize the resource in a manner that better suits the landowner's goals. Many problems in grasslands and pastures develop from mismanagement or lack of planning. In order to correct problems you must first determine the condition of the field then make corrective decisions that are based on sound agricultural practices compatible with the landowners goals. The landowner's goals will be provided for each judging site. Livestock production should be the primary interest for the field when filling out the Grassland Condition Management scorecard with wildlife production only as a secondary goal. Wildlife Habitat To increase wildlife numbers you must provide adequate food and permanent cover the year round. Wildlife numbers cannot increase if food or cover is continually grazed and trampled by livestock throughout the year, especially in winter. When scoring the Wildlife Habitat scorecard, consider wildlife improvement as the primary goal for the field with livestock production only as a secondary goal. Management decisions may differ between the two uses. Certain portions of the Wildlife Score Card will be answered by referring to the 50 X 50 foot plot as outlined above. Soil Interpretation Soil properties strongly influence both forage selection and field management. Soil surveys published by the Natural Resources Conservation Service are a basic tool to the grassland manager. They provide information about the properties of all the soils in a county. The adaptation of plants to certain soils is also an important aspect of grassland management. Some plants thrive in deep, well drained soils but do poorly in shallow, poorly drained soils. Factors that limit plant adaptation may be soil fertility, poor soil drainage, soil depth, or droughtiness. A successful grassland manager determines the soil type and matches adapted forages to that environment. Soil survey information will be provided at the judging site. The correct soil series must be determined by locating the judging site and soil mapping unit on an aerial photograph of the farm. The soils slope will be determined using the site that is identified with flags as described above. Plant Identification You cannot successfully manage grasslands without a working knowledge of plant identification. You must be able to identify the plants you are managing and also the weedy invaders that might occur. A basic knowledge of the plants that are considered good food for wildlife is necessary to successfully increase numbers. It is also important to know the life cycle of the major plants found in grasslands and pastures. Perennial plants are managed differently than annual plants. Likewise, control of undesirable plants depends upon whether it is an annual, perennial, broadleaf, grass or grass-like plant.
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